Mr Hickson's Mission-A Test Case.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 3, 1 September 1923, Page 299

Mr Hickson's MissionA Test Case.

* * CHURCH GAZETTE ' I (AMCLAND) MAKES I^iGHMES;

BAPTIST MNIST^m j S r TOM^RKi 1 ABLE TESTIMONY. . :,-

' The reported : cureof.a c&se^g^Ur. coma (an eye disease. wh'M ieM|;;in blindness); during Mr Eicksj&n-sV Mission at Battiurst, New South Waftes, was : mentioiie^in.the, Jtily isaiie of the' "Church Gazette". The .patient wast^a nurse, and the. cute .wasi vj&ched for by: the Bey. W. Cteugh Black, a Baptist . minister, and. an ex-presi-dent of the Baptist Conference. 'The editpr'of the "Gazette'? brought this case linger, the notice' of a leffding Auckland surgeon, \HrJito commfeni&dSon the' nieagreness of the parficttl&rs, and "Was, of opinion %hdi it''y^uiS^:be worth While to write to -lir: Cl'eiigh Black aild ask him for more precise and- complete statements, inßlttding the names of the doctors who had declared that the „ woman KMd- b%en • suffering, from glaucoma ; and^ if possible, a written report to tliat effect from one of them; also a. report from one of them, or-some otKer speci r aiist, as to the state of the .patients eyes after she had been to Mr ES^kson^s mission. The Auckland, surgeon thought that the ease was an exceptionally good one for test purposes, and that it 'might be possible Wrench a definite scientific decision Regarding it. The surgeon said r was quite willing to admit that it is possible to cure many functional, disorders by suggestion, : and that reli^on-.^yas capable of exerting a most effective suggestive influence; but he haid serious doubts as to whether it Ivas^ps-; ,sible to cure by any form of 'SBf^esf tion an organic disgase stt^K- as glaucoma. However, he hajd an open mind, and said- that prooff. th^t a; ease of glaucoma had Wen cured, 'by .•' -.Mr Hickson would Tbe of grea% -iflfeirest from a scientific as WeH && from ' a religious point: of view. >Th^?ejsitor wrote to Mr Clett^^ek^ ?an#has

■received the 'following remarkably interesting letter m reply:— " ; THE EVIDENCE STATED. ... Crow 's Nest, August Bth, 1923.^ Dear. Sir, — Kindly. pardon my remissness m not replying earlier to your letter • concerning Nurse Hemsworth. ,_She has been absent m the country, and I have awaited her return before replying. Hers is certainly an outstanding case, and has created a trer mendous impression m Sydney. Shall I give you a., detailed history of the case? . , , . Several years ago . Nurse He.msworth developed eye trouble, and^consulted m successive order the following Macquarie Street specialists: — - Dr. Macleod, Dr. ;. Sheppard, Dr. Temple Smith, Dr. Jones, Dr. Rutherford, Dr. Scot Skirririg, and Dr. Guy Warren, Dr. Temple Smith being her main adviser. They all averred that she suffered from glaucoma, and ultimately Dr. Temple Smith operated on the eye at the Darlinghurst Private ■Hospital. The glaucoma operation scar is still discernible. - Six years ago the eye' operated on went totally blind, and she was gradually losing the sight of the other eye, and could but dimly - see, A few months ago/ m great distress," she came to see me, sorrowing because the prospective blindness would -jmake her a burdensome care to her * two sisters who lived "with her. She had ; heard of Mr Hiekson's coming, and being a deeply. spiritual woman, believing m the efficacy of prayer, she prepared for: it, realising that if.it were God's will that no restoration of sight should be given her, then, as a Christian, she must huml)ly accept the Divine will. In this spirit she attended the Cathedral services on the first Monday. The moment Mr Hicksqn's. hands touched her eyes she felt a burning sensation,- and partially swooned, so that she had to be assisted by the - nurses to the door. The first few moments she saw but dimly; then soon -after there came a restoration of vision, she could _ tell the time by the adjoining Town Hall- clock.. Returning, home,: sh# left a message asking me. to call a.nd. reDjirn. thanks to God. : That evening,, as 'l was -on the point seeing her, :Dr.- faring Decfe;" a ■"cityeojisultant, .with. a very extensive • practice., (though . unfortunately for the purposes of attestation, he is , not a, British i&fedical Assbciatiqii, man, - a homqeopathist), .'phoned .me.---Dr. Baring Smith .has. specialised on y,the veyej and ; when I jtoj.4 .him about . ,#urse Hem^w.orth !■ he , cons_.eiited to :cqme ;and ,scienti%ally. exj^ijfline her. . ■Tp his ■ amazement jsbe hfltd. the glaucbina operation sear, and 'yet her

eyes Syer'e not} attained arid tense," but normal. He disbelieved her testimony for the 'moment, but soon discovered that she could see fairly well out of the blind eye, arid perfectly with the other; and exclaimed, this is a remarkable miracle. Next day she could see the Blue Mountains fifty miles' away, and all the intervening land-marks, and since then Her visionvhas improved m a remarkable way, s.o that she can see further and mpre distinctly than the majority of folk. T Now" this, case .occasioned a -'great doal of .sceptical, denials, and, on the other hand, confirmed faith, and enabled others to be treated with greater confidence and bigger- faith. I remember mentioning the matter at a Town Hall gathering, and a" mother, hearing of Nurse. Hemsworth's recovery, sent up a special request for prayer that . her paralysed' boy, who had never walked properly for 13 years, might be helped. '- Within an hour he came running from the Cathedral into our Town Hall service, and. He has. been romping _ round the city ever since. Several doctors of North . Sydney, disbelieving that Nurse Hemsworth had suffered from glaucoma, visited the -local chemist and asked him to verify the reports by -turning up the prescriptions of the Macquarie Street specialists, as. he had dispensed them. He did so, 'arid 'they were astonished to find glaucoma drops repeatedly prescribed. A fortnight ago Nurse Hemsworth went to Dr. Temple • Smith, whom she had riot visited since the operation several years ago. She said -she was Nurse Hemsworth, and he said, "Youl could riot possibly be one and the same woman. "\ However, her identity was quickly established; and his amazement deepened when he saw from his. records that all she said was, true — the diagnosis as glaucoma, the operation, the subsequent blindness— and . he asked ;her for an. explanation- pf the obvious miracle. She -said, "God . did it," to which' he replied that evidently she was a, religious fanatic, and her ex- ,. planation did not appeal to -him. Then she jnentioned Mr.Hujkson, and drew frou\ " Him- a denunciation, of that "humbug.'' ...:■-.:;.- /- , , , However, he proceeded .to test her, and placed her m a specially darkened room, preparatory to the ocular test. . In. the. dark, room he. said, "I will ask. you soon to tell me what you 'can see on this lioard," arid then God performed: a miracle. In' the pitch dark :. Nurse, Heirisworth- s#w>,the-"let- • ters and. numbers. Trenibling with excitement,. Brv. Temple Smith _ said, '.'Good %>d,4 woman, you- camiet. see . m the dark!.: I haven't turned; pn the light yet. " And when he did she saw his excitement. And then, exam-

ining her eyes nior0 r cids6l^y, He' said, "You have the most perfect eyes; I have ever seen; your optic nerves are as clear and -strong as those of a girl." However— 4and this is the strangest part 'of the story— -Dr. Temple is so opposed to Mr Hicksbn that, despite this miracle, he refuses to allow his name to be publicly riiehtioned, and will not give Nurse Hemsworth any indication m writing: that she ever was his patient, ever suffered from glaucoma, or even that' now she has dear vision. She has his prescriptions showing a glaucombus cbndition> and can get a hospital certificate tha!t she was operated" on for glaucoma! Of course, documentary - evidence, though helpful, is really, unnecessary m this case. . The glaucoma operation scar is still there; and any medical man can attest the fact. Now any evidence you want me to send I will, at once; "but meanwhile suggest that you should ask your New Zealand surgeon friend to nominate any doctor m Sydney. Nurse Henjs worth will visit hini, andhe can report direct to you the results of such investigation. I can furnish, m addition, a statutory declaration, if necessary; from those who during the past few years knew Nurse Hemsworth's affliction to be glaucoma; knew that she. took regularly glaucoma drops; knew that she was totally blind m one eye, and going .blind m the other; knew that the day she attended arid returned from the mission she : : could see— arid get medical certificates that she is now perfectly , normal. Please pardon the length of this letter. We have had wonderful fruits from the missiori — several cases of organic trouble reirioved.' I enclose copy of article.! wrote^ for the ' ' Church of England Record, ' ' which contains my impressibris; arid I will be very glad to forward "any !additioiial information you may "require. Please pardon my. delay iri replying, and hurriedly written m train to catch the mail. • . ... . . Yours very sincerely, ' W.. CLEUGHtBLACK. THE MEJDICAL POINT OF VIEW. ... The Auckland surgeon'.: me above comments as\ follows on Mr Cleugh Black's letter.:-^r".' : The absence of any medical whatever is the weakness '"[ of .this case as yet. There is no account of the physical findings associate^,^v ? ith glaucoma. What is required v is 3 ; .;.a report of the condition of the eye itself—not merely of . t the . patient 's power to see-— prior to QP^tiori and at a date sonie^o.ntßsM\leiis;ei^ubsequent to operation; and \ $.% . ';'t»C_ present time. The,, great difftculty:; that the layman has m assessing thfe ;evidence m all cases of faith healing is to understand the relations of organic

aiM functional disease and their Sequent combination m the saline 1 Mse. It is not unusual for the organic element m an illness to recover, bttt for the functional to remain. Let us apply this m possible explanation of this case. Assuming that glaucoma Originally existed, but that the operation performed^ restored the physical condition of the eye to the normal, it is still possible that a central brain inhibition of functional nature prevented the restoration of the power of sight, It is admitted that functional disability can be cured by many of faith healing, and it is this that may well; have occurred m the present instance. Every effort .will be made to obtain medical reports on this case, and we shall be glad to avail ouf selves of Mr Cleugh Black's offer to take the patient to a specialist for a report on her present condition. . EDITOB'S COMMENT. Mr Cleugh Black's letter undoubtedly makes a very strong and decidedly favorable impression on the mind of the average man and . woman. A well-known Auckland '.solicitor who read it remarked that it was a most interesting document arid set up a strong case. The bona-fides .of the writer is above suspicion. He has carefully collected what he considers

to be the reieya4i' : fae|bsy;-iind'--siiß|f eyir dently" made fiill -inquiry.'"■"'Tlie'-'evi.-dence (including the hospital- certificate) that the patient was actually suffering from ; glaucoma is strong; and it is very difficult to doubt the assurance that she has completely recovered her sight since Mr Hickson touched, her eyes! But from the medical, point of view^ there &re two important omissions from Mr Cleugh Black's statement: " (1) A direct report from one of the doctors by whom the patient was treated;. (2) a direct report from a specialist as to .the present state of the patient's eyes. Mr Cleugh Black, has, however, offered to supplement his statement with any additional information or evidence that may be required, and to present Miss Hemsworth for examination by any Sydney specialist that the Auckland surgeon already referred to may nominate. The editor of. the "Gazette" is writing for further particulars, and a specialist will be asked to examine Miss , Hemsworth 's eyes and give a written report. We hope to have all the material necessary for a definite decision m time foi*. publication m the next issue of the "Church Gazette." In the meantime an open mind and suspension of final judgment is the right and reasonable attitude to maintain.