The New York herald., 1922-10-17
HEALING -WITH-MIND
HOSPITAL PROPOSED
DR.. f. s. COwles Outlines
Episcopal Commission
Program.
WILL COMBAT 'ISMS'
Even Faith Healers Will Be
Given Chance to Prac-
tice Their Art.
MEDICAL-CHURCH UNION
Commission Suggests Inter
change Of Teachings to Get
at Root Of Suffering.
MEDICAL-CHURCH UNION


Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
MILLBRooK, N Y, Oct. 16.-Dr. Ed
ward S. Cowles of the Park Hospital
in New York, a member of the Episco-
pal Church Commission on the Minis
try OF Healing. spoke here to-day be-
fore a conference of ministers and lay
men on the definite program and the
ultimate possibilities of the hospital
which the commission proposes to
erect for the treatment of human all
ments, not only on physical but also
along spiritual and psychological lines.
DIR. Cowles declared the need of such
an institution was shown by the way
in which many thousands of persons
Joined new cults and took up the vari-
GUS isms that appeared from time to
time. persons who had sought aid
from physicians that knew little or
nothing about psychopathic problems
and from clergymen whose "theologi-
cal teaching was as incomplete as the
rn'rlical training in the medical
stltois." During the general discus
si,r that iciowed his address DR..
Cowles proposed that ministers should
receive advanced medical training and
that physicians should be placed on
the faculties OF theological seminaries.
Place for Faith Healing.
The conference. although It has no
decision in the matter. showed lively and
approving interest in Or. Cowless de-
scription OF the proposed hospital. The
plan was indorsed by DR.. Austin Flint
OF Bellevue Hospital, noted alienist
and a communicate of the Milbrook
church. who said that the hospital should
be conducted along high ethical lines, so
that the medical profession would have
faith in it and send patients TO it, He
urged the Episcopal Church not TO
neglect the opportunity which Or. Cowles
and the other members of the Commits
sion have prepared for II.
DR. Cowles pointed out that there will
be a department where faith healers will
be given an opportunity 10 demonstrate
their ability upon patients under the
observation of an examining board COM
posed of physicians, psychologists and
ministers. The healer, he said should
be expected to set time limit within
which his cure is to be performed and
when that time is up the patient should
be examined by the board and the result
determined
IF the claim to the cure is valid"
said DR.. Cowles, "the healer should be
given a certificate to that effect from
the examining board. And this. | think
Will eventually result in every healer
having TO get a certificate from a recog
nized board before he is allowed to go
about the country claiming to cure.
And that alone would be a great service
to humanity. because 1t would benefit
the honest healers and eliminate the
dishonest.
"Treat Morbid Thoughts
THAT is only n function of the hospi-
tai Its chief function is to make an
accurate diagnosis of ailments and to
treat with accuracy and correct with
defniteness the mental and emotional
misery that has crippled millions of our
people mentally and physically. Recent
Investigations have shown that In GER
tain Instruments such as the galvano-
meter and the plethysmograph, we have
the means of detecting the influence of
subconscious and unconscious mental
processes on both the mind and the body
hitherto unsuspected
THE physician interested in this work
sees an ocean of morbid thought sur
rounding him, due TO secret worries, ex-
hauston. nervous fears. depression, men
tai conflicts and the like. These suf-
ferers. almost without exception, have
appealed to the medical profession for
help. only to find themselves plunged
into deeper misery and disappointment
owing TO the physicians lack of SYM
pathy lack of knowledge. lack Of under
standing Of their particular iorm of suf-
fering, lack OF confidence. lack of defi-
niteness in his own treatment of them
The doctor. in brief, didCnot know the
way to treat these people he did not
understand them.
These sufferers then appealed to their
churches, but found little consolation or
sympathy or understanding. To these
sick souls sermon from the pulpit
meant little save TO deepen their agony
and TO make them feel that God and man
alike had deserted them. Even in their
greatest agony they often were misun-
derstood and often were spoken OF as
only nervous" by their friends. their
minister and their physicians imply
Ing, OF course, that all they needed to
make them well was to exert little
win power
NHdN ~ lUt consequence OF all TINS :
Christian Science. which is neither Chris
tian nor scientific. with all it's contradic-
tions. with no theology and no medicine
has grown up overnight. as IL were. be-
cause II Is The only institute in the
world which has set itself up to under
stand these people. II is a rebuke to the
church as we'll as 10 the medical pro-
fession. These people did not need a
theoretical sermon nor any form Of
science given in a cold. mechanical way
but heart big and true. patient and
sympathetic 20 understand the meaning
OF their suferings scientifically TO
understand then. they needed a heart
10 heart talk. some one 10 show them
their little Inconsistencies TO broaden
and deepen their religion. who knew how
20 relieve their morbidness, TO break
their loneliness and TO eliminate their
sclf-centeredness.
speaks OF Varied Isms.
"Is IL not fitting, Is II not in keeping
with the great historical traditions Of
the Episcopal Church that II should join
with the medical profession for the re-
lief Of this great body Of suffering hu-