The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-11-28
Celebrated Cures at Lourdes
Learned Men OF Medical Profession Pass Upon Recovery of Pill
sr'ms No Natural Explanations Can be Given for Re-
covery of Apparently Incurabe Patients at
Famous Shrine.

DR.. George Cox, X. S. c., who has
written the following account of the
Bureau OF Verification at Lourdes,
where all the cures of that famous
Shrine are submitted to a searching
medical examination, can sneak with
rare authority on his subject He has
been the English physician at the Blu
reau Of Verifcation since 1895, and
DR.. Boissare. the director-chief of the
bureau, in his book on the Shrine en-
titled Heavens Recent Wonders"
speaks of him as follows:
IA great many colleagues have
helped me. The first honorable men,
ton is due Dr. Cox who. since 1895,
has directed the bureau with me. He
registers all our information. He was
a physician at London, where he
turned his back on brilliant career
to take up at the Grotto mission of
sheer devotedness.
Dr. Cox was born at Mauritus in
1899; he was educated at the Royal
College there and at University Col
lege in London. In 1904 he was made
Knight of st. George by the Holy
Father in recognition of his services
to the Church. For nineteen years
DIR. Cox has been most careful and
scientific observer of all the cures
presented at the Bureau of Verifica.
tion.
This article, therefore, which an.
peared in the Queens Work." is an
almost unique contribution to the lit
erature of Lourdes. 1t has an unsur-
passed authority, as the statement of
an eyewitness Of a score of years ex.
perience, and is an account of the calm
and scientific scrutiny to which each
cure is subjected by the medical bu-
reau at the worldfamous Shrine.
The important part which the medi-
cal profession was destined TO play
in connection with manifestations of
our Ladys mercy became evident us
soon as the first instances Of recovery
from apparently incurable disease
were observed at the grotto; ard in
1858. the year Of the apparitions of
the Blessed Virgin to Bernadette, DR..
VergeZ, professor in the medical
school at Montpelier wars appointed
member of the special commission
sent by the bishop of the diocese to
inquire into the cures, which were
already attracting public attention to
a considerable extent. After careful
examination and inquiry DIR. Vergez
came to the conclusion that he could
find no natural explanation of the
cases brought to his notice. and thus
helped the commission to affirm their
belief in the supernatural character
OF the cures referred to.
For many years the records of the
cures were kept by the Fathers in
charge of the grotto, who publish them
after careful investigation, in which
they tried to secure all available med
ical evidence. The frequent recur-
renee of such striking facts gradually
gave rise to a good deal of contro-
versy, in which many men of different
religions and philosophical opinions
took part. 1t soon became evident
that the medical aspect of the ques-
tion had to be taken into considera-
| tion at the very outset of the dis
cussion and must have consider
able influence on the conclusions to
which that discussion might lead. This
finally led to the appointment, in
1884, of DR.. de Saint-Maclon as presi-
dent Of the first Bureau des Consta-
tations Medicales."
From that time the attention OF
medical men has been drawn more
and more to the cures at Iourdes and
the cases have been Investigated with
increasing care and fullness. DIR. de
Saint-Maclon died in 1891 and the
Bishop of Carbes appointed as his i'm
mediate successor DR.. Boissarie, who
has been ever since at the head of
the medical bureau. Under his able
directing influence 1t has steadily pro.
gressed and risen to the important
position which it now occupies.
In the early days the number of
medical men coming to Lourdes was
very small, in spite of the earnest and
repeated appeals of DIR. de Saint-Mac.
lon inviting them to come and ex.
anime for themselves the cures that
occurred. The medical profession, as
whole, kept aloof for many years.
Prejudice may have had, probably &C.
tually had, a good deal to do with
this unfriendly attitude. But the cures
continued to take place and their in.
creasing numbers could not be ig-
nored; the whole world was gradually
becoming interested in the subject.
Medical practitioners whose patients
returned from Lourdes completely
cured Of long-standing diseases which
had not yielded to the ablest and most
careful treatment, were driven, how.
ever reluctantly, to acknowledge such
facts.