The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-06
SPIRITUAL HEALING EFFECTIVE IN SOME CASES, SAYS REPORT
London Committee On Faith Cure" Appointed By Clerical and Medical
 Professions Reports

London. March b.-An important son- trihution to a leading topic of the day is found in the report today of the committee on spiritual healing. or faith cure" appointed by the conference ot the clerical and medical professions heid in October. 1911.
 The committee. comprising prominent clergymen and physicians, obtained an swers from many sources to carefully prepared list of questions. In it's conclu- sions the committee says:
 ..The members of the committee fully recognize that the operations of divine power can be limited only by the divine will. and they desire to express their belief in the efficacy of prayer. They reverently believe, however, that divine power is exercised in conformity with and through the operation of natural laws. With advancing knowledge of these laws increasing benefits are being se- cured for mankind through human instru- mentality Especially is this the case in the healing of disorders of the body and the mind, and they consider that spiritual minstration should be recog- nized equally with medical ministration, as carrying Gods blessing to the sick
 ',rhe committee is of the opinion that the physical results of what is called faith or spiritual healing do not prove different from those of mental healing, or healing by suggestion.
 Little Difference Shown
 'The committee recognizes that sugges- tion is more effectively exercised by some persons than others, which would seem to explain the gifts claimed by 'heaiers.' The use of religious influences does not differ essentially from nonrelig- ious appeals to the mind yet the former often are more potent
 Faith or spiritual healing can be per- manently effective only in functional dis orders. as distinguished from organic dis orders, and the committee warns against resortng to headers and posponing med ical treatment
 Spiritual ministrations may contribute to the success of medical treatment and we desire to see mose importance at tached to them, but strongly deprecate the independent treatment of disease by irresponsible and unqualified persons"
 Committee Membership
 The membership of the committee in cludes Herbert E. Kyle. dean of West munster, II. Ii. Henson, dean Of Durham William R. Inge, dean of St Paul's Henry l.. Paget. bishop of Stepney, and Archdeacon Sinclair. Among the medical members Sir Dyce Duckworth. Sir Richard Douglas Powell, Theodore B Hyslop and Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt
 The witnesses examined by the commit tee differed in their definitions of spirit ual and mental healing. Some regarded the former as a divine interpretation abov, the laws of nature, while most of then connected spiritual healing today witt the gifts of healing of the apostolic church, saying they thought these Ina. long been dormant, although never whol ly interrupted
 The witnesses differed widely as t, whether moral excellence in the healer or the healed was essential for sue css. Many of them gave convincing evi dence of beneficial results in functona nervous disorders and cases of alcoholism and drug taking. but kot one gave satis factory evidence of any case of organi, disease cured by spiritual faith heal ing alone.