The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-11-28
for several weeks.


The extent of the change which
takes place in the invalid's condition
may vary in different cases; it may
be complete or limited; but even in
the latter case, we are often obliged to
acknowledge that diseased conditions
in certain parts or organs have disap.
peared, with a rapidity and in a man.
ner which we never observe i'm medi-
cal practice. All such cures or i'm
prOvements cannot be attributed to the
administration of any special medicine
or to any sort of medical or surgical
treatment. The sick, during their stay
at Lourdes, give up all remedies they
may have used before; and all, as far
as practicable, go through the same
religious exercises.
The water from the spring at the
grotto is the only substance that might
be regarded as possible and natural
cause of the cures; but all the sick
drink it and are bathed in it, while
very few are relieved, and of these a
considerable number have been re-
stored to health when they were far
from the water and could not be sup
posed to be under it's influence. This
explanation was suggested in the case
of the earlier cures, which some con-
sidered to be due to the chemical COM
position of the fluid, but the most care
full analysis has shown that it differs
in NO way from ordinary drinking
water and contains no substance that
might justify it's being regarded as a
medical agent.
This explanation mad therefore to be
abandoned, but another gradually took
its place, more plausible and appar-
emily applicable to all cases. It was
advocated by new medical school
which had risen into prominence about
that time, through the scientific in
f1uence and teaching of Charcot and
his followers i'm the same line of in
quiry. Their theories about hypnotism,
suggestion, faith-healing, had spread to
such an extent that the conviction had
become all but universal, not only in
the medical profession, but even in a
considerable proportion of the general
public, that all the cures at Lourdes
could easily be explained by suggestion
or auto-suggestion; in a word, by the
power of the mind over the body. Very
few had any doubt on the subject, and
the same power would account for all
apparently supernatural cures that
might have occurred in any part Of
the world, from the earliest times.
Charcot, Brenheim and most of the
leaders of the new school had placed
some limits to the application of this
theory, and restricted the power of
faith-healing to certain class of all
ments. Charcot declared that sugges.
ton could not instantly repair destruc-
ton of tissue in any organ or part of
the body, that its immediate power
was limited to functional troubles, and
that time was an essential element in
the cure of any material injury to the
tissues and organs of the body.
The more enthusiastic advocates of
suggestion nevertheless took no &C.
count of this distinction, and boldly
asserted that it was the only cause of
all the apparently extraordinary cases
that had been noticed.
A change, however, has gradually
taken place and few medical men,
who have given reasonable amount
of attention to the subject, will now
be found to deny that cures have &C.
CURED at Lourdes which have never
been observed in medical practice, and
which neither suggestion nor any
known scientific theory can account
for. They will also be ready to ad-
init that the only positive proof to
the contrary would be the publication
of similar cases of disease cured in
the same sudden and complete man.
ner by medical treatment, and with
equally satisfactory evidence that they
have been as carefully investigated.
To establish the special character
of the cures which take place at
Lourdes or have beer obtained else
where, by praying to Our Lady of
Lourdes, is the great object the medi.
cal bureau has in view. Every posi-
BILE natural explanation has to be
taken into consideration and carefully
examined. None is refused a priori.
Our medical education makes us all
more or less sceptical; we are always
inclined to raise every possible objec-
ton before admitting that given case
cannot be explained by any known
medical or natural law.
For days together, although the &C.
tual number of sick may be large, no
cures will occur-and then, suddenly,
one or several may be witnessed. This
striking want of regularity is one of
the great obstacles to the rapid study
and understanding of the subject, and
medical men who come to the bureau
with the intention and in the hope
of acquiring all the necessary knowl.
edge in few days are almost bound
to be disappointed.