Music -- Physiological effect; Music, Influence of
A thorough search of the history of medicine will show that almost all
phenomena and substances have at one time or another been tried in an
attempt to combat disease. Many of these agents were abandoned when
they became unfashionable to a more sophisticated civilization, or were
recognized as unwholesome by a more educated generation. The fact that
few were given up merely because of their ineffectiveness can be seen
in the great number of quack nostrums which still enjoy an active sale
among the ignorant, and by the impossible claims of highly organized
cults which continue to gain in numbers and followers in this country.
Healing schemes based upon the use of herbs because they are delivered
right from nature’s womb, or the fanciful notion that all diseases
arise from the imaginary displacements of the spinal bones, are still
in their ascendency. The liberal system we call democracy has not only
permitted their growth but has rewarded their ingenuous and ingenious
development. Exposure of the fraudulent methods involved serves little
purpose because the mentality which is so susceptible to warped
reasoning responds poorly or even antagonistically to enlightening
guidance.
There are, however, certain valuable features in herb and spinal
doctrines which have been partially ignored by reputable physicians
because of the intimate relation of these ideas to cult practice.
In spite of a spirited rebirth of the movement towards the
establishment of a system of healing based on music, there are many
valuable uses of music in medicine which might suffer a like fate
unless a critical analysis of the worth of music as a therapeutic agent
is effected before Musical Therapy reaches the dubious distinction of
classification as a healing cult.
This book has been written with a view to preserving for medicine that
which is good for patients, and in an attempt to aid musicians under
medical guidance in using music to help the sick.
Primitive peoples throughout the world still use music in association
with the healing arts. This of course is an indication that they have
probably used it for more centuries than are recorded in the pages of
written history. Ancient civilizations frequently associated music
with the divine, but placed diminished emphasis upon its association
with healing. Even so, the Hebrews accredited to music curative and
inspirational powers[7], as can be seen by the reference in Scripture:
“And it came to pass when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul that
David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and
was well and the evil spirit departed from him.”[63]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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