Letters from Dr. Morhéry about Ms. Désirée GoduWe spoke about the remarkable faculty of Ms. Désirée Godu as a
healing medium and we could have cited authentic witnesses that
we have in our possession. However, here is a testimony of incontestable
reach. It is not one of those attestations that are provided somehow lightheartedly.
It is the result of serious observations by a knowledgeable man,
eminently capable of assessing things from both points of view of Science
and Spiritism. Dr. Morhéry sent us the two following letters, whose publication
the readers will appreciate.
“Plessis-Bloudet, near Loudéac (Côtes-du-Nord)
“Mr. Allan Kardec,
“Although overloaded right now by my regular activities, as a
corresponding member of the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies
I see it as my duty to inform you about an unexpected event
which is certainly of interest to all our colleagues.”
“You have praised Ms. Désirée Godu, from Hennebon, in
the last issues of your Review. You said that after she had been
a clairvoyant, hearing and writing medium, the young lady had
become a healing medium in the past few years. That is how
she came to me, requesting my support as a medical doctor, to demonstrate the efficacy of her medication, which I believe
it could be called spiritist. In the beginning I thought that her
motives where the threats against her and the obstacles created
to her medical practice for the fact that she was not certified.
She told me, however, that her guiding spirit, working with her
for six years, had advised her to do so, as a necessary condition
from the point of view of Spiritism. In any case I found it to be
my duty and in the interest of humanity to accept her generous
proposal, but I had doubts if she would accomplish that.
Although not knowing her in person or even having never seen
her, I learned that the devout young lady had never wanted to
be away from her family but in one exceptional circumstance
at the age of 17, in order to accomplish an important mission.
I was nicely surprised when I saw her coming to my house led
by her mother who left the next day, leaving her with profound
sadness. Such sadness, however, was mitigated by the courage of
her resignation. Ms. Godu has been living with my family for 10
days already, and she has become the focus of much joy, despite
her nerve-racking occupation. “Since her arrival I have already
attested 75 cases of several diseases, against which the medical
resources had failed in most of them. We have amaurosis fugax,
severe ophthalmic disorders, paralysis and all that reject to any
treatment, scrofulous, the scabby, cataracts and terminal cancer,
all cases that are duly registered; the nature of the disease is established
by me, she indicates the dressings, and all procedures
are followed as in a regular clinical treatment room.”
“Time was not enough for my peremptory pronunciation
about the healings operated by Ms. Godu. However, I can already
affirm that I am impressed by the revolutionary results that she
obtains with the application of her ointments whose effects vary
to the infinity through an action which I could not explain, based
on the ordinary rules of Science. I also saw with pleasure that she would cure fevers without the use of any chemicals or balms, by
simple infusion of flowers or leaves of several plants.”
“I particularly follow with great interest her treatment of a
third degree cancer. This cancer has been identified and unsuccessfully
treated by several colleagues, as always, and it is the focus
of great concern by Ms. Godu, who is very preoccupied by
it. I sincerely wish that her efforts be rewarded with success and
that she can heal that indigent which she treats with zeal beyond
praise. If she does, then other success cases are naturally expected
and she will be doing a huge service to humanity, curing such a
terrible and atrocious disease.”
“I know that several comrades may be laughing at my own
expectations. Why bother if those hopes come true! I have already
been criticized for helping a person whose intentions are not contested
but whose healing skills are denied by the majority since
she was not formally trained in the academia.”
“I shall respond to that by saying that it was not the Faculty
which discovered the vaccine but simple shepherds; it was not
the Faculty that found the bark of Peru but the native Indians
of that country. The Faculty attests the facts, groups and classifies
them, forming the precious basis of teaching, but it does not
exclusively produce them. Some silly people, and unfortunately
there are some here as everywhere else, judge themselves witty,
calling Ms. Godu a witch. She is certainly a very kind and useful
witch for she neither inspires fear nor the desire to have her sent
to burn at the stake.”
“To the others who see her as an instrument of the devil
I will respond by boldly saying: if the devil comes to Earth to
cure the incurable, the abandoned and indigent, one must then
conclude that the devil has finally converted and deserves our
thanks. Besides, I doubt very much that among those who speak
of her in such a way, there are many who would not prefer to be cured by her hands instead of dying in the hands of the doctors.
Let us then be open to goodness from whatever source it
may come and let us not attribute its merit to the devil without
authentic proofs. It is more rational and according to the good
moral to attribute the good to God and just say grace. I believe
that you and all other colleagues will share my point of view.
As a matter of fact, whether or not this becomes a reality, there
will always remain something for Science. I am not a man who
forgets certain employed means which are neglected these days.
They say that Medicine has made enormous progress. Yes, it has
done so to Science but not to the art of healing. We learn a lot
and forget a lot too. The human spirit is like the ocean: it cannot
encompass everything; when a beach is taken another one
is left behind. I will come back to this subject and let you know
about this curious experience. I give serious attention to this. If
she triumphs, it will be a brilliant manifestation, against which
it will be impossible to fight, because nothing stops those who
suffer and seek cure. I am determined to fight whatever is necessary
with that objective, including ridicule which is so much
feared in France.”
“I take the opportunity to send you my inaugural thesis. If
you take the burden of reading it you will easily understand how
much I was prepared to accept Spiritism. That thesis was defended
when Medicine had been taken by the most profound materialism.
It was a protest against such a current which dragged us
towards organic Medicine and mineral Pharmacology, so much
abused. How much health had not been devastated by the abusive
use of mineral substances that in case of reaction amplifies
the disease and in case of improvement it still leaves traces in our
organism!”
Yours sincerely,
Morhéry
March 20th, 1860
“Sir,
In my last letter I indicated that Ms. Désirée Godu had come
to practice her healing skills before me. This is to bring you some
more news.”
“I started my observations with a large number of patients
since February 25th, almost all of them indigent and incapable of
finding adequate treatment. Some have diseases of little importance
but the majority suffers from illnesses which would resist
the ordinary means of treatment. I have logged 152 cases of several
disorders since February 25th. Unfortunately in our land, and
particularly the indigent and sick, follow their own caprices and
have no patience to follow a stable and methodical treatment. As
soon as they experience some improvement they consider themselves
cured and do nothing else. This sometimes happens to my
own patients and it should necessarily happen to Ms. Godu’s too.”
“As I said before, I don’t want to pre-judge or affirm anything,
except the results attested by experience. Later I shall
report the whole thing and point out the most remarkable observations.
However, I already want to express my admiration for
seeing cures which were obtained outside conventional practices.”
“I saw three intermittent, resistant fevers, cured without the
use of cinchona, one of which had resisted to all means employed
by me.”
“Ms. Godu also cured three cases of paranitium and two
sub-aponeurotic inflammations of the hand in a few days. That
really impressed me.”
“I can also attest, the not yet complete cure but already advanced
treatment of one of our most intelligent workers, Pierre Le
Boudec, from Saint-Hérve, who has been deaf since he was 18.
He was as astonished as I was when after three days of treatment
he could hear the birds singing and the voice of his children. I saw him this morning and all indications are that he will soon be
completely cured.”
“The one who attracts most attention among our patients is a
so called Mr. Bigo, a worker from Saint-Caradec, who has cancer
in his lower lip for two years now. The cancer achieved its last
degree. His inferior lip is partially destroyed; the gum and the
sublingual glandules are cancerous and the bone of his inferior
jaw is also affected by the disease. His condition was desperate
when he came to the house. His pain was excruciating. He hasn’t
been able to sleep for the past six months. Surgery was not recommended
given the advanced stage of the disease. A cure seemed
impossible to me and I frankly declared it to Ms. Godu, warning
her about an inevitable defeat. My opinion did not change the
prognosis. I still cannot believe in the cure of such an advanced
cancer. However, I must declare that since the application of the
first ointment, the patient experiences some relief and since that
day, February 25th, he sleeps and eats well; he is confident again;
the wound has visibly changed in appearance and if that pattern
continues, despite my personal opinion, I am forced to expect a
cure. If that comes true, it will be the greatest phenomenon of
cure which one could attest. It is necessary to wait and be patient,
like Mr. Bigot. Ms. Godu addresses him with special care.
Sometimes she changes the bandages every half hour. He is her
favorite destitute.”
“There is nothing else to say. I could report rumors and gossips,
and comments about witchcraft, but since foolishness is inherent
to humanity, I don’t bother trying to cure it.”
With my respect,
Morhéry
OBSERVATION: As it can be seen from the two letters above, Mr. Morhéry
was not led by enthusiasm. He observes things cold-bloodedly, and as an enlightened
man, without illusions. He shows extreme good faith, leaving aside his medical pride. He is not afraid of confessing that nature may not need
him, inspiring an uneducated young lady with the means of healing, that he
had not found in the Faculty or in his own brain, and not feeling humiliated
by that. His knowledge about Spiritism teaches him that it is possible, without
breaching the laws of nature. He understands it, since such a faculty is a
simple phenomenon more developed in Ms. Godu than in others. One can
say that this young lady is to the art of healing as Joan of Arc was to the the
art of military. Well-informed about the two essential points – Spiritism as the
source, Medicine as the control – Mr. Morhéry puts aside his self-love and any
personal feelings, positioning himself in the best place to judge impartially,
and we congratulate Ms. Godu for her resolution in choosing him to be her
sponsor. The readers will certainly appreciate the fact that we will keep them
informed about future observations.
