The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-06-15
Docs Music C,ure0

In view OF the persistent discussion az
to the power of music TO influence Tn,
minds and souls (perhaps hence the
oodies) Of humanity In iar-removed field!
OF activity, this terse expression o
thought, clipped from "A year-old NUN
Der OF the Etude, seems not out of place
Just little while after Amerigo
Nespucci discovered that this won
derful continent of ours was not
Asia. but really "mundus novus.
several thinkers Ia Europe were trou-
bling their minds about the curative
powers OF music. In fact. as early
as 1885 a Swiss doctor and philoogist
published letter on ''Sciat!ca Cured
by Music" 1t should be remembered
however. that this man Conrad Cess
mes, was simply following in the foot
steps of that very David who by the
magic of his harp playing refreshed
the mind Of Saul so that ''the evil
spirit departed from him."
In very interesting article by DR..
Frederick Niecks. published in the
English Monthly Musical Record, our
attention is called TO the fact that
Hippocrates (460-35e B, c., the Greek
medicine. and Pythagoras (5S2-5S7
II. c.. the mathematician who de-
vlsed the seven-stringed Tyre are
both credited with having made cure
OF diseases by means OF music. But
the most remarkable fact which Or.
N!ecks brings forth Is that no less
than sixteen works appeared between
the years 1885 and 1907 which have
to do directly with the therapeutic
value OF music.
We assumed that the discussion Of
this subject was OF far more recent
origin. and had associated st in our
minds with the activity shown by
Christian scientists. New Thought
workers and the scientists In univcv
sltics who have been devoting their
time to the phenomena OF hYpnotiSm.
psychology. etc. 1t seems somewhat
astonishing to note that the whole
field had been explored by other in
vestigators however pseudoscientiflc.
and that these investigators had been
thoroughly convinced OF the healing
power of music
Centuries of llmitless endeavor OIL TIL
part of the brainiest and best traine'
men has done much to determine til
therapeutic action of drugs. Neverthe
ess. the physician who would guarante
the action of a certain drug in all case
would he put down as a. quack at once
With the tremendous pharrnacopoeia o
mineral and vegetable drugs TO say moth
ng Of the meteorological remedies, tin
modern doctor can doubtless prescrib
with much more accuracy than did 10
Instance. those physicians at whom Mo
llere pointed his mercless wit. Never
thelcss, all this scientific experience ha
not resulted in an infallible method o
cure in all cases
Knowing the often disappointing re
suits of the ages Of sincere pha1na
>eutical Investigations. sensible peop
will be long in placing their faith In tn
ability OF the physician who attempts I.
prescribe rhythms and hsrmonies for lum
oago or eout. or who tells you that
Chopin 'Mazurka" is a panacea for tn
tic douloureaux or List "Rhapsodie
a cureall for floating kidneys.
1t is very easy. however. for anyon
to realize that by distlacting the min
from the thought OF suffering. certai
kinds of nervous and mental disorder
might be more readily relieved. Thu
music may become a most beneticta
remedial agent. The only danger is tha
the charlatan with an altogether en-
pirical experieDce may employ this fac
as a means for amputating the pocket
book Of the unwary,