The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-11
PkRILS OF MENTAL BEALING


Readers of the more serious class
of magazines do not need to be told
that some very eminent physicians
are opposed to what is called the
Emanuel movement and object to the
clergy usurping the functions of the
medical profession. And now tones
a distinguished New York clergyman
with a similar protest, but on differ
ent grounds. The Rev. Charles n.
Aked, pastor of John d. Rockefell-
er's church, denounced healing by
ministers as a grave menace to the
church and to society in an address
to an audience assembled to see four
physicians graduated from the New
York Medh al College for Women.
DIR. AlSed did not mention the En-
manuel movement by name, but left
no doubt as to what he meant. He
declared such cults opened the door
to charlatanism and chicanery and
were a usurpation on the part Of
members OF his profession of func-
tions the exercise of which properly
belonged to physicians, and for which
the clergy had not been called and
were not trained.
An especial stir was caused by DR..
Aked's assertion that the type of
clergyman who has any chance of
success in this sort of cult "is nat
urally mal wh1 il young, handsome
and virile, and possessed Of that pc
culiar Qhality which. fof want of a
better term, we call personal mag
netism. This Is just the sort of a
man who should not be trusted with
power over womsp. Just in proper
usurp the functions OF physicians
will there be cases of scandal" The
wise and circumspect divine apollo.
gized for his plain speech on the
ground that he was speaking to q
unique audience, composed of per
sons who would be able to appreci
ate the fact that he was expressingl
his conviI tions and would not be Of
Tended even II they did not agree
with him.
1t is question in DR.. Aked
mind whether these new cults anC
movements are not merely introduc
ing old superstitions under new
names. In a recent indictment o
mental healing by DR.. Woods Hutch
inson there is much to support thi'
view of the matter. He grants 1t i
influence over the body, and a pow
erful one in both health and disease
But what we are apt TO forget 1
that the whole history of the progres
OF medicine has been a record o
diminishing resort to this power as
means of cure. The measure OF tn
PHYSICIANS sui cess and OF his con
troll over disease has been and is ye
In exact proportion to the extent +
which he can relegate this resourc
TO the background and avoid resort
ing TO IL. Indeed, declares DR.
Hutchinson, all our substantial an
permanent victories over bodily i'll
have been won by physical means
Instead Of mental influence being tn
newest method Of treatment. 1t /
the oldest. Two-thirds OF the meth
DDS of the shamau, or wizard an
conjurer In some of the northern ma
tions OF Asia, the witch doctor an
the medicine man. we're psychic. In
stead of being an untried remed.
mental healing Is, according to Dr
Hutchinson. "tbe most thorough
tested, most universal. most ubiqu
tous remedy listed anywhere upo
the pages Of history and. 1t may q
frankly stated, in civilized countris
as widely discredited as tested" Tn
proportion TO which 1t survives |
the medicine of any race. he thinks
+ the measure OF that races barbar'