Medicine and the Church: Being a series of studies on the relationship between the practice of medicine and the church's ministry to the sick
Religion
Medicine and the Church: Being a series of studies on the relationship between the practice of medicine and the church's ministry to the sick
Medicine -- Religious aspects; Pastoral medicine
‘Mr. Hickson is reported to have said that he has another case of
“cancer of the throat” under his care; the patient had undergone two
operations before going to him, and is now apparently getting well. We
should be glad to have particulars of so interesting a case, but we
doubt whether they will be forthcoming.’
Apparently they were not. But the case was identified without
difficulty. A clergyman, the vicar of a country parish in the Oxford
diocese, was under ‘treatment’ by Mr. Hickson at this time for what
was undoubtedly cancer (epithelioma) of the larynx. A friend of mine
who saw him in the summer described him as being quite certain that he
was being cured, though he looked extremely ill and could hardly speak
above a whisper. A few weeks later the patient died. If Mr. Hickson
has anywhere publicly announced the failure of his ‘treatment’ in this
case, after having stated that the patient was ‘apparently getting
well,’ no such announcement has come under my notice.
(3) In its issue of June 12, 1909, the _British Medical Journal_
published a quotation from the _Evening News_, which ran as follows:
‘The following account of a cure of cancer is furnished by a lady
member of the Society of Emmanuel: “The patient was a Bishop of the
Church of England. The doctors abandoned all hope of a cure. Then Mr.
Hickson took the case in hand. He arrived on the morning of the day
on which the sufferer had to undergo an operation. Mr. Hickson prayed
with him and anointed him, followed by a laying on of hands (_sic_).
In the afternoon the surgeon arrived and made his examination. He was
greatly surprised. ‘The case puzzles me,’ he said. ‘There is a mark
of a new wound, but the cancer has gone!’ The cleric in question is
now perfectly well, and was with us the other day, but I believe the
surgeon has not yet recovered from his surprise.”’
The usual request to Mr. Hickson or any member of the Society of
Emmanuel to furnish details of this truly miraculous cure, which could
serve as a basis of investigation, followed, but no reply came to hand.
Again, I ask, has Mr. Hickson publicly repudiated this account of his
healing powers?
(4) The following is an extract from an article in the _British Medical
Journal_ of May 22, 1909:
‘SPIRITUAL HEALING AND CANCER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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