Part 60 (2/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: Ga.s.sNER HEALING ”BY THE GRACE OF G.o.d.”]
His _modus operandi_ was as follows. Dressed in a long scarlet cloak, a silken sash about his loins, a chain about his neck, and wearing, or holding in one hand, a crucifix, and touching with the other the diseased part, and in the Latin tongue commanding the disease, or the evil spirit, whichever the case was termed, to depart, in the name of Jesus Christ, the patient was usually healed. Dr. Schlisel says, that Ga.s.sner ”spoke chiefly in Latin, in his operations, and the devil is said to have understood him perfectly.”
The Austrian government gave him its a.s.sistance. The excitement became great. Elw.a.n.gen was overcrowded by people, rich and poor. Riches flowed into the coffers of its trades-people, though Ga.s.sner took nothing directly for his cures. Hundreds of patients arrived daily; the apothecary gained a great revenue from dispensing simples ordered by Ga.s.sner, princ.i.p.ally powder of _blessed thistle_, oils, and washes. The printers labored day and night at their presses in order to furnish sufficient pamphlets, prayers, pictures, etc., for the eager horde of admirers. The goldsmiths were crowded, also, to furnish all kinds of _Agni Dei_, crosses, charms, hearts, and rings. Even the beggars had their harvest, as well as bakers, hotel-keepers, and the rest.
During seven years he carried on his public cures. Hundreds of physicians went to see him. Mesmer, in answer to the inquiry of the Elector of Bavaria, declared his astonis.h.i.+ng cures were produced merely by the exercise of magnetic spiritual excitement, of which he himself (claiming no G.o.d-like power) gave to the elector convincing proofs on the spot.
On the contrary, Ga.s.sner claimed that he could heal none unless they exercised faith. His surroundings, trappings, dress, crucifixes, appeals to Jesus Christ, and Latin mummery, had the effect to impress the patient with faith in Ga.s.sner's Christ-like powers.
”Some,” says Dr. Schlisel, ”described him as a prophetic and holy man; others accused him of being a fantastic fellow, an impostor, and leagued with the devil. Some accused him of dealing in the black art; others attributed his cures to the magnet, to electricity, to sympathy, to imagination; and some attributed the whole to the omnipotent power of the name of Christ.”
Having touched or rubbed the affected part of the patient, Ga.s.sner, in a ”loud, proud voice,” commanded the disease to come forth, or to manifest itself. Sometimes he had to repeat this command ten times. Then, when the part was presented, he seized it with both hands; he inspired the patient to himself repel the disease, by saying, ”Depart from me, in the name of Jesus Christ.”
”He then gave the patient his blessing by spreading his cloak over the head, grasping his neck or head in both hands, repeating a silent, earnest prayer, making the sign of the cross, ordering some simple from the apothecary's, which he consecrates, compels the patient to wash his hands clean, when he is permitted to 'depart in peace.'
”Most diseases he cured instantly. Some required months, and others he could not affect in the least.”
There is but one philosophical way to account for these cures. To say there is nothing in it, or, ”It is all humbug,” will not satisfy the people. To affirm it is the arts of the devil is merely nonsensical. It is _influence_. Of what? Of one powerful mind over another. And when Ga.s.sner found a mind equally as powerful as his own, the disease refused to depart. There you have the whole of it, ”in a nutsh.e.l.l,”--the exercising of one mind over another; and mind (not unusually) controls matter in the living body.
For about seven years Ga.s.sner was a public healer, and then he suddenly and forever disappeared.
ROYALTY IN THE SHADE.
Sir John Fortesque, the learned legal writer of the time of Edward IV., spoke of the gift of healing by touch as a ”time immemorial privilege of the kings of England.” He very seriously attributed the virtue to the unction imparted to the hands in the coronation. Elizabeth was not superior to this superst.i.tion, and she frequently appeared before the people in the character of a miraculous healer. There was formerly a regular office in the English Book of Common Prayer for the performance of this ceremony. The curious reader is referred to Macbeth, Scene III. of Act IV. for further particulars.
With the rise of Valentine Greatrakes, the ”royal prerogative” received a staggering blow. The marvellous cures of this man, living in Ireland, reached England, and the king invited him to come to London; and along his journey, whither he was preceded by the returning messenger, we are told that the magistrates of the towns and cities waited upon Valentine, and begged him to remain and heal their sick.
On his arrival, the king, ”though not fully persuaded of his wonderful gift, recommended him to the care of his physician, and permitted him to practise his power as much as he pleased in London.”
Greatrakes had no medical education, nor claimed aught beyond a gift of healing most diseases by ”stroking the parts with his hand.” He is described as being a man of ”commanding address, frank and pleasing, having a brilliant eye, gallant bearing, fine figure, and a remarkably handsome face. With a hearty and musical voice, and a natural stock of high _animal_ spirits, he was the delight of all festive a.s.semblies. Yet he was a devout man.”
Daily there a.s.sembled a great number of people, invalids from all parts of the kingdom, to be healed, and to see the wonderful miracles performed by a _man_! Here congregated the dropsical, those afflicted by unsightly sores, tumors, and swellings, the lame, the halt, and the blind. ”Some he could not affect, but the most of them he cured.” The only visible means he took was to stroke, or at times violently rub, the part affected. Lord Conway wrote in his praise, but added, ”After all, I am far from thinking his cures miraculous. I believe it is by a _sanative virtue_ and a _natural efficiency_, which extend not to all diseases.” The Viscountess Conway was afflicted by an inveterate headache, which he could not remove.
This lady was a positive character. The failure was attributed to the _peculiar_ disease, when it should have been a.s.signed to the peculiarity of the person. Sir Evremond, then at court, wrote a sarcastic novel on the subject of ”The Irish Prophet.” The Royal Society held a meeting on the subject, and, unable to refute the facts of his cures, accounted for them as being ”produced by a sanative contagion in Mr. Greatrakes' body, which had an antipathy to some peculiar diseases, and not to others.” They demanded (particularly Dr. Loyd, in a ”severe pamphlet”) how he cured, and why he cured some, and could not others. Greatrakes replied that he was not able to tell. And ”let them,” he said, ”tell me what substance that is which removes and goes out with such expedition, and it will be more easy to resolve their questions.”
To the scandalous reports respecting his operations upon female patients, without referring directly to such report, he says, attributing the diseases to evil spirits, ”which kind of pains cannot endure my hand, nay, not with gloves, but fly immediately, though six or eight coats or cloaks be between the person and my hand, as at the Lady Ranelagh's,” etc.
The clergy had previously taken alarm, and cited Valentine before the Bishop's Court to account for his proceedings, and when he took a scriptural view of his cures, he was forbidden to practise more; which was as preposterous as the decree of Louis XIV., which commanded that no more miracles should be performed at the tomb of the Abbe Paris.
Neither the clergy nor the faculty could prevent him, and daily the crowd of representatives of heterogeneous diseases made pilgrimages to the Squire of Affam. The scene was said to be ludicrously painful. They came in crowds from everywhere; on foot and in carriages; the young and the aged; some hobbling upon crutches, others literally crawling along; the blind carrying the cripple upon his back, while the latter directed the way, and the deaf and dumb followed in their wake.
[Ill.u.s.tration: NO LACK OF PATIENTS.]
While the lord mayor and the chief justice, with great physicians, were among his vehement supporters of the sterner s.e.x, the majority of his real admirers were the ladies. The lovely Countess of Devons.h.i.+re entertained him in her palace, and other high ladies lionized him nightly in their parlors, where he ”performed his pleasant operations, with wonderful results, on the prettiest and most hysterical ladies present.” ”But his triumph was of short duration. His professions were made the b.u.t.ts of ridicule, to which his presence of mind and volubility were unable to effectually respond. His tone of conversation was represented by his enemies as compounded of the blasphemy of the religious enthusiast and the obscene profligate. His boast that he never received a fee for remedial services was met by a square contradiction, and a statement that he received five hundred dollars at once.” Finally, the tide of opposition and slander became too strong for him, and he returned to his native land, and to oblivion.
We are indebted to several authorities for the foregoing sketch of Greatrakes, particularly Chambers' Miscellany, Lord Conway, E. Rich, and Jeaffreson.
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