6/01/33 Ltr. from [
849]:
My dear Eddie -
I am going to ask forgiveness both for my delay in answering
your letter and my seeming detachment and failure to get to
serious matters with you while you were here. I make the
request on the strength of the following excuse - offered as
evidence of my inability to do better.
No doubt you remember my illness of five years ago, while in
my second year at ... Perhaps you do not recall that in the
spring of that year I suffered from prostatitis and a slight
attack of arthritis in the right knee. I was treated for
these ailments up until the day I left school, and then I
obtained a reading from you [849-2]. The doctor said I was
cured and the reading said I was cured but would have to get
rid of the poison drosses that filled my system. The reading
gave me medicine to take and instructed Turkish baths and
rubs once a week. I followed these instructions to the t
while attending summer school in Washington, and when I
visited with you at the beach toward the close of that summer
I felt rejuvenated.
I think the next reading I had was the following summer -
1929 - while at the hospital [849-6]. I had several checks,
and both said that a few drosses remained and would require
some cleansing. I went on a diet, took arsenic and continued
the treatment after I went back to ... The next summer,
1930, I also had a reading [849-7], went on a diet and took
some medicine. Then I neither visited a doctor nor had a
reading until last fall, when I was troubled with nervousness
and a stiff neck. [See 849-10.]
About a month ago I began to suffer distress that was linked
in my memory, in a vague way, with prostatitis. No other
symptoms were visible, and I dismissed it as a slight strain.
However, it pained me so badly one day that I took the next
day off and called a physician - a doctor who resides at my
hotel. He informed me I had prostatitis.
I was somewhat taken aback to discover that I had never been
cured of this ailment, that it had been quiescent for five
years, and was worse than ever. In my bewilderment and pain
I threw myself in his hands (taking the pains to look him
up later from all angles to satisfy myself that he was
competent) and began a series of treatment which I am still
carrying on. Naturally, once the treatments began, things
were stirred up. At the time you were here I was in constant
pain twenty-four hours a day. The pain has diminished now,
but my knee is again swollen.
I shall never forget the first few moments when I rose to be
master of ceremonies at the dinner. So great was the effort
I made to repress my suffering that when I sat down I
trembled all over. It eased up after that and I felt better
toward the end.
So that's the reason I didn't corner you for a serious
discussion or round up Hugh Lynn and make him stay with me
more than he did - it was almost impossible for me to think
or talk coherently, and naturally I did not want anyone to
know my real trouble. [
903] discovered I was ill because she
called the office the day I stayed at home and was informed
that I was incarcerated - so they all think now I have some
infection or other that will soon be righted.
I can say for myself that I am not depressed in the
slightest. I expect to make enough money from my New Yorker
piece to pay the doctor for his labors, and I expect to be
well enough to visit the beach in August. It seems at times
a little too big a penalty to pay for an indiscretion that
was committed through adolescent ignorance - but I am not
dwelling on that. I believe a sense of humor is the
indication of a civilized and cultured soul, and I apply a
sense of humor to myself in this predicament. Had I known
during the past five years that I was not cured of that
miserable ailment I would have done something about it, but
that's all past and the job is to get well now. It's going
to take a little time but there'll be no mistake about it
this time.
So you may tell Hugh Lynn that for the present I am incapable
of pondering on the question of a study club. I'm sure I
could do little about it during the summer anyhow, with
people away from town, but I will think about it and talk it
over with him when I get to the beach.
I have a pretty definite idea of what I want, and while I am
there perhaps I can weed out some of the information myself.
Your visit, I trust, was useful in getting some business. It
seems a shame that people grasp a thing when they need it and
then turn it loose with no appreciation for the miracle they
have been privileged to witness. I tried to sound - subtly -
that note in my remarks, but I don't think many got it.
Perhaps you were surprised at what I said about you - no
reason for it - I've always felt that way, but somehow I just
don't overflow in talking to people informally, and no one
ever thought of asking us youngsters to speak in the old days
of the ass'n we just didn't matter. Well, we're pretty
magnanimous about it - we forgive and forget, confident that
we understand and will, so soon as we able, do what is right
by the work.
My love to the family - and I need not mention, I suppose,
that beyond the family circle my tale of woe is confidential
- especially as regards the N'Yawkers. What they don't know
won't keep them awake nights.
[
849]
2/05/36 See
849-13.
See subsequent Physical Readings.
6/05/33 Ltr. from EC:
Dear [
849]:
Yours of the 1st came. I certainly am disturbed to know that
you have been having some trouble from the old conditions,
about which you were warned. I do hope you are following the
right line in eliminating and eradicating this entirely. If
I remember correctly (though I don't want to be one of those
"I told you so's"), there was a specific warning about this
in the very first reading given on the condition, that unless
there was an entire elimination of the cause it would
continue to crop up from time to time. I'm just hoping,
though, that everything will work out fine, and that when you
do get down this summer we may have a check-up and see just
exactly what the situation is.
I regret that it will be impractical for you to be here at
the meeting. I don't know how large a crowd we will have,
whether any more than our regular interested group in Norfolk
and vicinity or not. During our few days in New York,
apparently, we got quite a number from there who agreed to
come, but now the number has gradually dwindled down to not
more than three or four. I realize that the general
condition throughout the country is so severe, that to even
have a local meeting is some accomplishment.
Yes, there seems to be considerable interest aroused from our
meeting in New York. If it is handled properly, this will
continue to grow. If neglected, as it has been in most
instances, it will not take long for it to wane and die out.
This is true of anything, I suppose, that has to do with
human emotions. It needs a stimuli occasionally. We may
think of it, but we rarely do anything about it - unless
stimulated properly. I don't believe it would be practical
or plausible to undertake the formation of many groups, if
any, in New York, until the fall season; but I do hope to
keep sufficient interest in the minds of people for them to
be interested and ready to form into groups in September or
October, at the latest.
Of course, I knew something was disturbing you when I was
there; but I had no idea it was something like this. I do
hope it is working out all right for you.
Hugh Lynn is quite busy, trying his level best to get out the
current Bulletin with something of a tentative program - at
least for the Congress meeting. This was set to meet the
convenience of a few who proposed to come with quite a group,
and they seem to be the first ones to fall down. It might
have been better to have made it closer to July 1st, I don't
know.
You know I'm going to be quite anxious about you, [
849], and
how you get along; and drop me a line every little bit, to
let me know just how you are feeling - and how everything is.
I'm glad to say that we are all very well here, physically.
Nothing particular new happening. Many things we might
mention that are happening mentally, but we have to wait to
know results.
Be sure and let me hear from you. With all good wishes and
kindest regards from all, I am
Ever the same, EDDIE EC:GD
6/14/33 Ltr. from [
849]:
Dear Eddie: -
I've been in bed since June 3, but now I am able to slip
to the side of the bed and type a little, so I want to
acknowledge your kind letter. Since being here with nothing
to do I've perused carefully all my readings, and I quite see
what I failed to do and why this condition came back to me.
It is a simple thing to diagnose and the treatment is easy -
that is why I have left it in the hands of a surgeon here.
My reason for being in bed is my knee. It swelled again,
much worse than before, and because the doctor was afraid
that the presence of the liquid and the fact that I was
walking on it would permanently distort the ligaments, he
drained off the fluid and put me in bed. The fluid returned
though, despite a bandage, so a cast had to be put on to keep
the joint quiet. It comes off Monday, and then I lay around
a few days and see what happens.
The rest has been good for me, though, because the
prostatitis itself has quieted down. After I am on my feet
again a gentle system of treatment will be continued until
smears and sounds show that the thing is absolutely cured.
I wish you the best of luck for the congress, and my thoughts
and prayers will be with you. I'm cheerful and unworried
about things and I'm sure that in the end it will all be
smoothed out, for me, for you and for all of us. [
849]



Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation