This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at his office, 115 West 35th Street, Virginia Beach, Va., this 30th day of October, 1929, in accordance with request made by her sister- in-law, Mrs. [106], on 10/07/29.

Present: Mr. Edgar Cayce; Mrs. Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Mr. L. B. Cayce.

TEXT

1. EC: Yes, we have the body here, [144]. Now, we find, many are the complications with the physical forces of this body, and these are complications both in the functioning of organs and in organic disturbances. These have to do with the depletion of the strength and vitality as related to the functionings, yet the forces in life continue to operate through these physical forces, and were the care and attention given, much might be accomplished yet for this physical functioning body.
2. The blood supply shows the vital forces, as have to do with little that is assimilated. While the body is under stress when digestion takes place, assimilation is much bettered. While the organs work under stress, yet the light - or the life - holds out.
3. Now, to meet the needs at the immediate time, or for that as we find that would aid - we would give, or prepare this, and this as the medicinal properties for the system:
4. We would take 16 ounces distilled water. To this we would add:

   Wild Cherry Bark.............3 ounces,
Sarsaparilla Root............1 ounce,
Wild Ginger................1/2 ounce,
Indian Turnip..............1/4 ounce,
Ginseng (wild)...............1 ounce,
Prickly Ash Bark...........1/2 ounce,
Buchu Leaves.................1 dram,
Mandrake Root..............1/2 dram.

5. Reduce this by simmering, not boiling, to 1/2 the quantity. Strain, and while warm add 2 ounces of grain alcohol, with 3 drams Balsam of Tolu cut in it. Shake solution together before the dose is taken, and we would take half a teaspoonful every four hours. We would not awaken the body to give the medicines, but when the body IS awake, give it.
6. We would also apply these of the COLORED lights for the body. The infra red, we would say, on a Monday. The nile green on Wednesday, and the ultra violet on Saturday. See? These should be applied for not LONGER than TWO minutes in the beginning.
7. Do that. Then, at the end of ten days, when the whole is begun, we would give further suggestions for the changes as may come from this. Will the body respond, much bettered conditions may be brought to this body of [144].
8. We are through for the present.

   Copy to Mrs. [106]
   Copy to Ass'n office
   Copy to Cayce Hospital

BACKGROUND

1. 7/15/25 See nephew's rdg. 900-94, Par. 6-A dream in re Mrs. [144] and her disapproval of his interest in EC's work. [12/16/25 See prophecy in 294-53 Par. 5-A.]
2. 3/05/28 See 900-375, Par. 6-A about Mrs. [144] and death.
3. 6/19/29 Mrs. [106] wrote: "After following treatment suggested [in 106-19] I am feeling better. Will you please mail literature about your work to Mrs. [144] ..., N.Y."
4. 10/07/29 Mrs. [106] wrote: "The enclosed application is for my sister-in-law [my late husband's brother's widow, [144]] who is seriously ill and suffering greatly. An early reading will be a very big favor to me. Send her appointment card to ... Street, but it might be well to send the reading to me. Thanking you and with kindest regards to Mrs. Cayce and yourself, Sincerely, [106]."
5. 10/10/29 EC wrote Mrs. [106] that if Mrs. [144] could come to the Cayce Hospital he could get the rdg. earlier, as those entering the hospital were given preference: "We are so overrun at the present time, that it makes it very inconvenient for many who need the information at once."
6. 10/15/29 Nephew Mr. [900] wrote: "It would be prohibited to bring her to the hospital until after a reading has been taken. The woman has been operated on and is in a very serious condition. The doctors do not hold out much hope for her, considering it is only a matter of time. In this reading, we would have to ask the question very specifically, whether she is a case for our hospital."
7. 10/22/29 EC wrote Mr. [900] wrote that he had just ret'd from Dr. Thomas B. House's funeral, and wanted to get to Mrs. [144]'s reading as soon as possible - "we have so MANY, and we are so far ahead with appointments - I don't know anything we can do BUT make them [the appointments], when they keep insisting and asking."

REPORTS

1. 11/02/29 GD's note: Mr. [900] phoned giving me questions for his own rdg. [900-459] to be given that day. Then he said: "Gladys, Mom received Aunt [144]'s reading and she [Aunt [144]] was in her grave at the time the reading was given. I think I know what happened. Tell Edgar I will explain it to him when I come down the week-end of the 9th."
2. 11/10/29 GD's note [taken from her diary]: "After church, Mr. [900] and wife [136], and friend Mr. [195] came to the Cayce home to visit and to talk about the reading for Mrs. [144]. Mr. Cayce wanted to give another reading to explain what happened, but Mr. [900] said it wasn't necessary, that the whole thing was very clear to him. He said the "work" readings had insisted that appointments be definite and the individual requesting the reading be in a seeking, meditative attitude at the time of the appointment. In the case of 144-1, Mrs. [144] had not even known of the request. There had been no specific appointment made. He was sure the reading had been obtained as of the date Mrs. [106] had requested it [10/07/29], and that the reading had been in response to Mrs. [106]'s desire at that time to help Mrs. [144]. He was sure if the information had actually come to them at that time the application of the suggested treatments would have brought help to Mrs. [144]. Mr. [900] cautioned us that this experience should make us more than ever aware of the need to have the seeking from the individual directly responsible, and a definite VERIFIED appointment in cases where the individuals were not present."
   Although Mr. [900] explained to his mother, Mrs. [106], what he felt to be the spiritual law governing such psychic information, his mother could not understand it and thereafter sought no more readings for herself or others. See 11/04/29 dream of Mrs. [106] about Cayce Hospital closing, noted under 106-20 Reports. See subsequent incidents of similar nature under 534-2 on 4/20/34 and 333-13 on 2/27/43.
3. The following letter appeared in the Letters to the Editor section of "The Beacon" dated 2/18/1968 under the headline, "CAYCE RESULTS COMMONPLACE?":
   "Editor, The Beacon: The recent publicity about Edgar Cayce and his readings has brought a number of inquiries to me concerning the result of the findings of an early group of investigators of Cayce's readings.
   "This group was personally very close to Edgar Cayce and his readings and my brother, Morton Blumenthal, was a very important member of this group. I was a member also.
   "Several books about Cayce have recently been published, but they, unlike this group of investigators, have used their efforts for their own personal gain and necessarily used much hearsay information and information from Cayce's personal admirers.
   "Understandably such information could possibly be a little one-sided. In truth, Cayce was a very small part of a vast subject and likely can be compared to the importance of any single individual in the heavenly scheme of all creation.
   "The studies and claims of psychic activity, its belief and disbelief, has been paramount in man's mind from the beginning of time. In our time it has caused the enactment of controlling laws in many states. In any event on the subject, any individual opinion is merely that, an opinion. The other factor is the source of the information forming this opinion.
   "The purpose of the Cayce Hospital was to give complete and scientific application of the Cayce physical readings and so hope to learn their true value and use. Cayce's lifelong dream, his hope that the realization of his greatest ambition was the dedication of the Cayce Hospital in Virginia Beach on Nov. 11, 1928. It was the result of much effort by Cayce and his associates, and the result of a very large expenditure of money by the Blumenthal bothers.
   "The operation of the hospital was carried on according to plans. The application of the information given in the readings was under direct supervision of qualified medical attention (the name of the correct physician in charge of most of the hospital's operation has not been mentioned by the books so far published about Cayce).
   "The hospital was thoroughly and modernly equipped, including an X-ray machine, which was a rarity in this community at that time. The hospital operated for some three years until 1931.
   "During this time the patients had the best care. Accurate records of the results of Cayce's readings were kept. After very large expenditures of donated money and three years of diligent application of the readings, the results were most commonplace and indeed void of any inferred miracles. Mostly the patients benefited from good food, care and rest. It would seem the public is entitled to true facts and not misinformation.
   "The Blumenthal's did not withdraw their support from the Cayce hospital as written because 'they were broke;' and this is verified by the fact that the Blumenthal Brothers remained in business as members of the New York Stock Exchange for many years after the closing of the hospital. Nor did Edgar Cayce 'hand the keys of the hospital to the sheriff' at the 1931 closing. He had no keys, as the property reverted to the possession of the Blumenthals and was operated for them as the Princess Pat Hotel until 1935.
   "Then the property was sold by the Blumenthals and subsequently used as a night club, an officers club and now the Association for Research and Enlightenment headquarters.
   "Those of us longtime residents of Virginia beach who are intimate with the project are anticipating with pleasure the release of a manuscript written by Morton Blumenthal prior to his death. In addition to a narrative of the era, the manuscript presents the actual findings of a scientific non-profit study of the Edgar Cayce Readings." [Edwin Blumenthal]
4. The following article "BUT THE PATIENT WAS DEAD" appeared in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper dated 3/04/68:
   "The psychic Edgar Cayce while in a trance on October 30, 1929, in his Virginia Beach office prescribed medicines for the ailing Mrs. Rosamond Blumenthal, 54, in New York City. He suggested she drink a brew made of wild cherry bark and seven other herbs, and that colored lights be applied to her body. Unfortunately, Mrs. Blumenthal was dead and buried when the trance diagnosis was made.
   "Mrs. Blumenthal's nephew, Edwin Blumenthal, a spry man in his late 60's and a Virginia Beach resident for 30 years now, said last week that this and other incidents cooled his enthusiasm for Cayce's powers. Blumenthal was once vice president of the Association of National Investigators, founded in 1927 to engage in psychic research and provide practical application to such knowledge, based on Cayce's findings. His older brother, Morton, now dead, was president of ANI, and the two put up the money for the first Cayce hospital on 67th Street and for the short-lived Atlantic University nearby.
   "The well-to-do Blumenthal brothers were in their 20's when they bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. They became interested in Cayce's abilities in 1925 and tried to raise money for the hospital by speculating in stocks recommended by Cayce in a trance state. They lost heavily but eventually raised the money anyway. The old hospital now is occupied by the Association for Research and Enlighten- ment, headed by Cayce's son, Hugh Lynn.
   "'We never denied Edgar Cayce had a gift,' Edwin said last week. 'But the publicity in recent books (seven are currently on sale in paperbacks) about Cayce make him out to be an infallible saint. According to our findings 40 years ago, his abilities were greatly exaggerated.' "Morton Blumenthal gave the address of welcome when the 30-bed Cayce Hospital opened in November 1928. It closed in 1931 after the brothers withdrew their support. One of the Cayce Hospital doctors told Edwin the medical results based on the trance readings were commonplace and only 50 per cent effective.
   "Over a 42-year period Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) gave thousands of medical diagnoses and predictions while in a trance. His words were taken down by a stenographer and some 90,000 pages are now on file in A.R.E. Thus it was possible to check the 1929 Blumenthal reading.
   "When Edgar Cayce gave a medical diagnosis he would lie down, go into a self-induced trance, and have words like the following read to him:
   "'You will have before you the body of Rosamond Blumenthal, who is present in this room. You will go over the body carefully, telling us the conditions you find there, and what may be done to correct anything which is wrong.'
   "Cayce would reply: 'Yes, we have the body.' It was not necessary for the patient to be present.
   "The records of the 1929 Rosamond Blumenthal trance diagnosis show that she was in a serious condition in New York. Cayce's 'reading,' as the diagnosis was called, was delayed 23 days from the time it was requested. In it, Cayce specifically said that the forces of life in Mrs. Blumenthal continued to operate and much might be accomplished. He then recommended the herbs and colored lights. Three days later, he learned that Mrs. Blumenthal was 'in her grave' at the time of the diagnosis.
   "Morton Blumenthal's faith was not shaken by the mistake, according to the Cayce Foundation records. He pointed out then that Mrs. Blumenthal had not known of the request, and felt that the reading pertained to her condition on the day it was made. But in an autobiographical sketch of his relations with Edgar Cayce written many years later, Blumenthal was caustic about the incident.
   "Hugh Lynn Cayce last week suggested that in modern hypnotic experiments a person under trance can regress to an early stage of life and write and speak as he did then. This, he felt happened in 1929, and Cayce merely regressed to the date the reading was requested. 'We have never claimed that Edgar Cayce was infallible,' he said." [Frank Blackford]
5. Letter to Frank Blackford from Albert E. Turner (Husband of Gladys Davis Turner) dated 5/14/68: "Dear Mr. Blackford: You're article of your interview of Edwin Blumenthal of March 4 Virginia Pilot has just come to my attention.
   "What impresses me is not what it said, but what it did not say!
   "Having known Mr. Blumenthal for sometime in Virginia Beach, and also, having had transactions with him and his firm back in the twenties, when the Battles & Co. investment brokers, N.Y. and Phila. and thus acquainted with some of what he says, questions have thus arisen in my mind which certainly appear to be omissions in your story?
   "1. Are the claims of 'wealth' back in the twenties, relatively correct, that Mr. Blumenthal made? The 'street' to my knowledge, active then, was not at all impressed.
   "2. Question. Was told that during the depression years of 1932 the Blumenthals were, like many other very honest persons, carrying billboard signs around N.Y. advertising; this was a commendable thing and such workers were known as 'sandwich men'? Was this true? If so, it contradicts the story?
   "Question 3. Your story indicates Blumenthal Bros. pulled up 'all' the money for Ass'n of National Investigators. Is this true? My understanding was that there were other contributors at that time, wealthy ones?
   "Question 4. If Blumenthals were carrying sandwich signs, were they still in brokerage business during depression, at the same time carrying sandwich signs, 'moonlighting' so to speak?
   "Question 5. Story states of continuous 'losses' in stock market due to advice of Cayce Readings. If true, why did Edwin continue to ask for more advice?
   "Question 6. After the reported death of Rose Blumenthal, why did Edwin, according to his own testimony 'disillusioned' - continue for at least three years to ask for readings on stocks and other reasons IF his story correctly stopped his confidence?
   "Question 7. What was name of doctor who said '50% of diagnoses of Readings were inaccurate?'
   "Question 8. Did this doctor make examinations of ALL the patients he claims 50% of? Was this ALL who ever had readings? If his diagnosis was always correct, did he have these 50% checked by other doctors? If not, how does he know his contrary diagnosis were correct? Or did he make 50% or ANY diagnosis at all of Readings 'patients'? Since making such a statement, why doesn't he use his name?
   "Question 9. Why did Edwin Blumenthal change his name to Edwin Kane when, or since, he came to Virginia Beach? Interesting question.
   "Question 10. What was Edwin Blumenthal's purpose in his article?
   "Question 11. There are other omissions from the article, but the masterly way it was presented left, to my mind anyway, the impression that because Edwin Blumenthal said a thing, made it a fact? Interesting but factual? But good writing. It has sometime occurred to me to do a book on this subject, since my acquaintenship goes back over fifty years in a slight way with the Blumenthals, maybe we might cooperate on a book of this kind, since you are so well posted. We might call it 'SOUR GRAPES.' Very truly yours, Albert E. Turner.
   [GD's note at the bottom of above letter, "No Al, 'Truth needs no defense.' Leave as is. Do not mail."]

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