This Psychic Reading given by Edgar Cayce at the office of the Association, Arctic Crescent, Virginia Beach, Va., this 6th day of May, 1943, in accordance with request made by the self - [2988], new Associate Member of the Ass'n for Research & Enlightenment, Inc., recommended by the book THERE IS A RIVER.

Present: Edgar Cayce; Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno.

TEXT

1. GC: You will go over this body carefully, examine it thoroughly, and tell me the conditions you find at the present time; giving the cause of the existing conditions, also suggestions for help and relief of this body; answering the questions, as I ask them:
2. EC: Yes, we have the body here, [2988].
3. As we find, there are disturbances that without correction may become rather serious - this, as we find, from more than one cause; that is, there are pathological conditions, there are psychological and pathological effects produced in the body.
4. These arise, we find, from glandular disturbance. The glands of the thyroid and the glands of the digestive system, or as related to the activity of the pancrean forces and the adrenals. These are causing an extra production of sugar, as well as the activities that cause disturbance to the superficial circulation - as on the epidermis or the skin, and the nails of feet and hands; blotches on portions of body.
5. We find that these may cause a great deal of disturbance in the tendons and muscular forces of the body, - as indicated at times even now in the hips, the knees, the feet, and those pains through portions of the torso.
6. These are the sources, the causes of the disturbances with this body.
7. We may aid these in correction, if there are the responses in the body, and then the areas affected - with the proper attitudes of the body not only to the administrations but to its environs and activities.
8. We would begin by taking Atomidine internally; one drop in half a glass of water each morning before breakfast for five days.
9. Then leave off a week.
10. During that one week of leaving off the Atomidine, have two thorough hydrotherapy treatments and one colonic irrigation. Each hydrotherapy treatments should include a Fume Bath (with Witchhazel), and a massage with an equal combination of Olive Oil and Peanut Oil.
11. The next week take again the Atomidine, but this time two drops in half a glass of water each morning before breakfast, for five days.
12. The next week have only one hydrotherapy treatment; and not necessarily a colonic, provided there has been the cleansing of the mucous from the colon. If there are indications of mucous in the last waters of the first colonic, then repeat the colonic this time, see?
13. These we would keep up, one week taking the Atomidine five days, the next week the hydrotherapy treatment. Do not have the two together, you see, but one taken one week, the other the next.
14. After the first round of taking the one drop dosage of Atomidine, always thereafter take two drops each morning for the five-day period, see? Just two drops each day for five days, every other week - having the hydrotherapy treatment every other week, in between the courses of Atomidine, see?
15. As to the diet:
16. Begin taking grape juice four times each day, about half an hour before each meal and at bedtime; three ounces of grape juice with one ounce of plain water - not carbonated water. Welch's grape juice is preferable. Do not take carbonated drinks.
17. Do not eat too much of starches.
18. Do not eat too much of any form of meats. Sea foods are the better, this at least two or three times each week; fowl, if other meats are taken.
19. Little of pod vegetables; that is, as dried beans, or as of white potatoes, or even yams, or onions, or the like.
20. But do take, at least once each day, - not necessarily all at once, - carrots, lettuce, celery, radish, mustard and such greens as are taken raw. These may be taken with oil or with any salad dressing to suit the taste.
21. Do not take much of cheeses of any kind. A little milk may be taken, but not too much of this - until there has been a reduction in the glandular forces tending to make for more weight.
22. Once each week we would use the Atomidine as a massage for he soles of the feet, and as a dressing for the toe nails. But do not use it on the finger nails, for it will discolor as it is used about the cuticle. But this will change the disturbance with ingrowing nails. Lift up the nail and put small parts of cotton saturated with Atomidine under the edge of the toenail. This dressed, as would be the fingers in these ways, will change these conditions. Use this at least once each week.
23. Do these things for at least ten weeks; that is, including the weeks of the hydrotherapy treatments and the weeks of taking the Atomidine, and also one - perhaps two - colonic irrigations during that period.
24. Ready for questions.
25. (Q) Severe loose dandruff bothers me a great deal. What causes it in my case and how can I treat it or prevent it successfully?
    (A) This comes from a disturbance in the glandular forces, as indicated. Any good shampoo, preferably pure Castile or Tar Soap as a shampoo for this particular body.
26. (Q) I often find that I have difficulty in breathing - feel a kind of choking condition. What is the cause and cure of this?
    (A) This is the pressure from too much weight, for the body is at least thirty to forty pounds overweight.
27. (Q) When I have been lying down a while I find that I have to pull myself in somehow, very hard, in order to get up.
    (A) All of these effects, as we find, are covered in those suggestions given for correction. Do these, and at the end of ten weeks we will give further instructions.
28. We are through for the present. [See 2988-1, Par. R1 for dream EC had at the end of this rdg.]

    Copy to Self
    Copy to Ass'n file
    (See extra sheet [which was enclosed] of directions for Physiotherapist. We would refer you to Dr. H. J. Reilly, R.C.A. Bldg., 1250 Sixth Ave., N.Y.C.
    Atomidine is manufactured by The Atomidine Co., 9 South 8th Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Sells for $1 a bottle. Take only as indicated in Reading.)

BACKGROUND

1. 3/18/43 Friend Mrs. [...]'s letter to EC:
   My dear Mr. Cayce,
   One of my best friends, Miss [2988] has just been in to see me bringing with her the book, "There Is A River," and has asked me to write to you about her case. She is asking you to give her a reading of the physical condition (or perhaps mental condition) that has made her suffer for some twelve years, and also to give her a life reading, so that she may know exactly what work she is meant to do in life. This book about your wonderful work has given her new hope and assurance, for she feels that it brings with it a divine answer to her prayers.
   Miss [2988] is a young Danish woman who came to the United States also about twelve years ago as a child's nurse, and although she is one of the most superior persons I have ever met, in character and in mentality and latent ability, her lack of other training, and other circumstances, have kept her at work in domestic employment all this time, mostly as a cook, in which she is very expert. However, this confined and menial life has preyed terribly on her, and she longs to find some way of getting out of it and into something that will truly make her life and work worth while.
   During all this time, beginning ever before she reached the United States, and increasing very greatly during the past two or three years, she has suffered intense pain, first in the legs, then in the back, and off and on over the entire body. Every physician who has examined her insists that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her physically - that all her organs function splendidly - that there is no indication of trouble anywhere. I [It] has been suggested by more than one that her trouble is all emotional, as the reaction from an old and complicated love affair. However, Miss [2988] is much too well-balanced to suffer like this from something that she has completely outgrown.
   The pain is the worst of all in the morning or when she has remained in one position for a while. Then she can hardly move or straighten up. She manages to keep at her work as a cook because she is standing and moving to some extent all day long, and that makes it easier.
   The pain seems to center just about at the region of the kidneys, and radiates in all directions. She says that it is like electric shocks all over the body. On some days it is quite mild, in fact hardly bothers her. But most of the time it is torture to sit down and try to rest a while and then get up again. To watch her, one would think that she was an old woman cripped with rheumatism or arthritis - and yet no one has been able to tell her what this or what to do about it. Miss [2988] is positively not the emotional type who exaggerates her troubles. On the contrary, she just suffers in silence most of the time. But she cannot go on this way any longer - partly because of the pain itself and partly because she has absolutely made up her mind to get out of domestic service permanently and learn something that will make her happy to work at. And she cannot even concentrate enough to decide what it is she wants to do as long as this pain wears her out.
   So she begs me to ask you if you will help her as you have so many others, by giving her a diagnosis of her case and indicating what must be done to cure her. If it will be best for her to come to Virginia Beach herself for treatment she will gladly do that, for she has the greatest faith in your work and feels that if it costs her every penny she has it will be greatly worthwhile.
   Also, as I have said, she begs you to give her a life reading as well, for she must find a clear path and goal for her life. She is very clever, fairly well educated, and her trouble seems to be that she could do too many different things well if she took them up.
   You can rest assured that my friend will follow your directions faithfully and will be everlastingly grateful that she was led to find the book about your marvelous work. If you wish, you may address your reply to her name, but to my own address, which is above.
   With my own assurance that you can surely help [2988] and with every admiration for the help which you are giving to those who suffer, I remain
   Very sincerely yours,
2. 3/30/43 Friend's letter to EC:
   New York City
   My dear Mr. Cayce,
   Your very kind letter reached me last week, and I was most happy to pass it on to Miss [2988] who is asking you for a physical reading and a life reading. We are both convinced that this will be a very great help to her, and she has asked me to indicate some special questions to which she is most anxious to know the answers.
   One special point is in regard to diet, for there must be something wrong with it since she has gained ten pounds in five weeks, although she is a small eater and does have a good deal of knowledge of nutrition. She is now thirty pounds overweight and it worries her a great deal. In the life reading, the true vocation is most important - and also, if there should be any special location, or part of the country, where it would be of the most advantage for Miss [2988] to live and work.
   Miss [2988] will look forward with great eagerness to your reply, for she puts the greatest trust in it, and is sure that it will help her to work her way out of the confusion and pain in which she now lives.
   The date for which the readings are to be given has not been entered on the application blank because we cannot tell when it would be convenient for you to do them. Miss [2988] says that if you will let her know the best time - on any Thursday - she will arrange to cooperate with you as you request.
   With the greatest gratitude for what we feel sure you can to do help my friend, I remain,
   Sincerely yours, [...]
3. 4/05/43 [2988]'s letter to EC:
   My dear Mr. Cayce,
   I answer at once to be sure to get your suggested appointment for May 6th, as I had intentions of leaving here - but will stay until both readings has taken place that I may follow the guidance. I am in great pain right now and walk with great difficulty but I fully realize how very dated [?] you must be - so I am truly grateful to be able to get the data May 6th, do I understand that both readings take place the same day and hour?
   10:30 and 3:30 either time is perfect with me. I shall on receipt of the data fill in and return it at once.
   Yours truly grateful, [2988]
4. 4/15/43 [2988] submitted questions:
   My dear Mr. Cayce,
   I believe that the replies to the following questions will help me a great deal.
   1. Exactly what is it that goes on in my body to cause this severe and almost continuous pain? 2. What is the real cause of this condition? 3. What form of treatment will cure it completely? In this question I include not only formal treatment by some practitioner (medical or other) but any kind of self-treatment through diet or otherwise that might be necessary. 4. Many years ago (three times in all) I have had an operation on the nail of the great toe of the left foot (nail pulled off) to cure an ingrowing nail, but it never helped. Is there anything I can do to improve this condition on both feet? 5. Severe loose dandruff bothers me a great deal? What causes it in my case and how can I treat it or prevent it successfully? 6. Although I am on the whole careful of my diet, I have been gaining weight right along. Is this a gland condition, or will diet and exercise cure it? If the latter, please advise me on it. 7. The balls of my feet spread a good deal and pain me. How shall I help this? 8. I often find that I have difficulty in breathing - feel a kind of choking condition. What is the cause and cure of this? 9. When I have been lying down a while I find that I have to pull myself in somehow, very hard, in order to get up? Will the treatment of the first condition mentioned cure this, or is it something else, and if so, what is and how shall I cure it?
   In connection with the Life Reading, I should like to get replies to the following:
   1. What kind of life work am I best fitted for - or what talent have I that I should develop to the greatest extent? 2. Is there some part of the world - some city or section - where I would be most successful with such a life work - or even with any occupation? If so, where is it? 3. Am I to remain single, or is there companionship and happiness ahead for me in marriage? 4. What kind of man would be the most desirable husband for me? 5. Is there any special locality where I would be more likely to attract such a man, other than here in New York City? 6. Generally speaking, is city life, small town life, or country life most desirable and useful for me?
   At present I simply cannot think of any more questions, for it seems to me that it covers all angles. However, if I do think of something else before the beginning of May I hope that it will be all right to send them to you.
   Thank you again for your interest and sympathy.
   Yours truly, [2988]

REPORTS

1. GD's note: EC had dream at the end of this reading in re desperate situation of [378] family in Germany:
   "I saw the [378] family in Germany - they were in an awful state. They didn't know where [282] was; Mrs. [255] had a breaking out all over her body, [276] was going to have a baby, I never saw [276] look so emaciated; and Mr. [378] was all upset at having to do things he didn't want to do, etc." [See 378-50 Reports, etc.]
2. 5/06/43 P.M. See 2988-2, a Life Reading.
3. 5/11/43 See letter re both readings under 2988-2 Reports.
4. See subsequent correspondence under 2988-2 through 2988-5 Reports.
5. 7/18/58 Letter under 2988-5 Reports, Par. R6, tells of final physical results and truth of 2988-1.

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