I love it when my interests "collide" and collide they did in this wonderful business card I recently added to my collection that represents an intersection of my interests in 19th-century medicine and the Spiritualist movements of the 1800s!
The card is for "Mrs. C. M. Morrison" - the "Wonderful Healer and Clairvoyant" - who will diagnose any disaese for $1.00 and a lock of your hair(!). As a medium, she received the advice of the "invisibles" in her "Medical Band."
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| Mrs. Morrison Business Card - c. 1875 - Collection of James M. Schmidt |
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| Mrs. Morrison Business Card - c. 1875 - Collection of James M. Schmidt |
I'm still strying to round up biographical information on Mrs C. M. Morrison herself, but advertisements for her services and articles about her talents do appear in late 19th-century Spiritualist periodicals.
For example, in the August 8, 1874, issue of Common Sense, in an article entitled "Healing the Sick," the writer states:
The changes produced by Spiritualism in breaking up old modes of thought and established practices, are in no department more noticeable than in that of medicine...People are using less and less of drugs, depending more and more on good nursing, bathing, diet, magnetism and the action of nature itself as a curative agent. Our magnetic and clairvoyant physicians, although still sneered at by the old schoolpractiotioners, are by far more successful than the regular faculty...There is something wonderful about the curative power of some of these "healers," and the subject is certainly worthy the attention of scientifc men. For instance, Mrs. C. M. Morrison, of Oswego, New York, a lady who is totally blind, has within the last year (or her spirit guides have for her) diagnosed over twelve hundred cases of disease from locks of hair, sent to her by letter, the result of the prescription in many cases being a permanent cure. She does not pretend to have any power herself, except as an instrument for the spirit physicians. Now why is this not a case for the scientists?
There were also regular advertisements for Mrs. Morrison in Common Sense, similar to what is printed on her calling card:
Notice, though, that she has relocated to Boston. Another article (October 10, 1874) explained the move:
Mrs. C. M. Morrison, clairvoyant and healing mdium of Oswego, N. Y., has moved to Boston, Mass., in consequence of an act passed by the New York Legislature forbiding the practice of medicine by any other than the regular faculty.
My further research shows that the "C" in "C. M. Morrison" is for "Catherine," and her abilities as "the well-known blind trance and clairvoyant medium, of Oswego," were detailed in the story, Eleven Days at Moravia (1872), by Thomas Robinson Hazard, an avowed believer in Spiritualism. (The 45-page book Eleven Days can be read here).
Notice in her card and in the advertisment she offers bottles of medicines for sale, as prescribed by the "Medical Band." They were "magnetized medicines." Here's some more great information on "magnetic medicines" of the 1800s.
The Attraction of Magnetic Medicines (by the late, great, bottle expert John O'Dell)
Clairvoyant Remedies (by Matthew Knapp at his excellent Antique Medicines blog)
Mrs. Morrison was by no means the only "Clairvoyant Healer" in the 1800s and early 1900s. Indeed, I've written about them myself here (1927 letter in my collection from a "Clairvoyant and Magnetic Physician"). Other great examples can be found at the great History of Spiritualism blog run by Marc Demarest, such as this one.
Stay Tuned:
I think Part II is going to be even more interesting for readers than Part I of this series! I found some letters from Mrs. Morrison and her Medical Band to a very famous patient: Clara Barton!
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