SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 87

SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS.

' ANNUAL CONFERENCE. (From Oto Own Cobbespondkct.) CHRISTCHURCHJ December 51. At the second annual conference of the f Association of Suggestive Therapeutics Ji? D. Shaw (the president), in welcoming the delegates from various parts of the j DomLnion,-said they had noticed that the Church had at last takeai up the question, of suggestive therapeutics, and it was interestang to remember that 100 years ago Mesiner made a great effort to interest the clergy in the healing part of their business. He believed that most clergymen when they were consecrated undertook to heal sick as well as to " tell the good story." It did seem as if they were * little late in the field, but then he thought they* generally were. He remembered a clergyman, rather a prominent man, who> told one of the speaker's patients that he was wielding a satanic power. He was »' Church of England clergyman, and tha speaker had always thought they were aur least educated men. They -were now siding with the association. Doubtless the Christian Science movement in Engla&id had a great deal to do with it. The Christian Scientist, whether they agreed with his basic statement or not, went in for healin<r, and succeeded. Of course, the members of the association knew that n«i matter what system of healing was practised, they would succeed. He did not quite understand what the bishop waaf going to investigate. It was a long time since suggestion as a healing agent waa inaugurated. Taria, a Portuguese priest, 96 years ago in Paris taught that the healing principle and the cause of all hypKnotic phenomena' was to be found in tha subiect himself and not in the operator, so, that whatever it was they were going to investigate the association could welcome them and be veiy glad that they were moving in the same direction as ib was moving. Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P., was elected aa honorary member of association. The annual report stated that during the year two' applications had been made for professional membership, but owing to the applicants being unwilling to undergo the necessary examination, the applications could not be entertained. Eariy in the year it fiad been suggested that a magazine ehould be published monthly, to be regarded as tne official organ or the association, but it bad been decided that, owin*' to lack of rands, it would be inadvisable for the association to proceed wit* the matter. Mr D. Shaw and Mr F. Helps had then undertaken the task of bringing ouj> the publication E6 a private enterprise, and the " Magazine of Suggestive Therapeutics " bad been on the market for thre© months. ____^____»_