Spiritism and CholeraWe know the accusations that victimized the first Christians in Rome. There was no crime that they could not perpetrate, there was no public disgrace that was not of their responsibility, voluntarily or involuntarily, according to their enemies, for their influence was detrimental. In a few centuries it will be hard to believe that strong minds of the nineteenth century tried to resuscitate such ideas about the Spiritists, blaming them for every disturbance of society, comparing their doctrine to a plague and stimulating persecution. This is printed history; these words fell from more than one evangelical chair, but what is even more surprising is that we find them in the newspapers that believe to be the champions of total freedom, and in particular the freedom of conscience. We already have a very curious collection of such kind of thing, that later I intend to convert in a book for the greater glory of the authors and the edification of posterity. We then thank those that can help us to enrich that collection, sending us everything that they know that has been done or will be done with that respect. Comparing those documents of the history of Spiritism with the history of the first centuries of the Church, we are surprised to find identical expressions and thoughts there. The only thing missing is the beasts of the circle, something that, nonetheless, is a progress.
Considering then that Spiritism is an eminently contagious plague, for it invades all classes of society with an incredible speed, it has a certain analogy with cholera. Some critics, therefore, provocatively called it Spirito-morbus in this last battle; it would come as no surprise if they had accused Spiritism of having imported the plague because we can detect two opposing sides join forces to combat it. From what we heard, in one year the had a coin produced with the face of St. Benedict that one must just wear to avoid the contagious contact of a Spiritist. We were not told if such procedure cures the ones that were already affected. There is certainly an analogy between Spiritism and cholera. It is the fear that both cause on certain persons. Let us, however, consider the situation from a more serious point of view. Here what was sent to us from Constantinople: “… The newspapers informed you about the terrible plague that reached our city and its suburbs, and whose devastation begins to attenuate. Some supposedly well-informed people say that the number of those affected is about 70 thousand, others say near 100 thousand. In any case we were terribly tested, and you can imagine the adversities and general grieving of our population. It is in these sad moments of hardship that the Spiritist belief and faith encourage people. We have all given the most truthful testimony of that.
Who knows we shouldn’t thank this calmness of the soul, this persuasion of immortality, the certainty of future existences in which the creatures are compensated on the basis of their merit and degree of advancement; who knows, I ask, if it is not due to such beliefs, foundation of this beautiful doctrine, that all of us, Spiritists of Constantinople, in large number, as you know, must be spared by the plague that fell and still falls around us? I say this mainly because it has been attested, here and elsewhere, that fear is the most predisposing element of cholera, like ignorance unfortunately becomes a source of contagion…
“Repos Filho, Attorney.”
It would be certainly an absurd to believe that the Spiritist faith is a certificate of guarantee against the cholera. But since it has been demonstrated that fear weakens the body and the mind, making people more susceptible of being affected by contagious illnesses, it is obvious that any factor that may strengthen them is a means of protection. This is so much understood these days that people avoid, be in reports or material confirmations, anything that may affect imagination through a dismal aspect.
There is no doubt that the Spiritist may die from cholera as anybody else, because their bodies are not more immortal than the others, and because when it is time, one must depart, be it through this cause or another. Cholera is one of those causes whose only particularity is to take a large number of people at the same time, and that produces more commotion. It is a mass departure, instead of in isolation, that is the difference. But the positiveness of the Spiritists about the future, and in particular, the knowledge they have about that future, that responds to all of their aspirations and satisfy reason, make them not to absolutely feel sorry for leaving Earth, considered a momentary exile. While the skeptical only sees the void at the time of death, or questions what is going to be next, the Spiritist knows that with death she is only undressing from a material envelope, subjected to the vicissitudes of life, but she will continue to be the same person, as an ethereal body, inaccessible to pain; will enjoy new and better perceptions; will meet again the loved ones that wait at the portal of the true and imperishable life.
As for the material possessions, she knows that they are no longer needed and that the pleasures that they proportionated will be replaced by others, purer and more desirable, that do not leave behind pain or sorrow. She then leaves them behind joyfully and effortlessly, feeling sorry for those that remain on Earth and will need them further down the road. It is like someone that becomes rich and leaves the old rags behind for the unfortunate ones. She then says to the friends left behind: Don’t be sorry; do not cry my death; instead, congratulate me for being freed from the material concerns and for entering in the radiant world where I shall wait for you.
Anyone who read and gave some thought to our book Heavens and Hell According to Spiritism, particularly the chapter about the anxieties of death, will understand the moral strength that the Spiritists acquire with their belief, before the plague that devastates populations. Will it follow that the Spiritists will neglect the necessary precautions before similar cases and lower their heads when facing danger? Absolutely not. They must act following every practice recommended by prudence and a rational hygiene, because they are not fatalists, and because, although they do not fear death, they must not seek it. Therefore, neglecting the sanitary measures necessary to avoid it would be a suicide, whose consequences they know well enough to expose themselves to that. They consider a duty to take care of their health, because health is needed for the accomplishment of their social duties. If they seek to prolongate their corporeal life that is not for their attachment to Earth but to have more time to progress, improve and depurate, leaving the “old man” behind and acquiring a larger summation of merits for their spiritual life.
But, if despite every effort, they must succumb, they take their cross without complaining, knowing that any progress bears its fruits, that nothing that is acquired in intelligence and morality is lost, and that if they did not diminish themselves to the eyes of God, they will always be better in the other world than in this one, even if they did not reach the first place. They simply say: We go a little bit earlier to where we would go a little bit later. Won’t such thoughts put us in better mental conditions than those recommended by science? To the non-believer or to the skeptical, death is all terror because they lose everything and expect nothing. What can a materialist doctor say to sooth the fear of death in his patients? Nothing but what one of them said to a cholera patient: “Well, there is always hope while we are not dead; after that, we definitely only die once and it all goes fast; when dead, everything is over; no more suffering.” Everything is over when one is dead, that is the ultimate consolation that is given.
The Spiritist doctor, on the contrary, tells the one about to die before him: “My friend, I will apply all the resources of science to bring your health back and to keep you around as much as possible. We will succeed and that is what I hope for. Man’s life, however, is in the hands of God, that calls us when our trial here is over. If the time of your liberation is come, rejoice, like the prisoner that is about to leave prison. Death disentangles us from the body that makes us suffer and takes us to the true life, a life exempt from disturbances and miseries. If you must leave, don’t believe that you are lost for your relatives and friends that stay behind. No, you will not be less among them; you will see them and hear them better than you can do now. You will advise, guide and inspire them for good. If God wishes to call you, be thankful for the conquered freedom; if God prolongates your passage here, be thankful for the time given to finish the work. When in doubt, submit yourself to God’s will, without complaints.”
Aren’t such words adequate to bring serenity to the soul, and wouldn’t such serenity support the efficacy of the medication, whilst the perspective of the void would throw the moribund into anxiety and desperation? Spiritism has still another more material influence, in addition to the spiritual one. It is a well-known fact the excesses of all kinds are among the causes that most predispose to the attacks of the current epidemy. The doctors, therefore, recommend sobriety in everything, a healthy prescription that many people have a hard time to follow. Admitting that they do, it is undoubtedly an important point, but will a momentary abstinence instantaneously repair the physical disorders caused by intense abuse, that weakens the body and for that very reason make it more accessible to illnesses? Besides cholera, don’t we know how overindulgence is deleterious in hot climates and where yellow fever is endemic? Well, then! Following their beliefs and the way they see the objective of the present life and the result of a future life, the Spiritist completely modifies their behavior. Instead of living to eat they eat to live; no more excesses; does not live like a cenobite; everything is useful, but nothing is abused. This must certainly be a strong consideration to add up to the one given by our corresponding member from Constantinople. This is, therefore, one of the results of the doctrine, upon which skepticism casts contempt and sarcasm, calls is madness and that brings disturbance to society. Keep your skepticism, if you will, but respect a belief that makes people better and happier.
If the belief in that nothing ends with death is madness; that we enter a better life after death, exempt from concerns; that we return to the circle of the loved ones; or even the belief that after death, we are not thrown into the eternal flames, without hope to leave it, something that would not be better than the nothingness, and that we are not lost in the idle and beatific contemplation of infinity, may God wish that every person is mad like that for there would be much less crime and suicides. Many communications were given about the cholera; several were done at the Parisian Society or in our private circle. We only give two, combined in a single one, to avoid repletion and because they summarize the dominating thought.
Spiritist Society of Paris, mediums: Mr Desliens and Mr. Morin
“Considering that the cholera is the subject of the day and that everyone has a medicine to indicate in order to keep the disease away, I shall allow myself, if you will, to give my advice as well, although it seems unlikely to me that you should fear its fearful effect. Nonetheless, to prevent a lack of means when the time comes, I offer you the little I know. Despite what they say, it is not immediately contagious, and those that are in a region where the disease is spread, must not be afraid of helping those that are affected. There isn’t a universal medication against this disease, be it preventative or curative, taking into account the fact that the illness changes in several ways, here depending on the temperament of the individuals, there depending on their education and habits, or on the climatic conditions, and that leads to good results of a give medication with certain persons and not with others. One can say that each outbreak requires investigation, according to the location, requiring a different medication. That is why ice and theriac were helpful in depleting the illness in a large number of cases, in certain regions, during the outbreaks of 1832 and 1849, the same could lead to unsuccessful treatments in other times and other countries. There are, therefore, several good medications and none is specific. That diversity of results has confused and will still confuse science, making it difficult for us as well to indicate a remedy that is good to all, because the very nature of the disease does not allow it. There are, nonetheless, general rules that resulted from observation whose guidelines should be closely followed. The best preservative is in the careful hygiene, wisely recommended in every instruction given about it, consisting in cleanness and in sweeping away any possible cause of infection and insalubrity, and in the avoidance of any excess. Besides, one must keep from changing feeding habits, except for the avoidance of debilitating things. It is also recommended to avoid colds, sudden transitions of temperature or any strong substance that may lead to physical disturbance. You know that fear is many times worse than the illness in similar cases. Unfortunately, one cannot impose cold-blood, but you, the Spiritists, do not need advice about this since you face death fearlessly and with a faith-given calmness. In case of a spell one must not neglect the first symptoms. Heat, food, abundant transpiration, friction and rice water with a few drops of laudanum are inexpensive medications with positive action, when added to mental strength and tranquility. Considering that the lack of doctors may sometimes lead to difficulty in finding laudanum, is such cases one may use any other soothing substance, like lettuce juice, but in small doses. In fact, one may just boil a few leaves of lettuce in rice water. In these events, trust in God and in oneself is the first healthy approach. Now that your physical health is sheltered, let me mention your spiritual temperament that seems to be attacked by a different kind o epidemy. Have no fear here for this disease can only affect those that do not live a truly spiritual life and that are already dead. All of those that devoted to the doctrine, without a hidden agenda, will find, on the contrary, the necessary strength to fructify the teachings that we consider a duty to pass on to you. Persecution, whatever it is, is useful. It exposes the strong minds and encourages the feeble hearts that, through the struggle, will succeed and mature with our advices, then becoming serious and wise people. Have courage then! Move on fearlessly, following the path that was designed to you and you may always count on my support, to the limit of my own forces.”
Dr. Demeure
