Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1866

Spiritism has just lost one of its most honorable and keen followers, with the death of Mr. Dr. Cailleux, deceased on April 20^th, 1866. We cannot pay a shinier tribute to his memory than the reproduction of an article published on the occasion by the Journal of Montreuil, on April 5^th:

“A good man has just disappeared amidst the general pain. Mr. Cailleux, medical doctor for about thirty years, member of the Municipal Council, member of the Association of Beneficence, doctor of the poor, doctor of the epidemies, died last Friday at 7 pm. An immense crowd formed by all social classes, took him to his final dwelling on Monday. The religious silence, that governed the whole trajectory, gave that sad and magnificent ceremony the character of a public manifestation. That simple funeral, followed by approximately three thousand crying people, or taken by a profound and quiet pain, would have touched the hardest hearts. It was the whole town that came out to pay the last tribute to one of its dearest inhabitants; it was the whole population wanting to carry to the cemetery the one that had sacrificed for them so many times. The poor that Mr. Cailleux had benefited so many times, showed their recognition; many workers took the coffin of their benefactor from the hands of the transporters, and considered to be an honor to carry that precious load to the cemetery!...

The tips of the shroud were held by Mr. Lecomte, 1^st adjunct; by Mr. Cosyn, 1^st Municipal Counselor; by Mr. Hacot, member of the Association of Beneficence, and by Mr. Delplanque, medical doctor, and Municipal Counselor. In front of the procession marched the Municipal Council, preceded by the Mayor, Mr. Émile Delhomel. The assembly counted on the presence of Mr. Charbonnier, Vice-Mayor, Mr. Artinet, Imperial Attorney, the Chief of Police, all the authorities of the city and doctors of neighboring towns. Many soldiers that were treated by Mr. Cailleux at the Hospital obtained license to attend the funeral and were mingled with the horde.

When they arrived at the cemetery a worker came out of the crowd, stopped at the tomb, and before the general silence, pronounced these few words: “You were a good man, benefactor of the poor, dying victim of your sublime dedication, receive our last farewell; your memory shall be in our hearts for eternity.” After these words, said with a feeling of gratitude, the crowd left in a religious reverence. The sadness that covered all faces showed well the loss the had just happened to the city of Montreuil. In fact, Mr. Cailleux knew, through his many qualities, to conquer the general appreciation. His whole life had been not but a long series of acts of dedication; he worked up until the last day, never willing to rest, and last Tuesday he still visited several patients in the countryside. When he was told about his advanced age and he was advised to rest from his many fatigues, he would have gladly responded, like Arnaud: “I have the whole eternity to rest.” Every hour of his life was dedicated to the care of his patients and to the consolation of the afflicted. He did not live for himself, but to his fellow human beings, and his whole life may be summarized in these three words: “Charity, devotion, abnegation.”

Lately, when the epidemic reached Étaples and the surrounding neighborhoods, Dr. Cailleux was entirely dedicated to the service of the patients, traveling around the infected villages, visiting the poor, taking care of some, helping others and having consolations to all. He then visited more than 800 patients, entering the unhealthiest homes, sitting by the beside of the dying, directly giving them the medication, never complaining, and on the contrary, keeping a constant sense of humor and a proverbial joy. The patient that saw him felt already alleviated by his joviality, always followed by a witty remark that provoked smiles.

Eight days before his death, Mr. Cailleux visited his patients in Berek, Lefaux, Camiers and Étaples, and the evening later was dedicated to the patients of the city; here what the work of one day meant to him: - So much abnegation would be fatal to him, and he should be the last victim of the scourge. On March 28^th he began with a serious diarrhea… he was about to rest when he was called to see a patient in the countryside. Despite his friends’ advices, he left saying: - I do not want to expose a patient for my fault; if he died, I would be the cause of death. I do nothing more than my duty.

When he returned at night in bad weather the symptoms of the disease manifested again. He went to bed the symptoms worsened; the following day the illness was attested, and he expired the following Friday…

It is horrifying when we think about the terrible pains of a man that know his condition, that knows that he is dying. Mr. Cailleux himself indicated the treatment to two of his colleagues that promptly came to assist him. He knew well that he would not be cured. – if there isn’t a quick improvement soon, he said, I will be gone in twelve hours. He saw himself dying, his vital forces diminishing, extinguishing bit by bit, without being able to stop the march to the grave. His final moments were calm and peaceful, and I could not give a better name to this death than a rest with the Lord. Beati qui moriuntur in Domino.^[1]

A few hours before his death he was asked about the medication that they should use. – Human science, he said, has employed all the medications that are in its power. Now, only God can stop the disease; one must resign to the divine Providence. He then leaned onto the bed, with his eyes fixated in the direction of the skies, as if foreseeing the celestial beatitude, and died without pain, without a groan, in the calmest and sweetest death.

Good man whose life was not but a long devotion, you worked on this Earth; you now enjoy the reward that God spares to all those that have always observed his law. While egotism flourished in the world, you were overflowing in abnegation and charity. Visiting the poor, helping patients, consoling the afflicted, that was your work. Oh, How many families have blessed you! How many parent have their children saved by you in the last epidemic, how many children have you the spared the destructive suffering of orphanage, how many families traveled many miles to come here on Monday to follow you in your final journey, crying at your grave!

Your life was always pure and immaculate; your death heroic; soldier of charity, you succumbed by saving your brothers from death; you fell hurt by the illness that you fought. Such a glorious devotion would soon receive its reward, and the cross of honor that you had much deservedly won would shine on your chest… But God had other plans for you. He prepared more beautiful rewards for you than those of men. He prepared you the happiness that is granted to the faithful servants. Your soul flew away to superior worlds where, separated from this material envelope, free from the bonds that weigh on us in this Earth, now enjoys the perfection and happiness that awaited.

In this happy day, do not forget; think of the many friends that you left on Earth, to whom your separation is cause of profound pain. May Heavens allow us to reunite there one day, there enjoying eternal happiness… That is the hope that reassures us and will give us the strength to withstand your absence with patience…

A.J.”
Verbatim copy by Jules Duval

Allow me to cite, as a complement of this article, some excerpts from the magnificent eulogy given by Victor Hugo one year ago. (below an extract from this speech which we published in the Revue of February 1865). Such words are certainly not written by apostles of nihilism.

The letter, through which we were informed about these events contains this passage:

“Mr. Cailleux, doctor of medicine, president of the Spiritist Group of Montreuil, has just died victim of his devotion during the cholera which devastated our regions. He died as a convinced spiritualist, and the clergy of the city felt it to be their duty, for that reason, to refuse him ecclesiastical burial; but, as you will see from the issue of the newspaper I am sending you, the whole population solemn tribute to his virtues. Nevertheless, the family made arrangements with the bishop to have a funeral service at the church, although there was only a civil burial. The authorization was given, and the service took place on Thursday, April 5th. Spiritism had a great loss with the death of M. Cailleux, and I am convinced that all my brothers in faith will join in my legitimate sorrow. Thanks to his dedication and his enlightened enthusiasm, the doctrine has made such a rapid progress in our regions, both in the city and in the countryside, and the surrounding areas count on several hundred Spiritists. The municipal council of the city of Montreuil decided, unanimously, as proposed by the mayor, that a public monument would be erected at the expenses of the city, as a tribute paid to the memory of this good man.”

The following extract has been sent to us from a communication given by him to his colleagues in Montreuil; we removed what was related to personal matters:

“… You return to the subject of my death. Well! it has been useful to our cause, since it has awakened the sleeping attention of many souls deprived of the truth, and therefore of life. Anything that disappears always leaves a void in the place it occupied; but, know it, this void is only apparent; it only exists to you that are short-sighted, because it is filled in another way. So you lose nothing, I repeat, with my death; on the contrary, you will gain a lot from it, not because in my bodily life I performed miracles of charity, capable of highlighting the doctrine that we profess together, but because, faithful to the Spiritist principles, I was the object of hostile demonstrations which necessarily had to call for opposing manifestations. It is never differently on earth: don’t good and evil always collide each time they meet?

It then follows from all this, that now you are entering a new phase that our good guides had prepared for a long time by their teachings. There will be no disaggregation of the society if you always persist on the feelings with which I see you animated at this time. Do you know what is my reward? It is to see the relative happiness that you experience by the doctrine through which I presented myself, in all circumstances, as the enthusiastic champion. It is difficult for you to conceive of a purer joy. What are the gross joys of your world when compared to that? What are the honors under which you hide the miseries of your souls? What are the pleasures that you seek to astonish your sad returns? What is all that compared to how I feel? Nothing! Less than a fume.

Persevere in your feelings, persevere in them until death.

I saw that you intend to organize yourselves regularly: it is a wise measure; weakness must always guard itself against the snares and surprises of the spirit of evil. Ah! the spirit of evil! it is not Satan. We meet him at every step in the world you elbow one another. You must, therefore, regulate the organization of your sessions, of your evocations, and your studies. Bind to each other through the voluntary bonds of charity, benevolence, and submission. This is the best way to harvest sweet and abundant fruits.

Here is the first communication he gave at the Parisian Society:

April 13^th, 1866 – medium Mr. Morin

Evocation: Dear and venerable Dr. Cailleux! We learned to admire you as a fervent and devoted Spiritist. Undoubtedly called by the Providence to implant the doctrine in your region, you held the flag strong and high, fearlessly facing sarcasm and persecution. Success crowned your effort. It is not only the brother in faith that we salute today, for your departure from Earth, but the good man, the one that did not preach Spiritism through words only, but knew to make it loved and respected through your example, and by the practice of the Christian virtues. Please receive here the expression of our liveliest sympathies, and the hope that you may want to join our meetings sometimes, associating yourself to our works.

You were talking earlier about the tendencies inherent to the human organism. We observe more especially those which have bad instincts, because men are always inclined to beware of what may be harmful to them or cause them some embarrassment; but tendencies for the good often go unnoticed in the eyes of society, because it is much more difficult to find and show the violet than the thistle.

Don’t be surprised if I start this way. As you said earlier, the Spirit is the only one responsible for his actions; he cannot excuse himself by attributing his fault to God; no, good feelings and bad feelings are the result of previous acquisitions. In my life I was instinctively driven towards good, to the relief of my brothers in God, and I decline the honor of all your tributes, for I made no effort to follow the path traced by my heart; I did not have to struggle against opposing instincts; I did nothing but let myself go very slowly on the slope of my pleasing, that said to me very loudly: "Walk!" you are on the right track;”.

And the moral satisfaction of my whole intelligent being was so great, that I was certainly as happy as the miser whose passion is satisfied by contemplating and caressing his gold. I repeat to you, I have no merit in that regard; nevertheless, I thank you for your kind words, which are not heard in vain by those to whom they are addressed. However much elevated the Spirits may be, they are always feel the happiness of a sympathetic thought.





I soon came out of the very natural emotion when coming out from the material life to the life of the Spirits, but the profound belief that I was entering an even more lively world helped me to get back to my senses. I cannot provide a better comparison of my passage from life to death but through a painless annihilation, and without fatigue.

I was awakened, on the other side, by the soothing fluidic touch of my dear parents and spiritual friends. I then saw my poor mortal remains, and I blessed them for their good and faithful services, because they were kind to me, and I had to sustain no serious struggle between Spirit and matter. It was therefore a pleasure to follow my poor body to its resting field, a body that had helped me to avoid that many of my co-incarnate did this trip, that they absolutely did not face as I did.

I forgive all the, from one side or the other, thought they were doing me harm; as for those that refused to pray for me in the sacred temple, I will be more charitable than the charity that they preach: I pray for them. That is how it must be done, my good brothers in belief. Believe me and forgive those that fight against you, for they do not know what they do.

Dr. Cailleux

Observation: The first words in this communication demonstrate that the Spirit was present and had attended the discussions in the session. In fact, a remarkable premature event of incendiary instinct had been discussed, in a four-year-old boy, reported by the Salut Public, from Lyon. The event, that provided material for an important study, will be published in the next issue.

Let us also notice that Mr. Cailleux made abstraction of all the ordinary preambles that the Spirits that have just left Earth make. It is noticeable, in the sequence, that he is not a phrase nor a compliments creator. He says thank you and believes that it is enough for us to understand his thought; he then suddenly enters the subject, as a person that is in his terrain, and does not wish to waste time with useless words; he speaks as if there were no interruption in his life. It is as if Mr. Cailleux had come to visit the Parisian Society.

If he declines the merit of his actions, it is certainly out of modesty. Those that effortlessly do good have arrived at a degree of elevation that makes it natural. If they do not have to struggle today, it is for the fact that they had done it in other circumstance; victory was achieved; those that have to fight bad tendencies are still in the struggle; later, doing good will not cost them any effort, and they will do it without thinking. There is not less merit for having succeeded earlier. Dr. Cailleux is one of those men, that like Dr. Demeure and many others, honor the doctrine that they profess, providing the shiniest contradiction to the detractors of Spiritism.

---

[1] Latin for Blessed are those who die in the Lord (T.N.)