Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-05-07
INSANE MAY Be
CURED BY MUSIC
Pianist BogusIaWski Evokes First
Response From Many Stu
porous Patients.
DOCTORS WATCH EXPERIMENT
After Two Years Research Musician
Claims Remarkable Results From
Music in Accusing Patients
From Mental Stupor.

Chicago, March 19.--The Italian
woman sat huddled in the corner, her
thin shoulders shaking. The color
came to her bleached skin. She worked
her fingers over her face, over the
walls; she tore frantically at her
fingers with her teeth. The intermez-
70 Of "Cavalleria Rusticana" ended.
The woman kneeling in the corner,
Adeline NJ, sagged down. A nurse
leaned over her and remarked:
'She says: oh, my baby Baby
needs 4 mother When am l going
homer Say, you know, that's the
first time she's spoken since they
brought her here. She refused to
nurse her baby"
Moissaye Boguslawski, Russian pian-
list, who is now living in Chicago, fin
gered through the "Miserere" from
I'll Tr0vatore" Shudders crept over
the Italian woman in the corner and
she wept. The tears sped down her
face. She weaved her head from
side to side.
Eyes, yes" she moaned Il have a
heart-everybody is happy-baby-~
father-oh, don't forget me-" And
she vibrated to the rush of the music,
while her mouth twisted into gro.
tesque smile.
Tries Music as Aid 70 Insane.
It was at the state hospital for the
insane in Dunning Surrounded by
the "stuporous," or depressed types OF
insane patients, Mr.. Boguslawski sat
at piano running through the emo
tional gamut of music. A small audi
ence Of alienists watched the expert
fnent
Can insanity be cured through
music? After two years of research.
Mr.. Boguslawski claimed remarkable
results from music on such cases. He
has been performing experiments at
the Dunning institution, it is said, for
the last month. He has been hold
ing weekly musical clinics"
Psychiatrists and health department
officials, as well as Chicago physi-
clans, are watching the experiments at
Dunning. At each Emusic therapet-
les" test, as Mr.. BOguslawski has
named his psychiatric process, DR.. d.
3. Rotman of the hospital staff has
collected data for presentation to the
American medical profession for dis
cussi0h.
"These experiments are the first of
their kind ever conducted in the Uni
ted States" said DIR. Rotman. "They
are highly interesting. There is a
universal potency to music; it ap-
peals to the subtler elements of the
mind. Patients long considered dull
are aroused by this music to the eX-
preston Of emotional display. The
effect on that italian woman, for in
stance, was overwhelming. Now we
have found response, she may be
| durable"
A Revelation, Says Official
"This is revelation to me-" ex-
claimed DIR. Il. A. Foley, assistant
superintendent of the institution,
watching the pianist endeavor to
arouse the patients from their mental
torpor with many varieties of mel
edy.
Il have studied this for two years
| know it will work." replied Mr..
Boguslawski. Il don't claim to be able
to cure insanity, but / can relieve
much mental distress. Probably n
third of the 10000 insane In the Uni
ted States can be greatly improved
by music therapeutics
One Of the cases studied was Mary
r., an Armenian refugee. She was
made insane by war horrors. She saw
her mother, father and brother slain
before her eyes. The Chopin funeral
march today brought her to her knees
In mumbled prayer. Tragic memories
apparently were revived. She fell on
the floor, sobbing.
Nostalgia" explained Boguslawski.
"An intelligent approach. A relief
through the caress Of sympathetic
music for pent-up desires, suppress
sions, imagined fears. Music is the
scalpel which help open the wound.
After that it's case for physicians,
not musicians"