Page:Medicine and the church.djvu/156

 the tenets of the Church of England, though, except for Dr. Mylne (formerly Bishop of Bombay), no well-known churchman, lay or cleric, seems to be a member of the executive. The names of some ladies of title are given in the list of the General Committee. The president and principal 'healer' is a Mr. James M. Hickson. The objects of the society are closely akin to those of other similar societies, except that they have a distinctly 'Church' flavour. For instance:

'To develop the Divine gifts left to His Church by the Master, especially the gift of healing by prayer and laying on of hands, with the object of using these Divine gifts for the healing of the body.'

A perusal of its literature reveals the usual pretension to cure and to have cured any and every disease. Nothing like a tabulated list of cases treated appears anywhere. The society has now opened a 'Hospice,' where free treatment (by prayer and laying on of hands, &c.) is given by the aforesaid Mr. Hickson.

For some time the British Medical Journal, the official organ of the British Medical Association, called attention to widely advertised 'cures,' and asked for information which would make it possible for an investigation into the true facts to be carried out. The