Edgar Cayce Readings, 5784-1

Time: Unknown.
Reading is not on file with Edgar Cayce Foundation or elsewhere according to available records. [See 5784-1, Par. R1.]

REPORTS

11/42 Excerpt from THERE IS A RIVER, page 191:
A few days after returning to Hopkinsville, he again became a father. Gertrude bore her second son, Milton Porter, on March 29th [actually, 28th, 8:30 P.M.]. Edgar was happier than he had ever been before.
But the baby became ill. He developed whooping cough, and this was succeeded by colitis. Gertrude did not ask for a reading, nor did it occur to Edgar that anything was seriously wrong until the doctors suddenly gave up hope. Then a reading [5784-1] was taken. It was too late; acid had permeated the system. The baby died [May 17, 1911].
Edgar was stunned. The reading hadn't been taken in time, obviously. He and Gertrude had depended on doctors. In their smug way they had relied on the medical profession, while every day Edgar was going to sleep, diagnosing, and prescribing for other people. It had never occurred to him to question whether, in an emergency involving himself, or his child, or Gertrude, he would turn to a reading for help. He had worried about whether to offer his powers to other people, and had decided that he should, because so many had been helped by them and so many believed in them. But he had not really answered the question - even during that long night in the studio at Montgomery - of whether he believed in the readings himself. He was a prophet without honor in his own heart.
He would have quit had he not been under contract, and had he not begun to be deeply affected by the stream of letters of thanks which poured into the office. Other people had faith in him; they seemed sure of his powers; they had been helped by the treatments suggested in their readings. They thanked him profusely. Some said they remembered him in their prayers. Was it possible for a man to mean so much to others and so little to himself?
8/17/80 Inquiry in re pg. 191 of THERE IS A RIVER, by Thomas Sugrue:
Dear [A.R.E.] Librarian,
Please forgive my not knowing your name; and forgive my not having an official form, for I'm sure one exists. But I am a member and I would like to order the circulating files on ASTHMA and on ALLERGIES. HAY FEVER. If there is a mailing charge, could you please just bill me when you send the files? Thank you very much.
I also have one other question. On page 164 of my copy of THERE IS A RIVER (Chapter 11, about 14 pages in), Mr. Sugrue mentions that a reading was taken on Edgar Cayce's second son, Milton Porter, [5784] before he died: "It was too late; acid had permeated the system. The baby died." Once when I was at the A.R.E. I looked for such a reading but could not find it. Since I have heard that all of Edgar Cayce's readings were transcribed, I wondered if you know of such a reading and if so, if I could obtain a copy, I would be most appreciative of any information regarding this reading. Thank you very much,
Sincerely, [signed] G. W. Burgess
8/26/80 GD's response:
Dear Mr. Burgess:
It is sad to say that a copy of Milton Porter Cayce's reading was not kept, back in May, 1911. In fact, in Dr. Wesley H. Ketcham's little book, THE DISCOVERY OF EDGAR CAYCE, he reports on many of the early readings which he obtained for his patients of which we have no copies. We do have some copies of readings made in 1909, 1910 and 1911, but certainly not all of them. Some affidavits are on file regarding some readings given in those early years but we do not have the actual copies of the readings to go with those affidavits. Little bits and pieces are sifting in regarding those early days, from time to time, but I doubt if we will ever get everything. Edgar Cayce stated in a letter to someone (a copy of which we do have) that his first reading which led to the restoring of his voice was given on March 29, 1901, but there is no copy of that reading.
When I became Edgar Cayce's secretary on September 10, 1923, he had on file a total of 600 copies of readings. During the process of taking all the readings available, anonymous, with background and follow-up reports, complete with indexing, etc. (1960 to 1971, an 11 yr. process) we tabulated a total of 14,256 copies of readings. These are the number that we have on file. We have no way of knowing how many readings he gave in those early days of which no copies were kept.
Sincerely, [signed] Gladys Davis Turner Sec'ty A.R.E. & E.C.F.
P.S. I'm using this original as a master for making a file on Milton Porter Cayce, and sending you a copy. I hope you don't mind.