Historical Perspective on Cures
By Frank Callery
Having read Joe and Kerie’s stories I got to thinking about the history of ‘cures’ for blindness in Ireland, from the truly farcical to the wonderful medical interventions which have and are helping people with sight loss. With the exponential growth in the applications of nano-technology and technology driven medical and surgical interventions, there is no doubt that in the not- too-distant future some types of blindness may be “curable” or at least preventable. But here are some accounts from the chronicles of blindness, of supposed cures throughout history. From the curing of Blind Bartimaeus, whom Jesus reputedly cured as he sat at the side of the road, accounts fall more into the camp of the miraculous rather than the scientific. How many seventh sons of a seventh son, strokers and chancers have plied their trade? From the nefarious activities of Valentine Greatrakes of Affane, Co. Waterford (1628 1682) the ‘Stroker’, who claimed he had been ‘divinely commissioned by the Holy Ghost to touch sufferers’, to the many American ‘quacktitioners’ (see The Story of the Cures that Fail by James J. Walsh, M.D.) — we learn to be cautious of such claims. The story of blindness in Irish society throws up accounts of miracles, cures and remedies which too are also questionable. Here are a few accounts of the persons involved in their action or telling.
While the annals of Ireland are littered with a litany of wilful blindings (a feature of disabling a rival from acceding to a throne or leadership position) here are few accounts of cures for blindness. Of course we have some few accounts of Saints and monastics effecting cures and there is the well at Blindwell (Tobar Caoch) Tuam, Co. Galway whose name is long associated with quests for cures; but again these are relatively few. The first ‘recorded’ account that comes to notice is that given in Sir John Gilbert’s account of the Chartularies of St. Mary’s Abbey Dublin, where the legend of its founding relates: that GilleMocholmog and his wife .Dearbhfhorgaill (although her name is variously given as Rose, Rosaria etc.) were both blind. ‘One day sitting with her in front of their house on a dry log of wood, he suddenly experienced a very sweet smell. He groped round about him feeling the log, trying if he could find anything to account for this delightful perfume. At last he felt a branch springing out of the log, and lit upon an apple growing upon the branch, though it was winter time. He took the apple and ate of it and immediately recovered his sight. A second apple on the same branch he gave to his wife who eating of it, recovered her sight also. A third apple still remaining, he remembered that Malseachlinn, King of Meath, was also blind (then in a monastery at Tara), and he and his wife undertook the journey to Tara, and declaring the miracle, gave him the remaining apple, who when he had eaten it, received his sight and blessed God. Malseachlinn desired GilleMocholmog to sell him that place called Clunlif (Clonliffe). This was agreed upon and Malseachlinn coming thither the ground was dedicated to the honour of the Blessed Virgin for a monastery of monks who were to praise her name’. Ironically, almost all establishments later founded for the blind in Ireland were erected on the confiscated lands of this Abbey.
The next account which we have concerns Sir William Petty, of the Down Survey fame (who was ‘purblind’ — possibly severely Myopic) and Father James O’Finachty styled “the wonder-working priest” then of Kennedy Court, Dublin (built by the same family who built Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow — the longest place name in Ireland). O’Finachty who was ‘embued with the strong belief that God had endowed him with the power of curing diseases by exorcism’, began to practice publicly in 1657. He drew thousands to his ‘sessions’ and, notwithstanding his reputed success, his advocates were unable to prove any cure actually effected by him.
He was brought over to London through the medium of the Queen’s chaplains to cure a blind Portuguese Countess; his attempts to restore her sight failed and he was denied permission to perform publicly. He then sought permission of the Duke of Ormond to perform publicly in Dublin; finally having received this, he said he would not perform and planned to depart for Connaught. Sir William Petty was commanded by the Lord Lieutenant to call on Finachty and to ‘find him out’. Petty asked Finachty to cure a wart which he had on his finger; this failing he then told Finachty that he had an infirmity which was very troublesome to him. “I am purblind, Father. I can read at such or such a distance very near my eyes; but cannot a word at any other wherein others do. If you will cure me of this troublesome infirmity, I shall humbly and religiously acknowledge, as I ought, God’s both merciful and wonderful hand therein’. Finachty went through his mumbo-jumbo and then asked Petty to read from a book, but, surprisingly, there was no change. Petty would later be associated with Sir. William Molyneux (1656-98) who wrote on optics and the psychology of sight and who would, in 1679 take his wife Lucy to many English cities seeking a cure for her blindness.
Another noted “eye healer” was operating in Trinity Place, Dublin in August, 1813. This was John Williams, Oculist of 5 Red Lion Square, London (a square which would long after be associated with the blind of that city). Williams demanded ‘a solemn declaration, that the medicines sent (by him to any who would enquire) should not be attempted to be analysed by any person whatsoever’. In all, he treated 214 people in this session. The Freeman’s Journal lists all their names and some of the effects of the treatments — ‘May Nowlan, afflicted ten years, better; Catherine Nowlan, Margaret Herne, Ann Staples, one eye closed both now open’! Yes! that’s scientific!
In November, 1880, Owen Taffeny, returning from Knock to Port Jevis, New York — reputedly cured or recovered from a badly injured leg — reported that the only remarkable thing during his stay at the chapel was the restoration of the sight of a little boy of seven years old, who had been blind from his first year. A further coincidence relating to blindness and Saint Mary’s Abbey concerns the now famous statue of a madonna and child, known as Our Lady of Dublin which was apparently cast into a fire during the Reformation. It was found being used upside down (it was hollow in the rear) as a water trough in a Dublin hostelry. ‘A man from the country who was brought to the city for an operation on his eye, waiting for the horses to be harnessed, his eye being in pain and his brow hot, dipped his fingers into the trough and bathed them with the water, immediately the pain ceased, he whipped off the bandage from his eye and discovered he could see’. In 1824 the Rev. John Spratt, Prior of the Calced Carmelite order in Whitefriar’s Street, Dublin, purchased the statue and had it restored at his own expense; today it can be seen in the Carmelite church in Whitefriar’s Street, built by the same Rev. John Spratt who was one of the co-founders of the male and female blind asylums at Glasnevin and at Lower Dominick Street, Dublin in 1858.