Reading 3502-1

TEXT OF READING 3502-1 M ADULT

Text

Date: 0/0/0 Sex: M ReadingID: 10985

This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce, in Bowling Green, Kentucky [in 1908?].

[Edgar Cayce; Thomas B. House, M.D., Conductor; Dr. Wesley H. Ketchum, Steno.]

Time of Reading Unknown. Reading is not on file with Edgar Cayce Foundation or elsewhere according to available records.

Reports

Reports & Follow-up

R1. 10/11/11 Dr. Wesley H. Ketchum’s lecture read in Boston, Mass., before the American Association for Clinical Research re Edgar Cayce:

When I was asked by Dr. Krauss while out in California, to write a paper on “My Unusual Case” little did I think that I would come to the other extremity of the continent to describe in my feeble way, the results of my experimentation. Psychic Phenomena has always been of great interest to me for all, there is perhaps no field which affords a better opportunity for fakes and mysticism. Now, in submitting to you a report of my investigations, as per request of this Society, I beg your indulgence and cooperation, provided it meets your approval, if it does not, I ask that you withhold your harshest criticism until we are able to make further research and investigation. As no conviction is so strong as that preceded by honest doubt, I have great respect for an honest doubter.

Our present status of medicine is the outcome of experimentation, research and doubts. I believe the psychic should come in for its share of investigation by honest, doubting, medical men, and confine it to the medical profession. As fixed laws seem to govern all phenomena in nature, it is but natural to infer that some is true in the workings of the psychic. In the course of my investigations I have only discovered one thing that seems to be absolute,

• that is, - THAT THE PATIENT SHOULD IN SOME WAY SOLICIT help in his, or her particular case, otherwise, results are meager. I say this because in several instances where he has been tried with patients who had no previous knowledge of such being done for them he only gave a rambling talk, hitting the subject only in high places, so to speak, or missing it entirely in one case.

I am here to offer no explanation as to how he works or the source of his knowledge, because I do not know; I am governed only by results. In all the cases I have selected for experiment he had no knowledge, directly or indirectly, until after he was asleep, - after he is awakened and is shown a copy of what he has said he claims to have no knowledge of it in any way, or what the expressions mean. His early education ended in the sixth grade, when he stopped school and went to work in a photographer’s gallery, his education naturally limited. After experimenting with my subject for several years, I can compare psychology only with aviation, which is just now commanding the attention of the mechanical experts of the world, and there can only be one outcome, success eventually. The same is true in the psychic. Conditions in nature have always been as now for aviation, but men said “It is impossible” and, of course, nothing happened.

Heretofore the medical profession has assumed the same attitude, they could scarcely reconcile themselves to the teachings of those who belonged to different schools of medicine, and it naturally follows since they did not believe in each other that they surely would place little confidence in anything of a psychic nature. Since my early tutoring and association was along this line I was inclined to accept nothing of a psychic nature until I was brought face to face with facts, vouched for by a man in whom I had implicit confidence along other lines and why should I not take at least one peep into its mystic origin? My friend being a highly scientific man, a graduate of the Ohio State University, was likewise impressed only when a demonstration was made upon his little daughter after she was given up as hopeless, a description of which I will present you under separate cover. If you will pardon a person experience. I will recite, in as few words as possible, how I was impressed and why I continued to investigate.

One day in the fall of 1906 [see 4135-1] I was attacked by a severe pain and accompanying symptoms which I thought was appendicitis; I immediately counseled two of my medical friends who assured me that I was unduly alarmed and suggested treatment, which I followed, with some relief, but only for a short time, when I again became alarmed, - this time I went to a near by city where I counseled two prominent men with about the same result as my first attempt. The condition would get better for a time, but only for a little while and would return again. Finally, after eighteen months had passed with no permanent relief, I sought aid in another medical center. This time three men passed on my case and prescribed. They told me I had a Nervous Appendix. At this time I would have taken but little suggesting until I would have undergone an operation, which was not necessary, but when we are suffering, physician and layman alike want relief. On March 29th, 1909, I was asked by a friend to try “The Psychic Freak” and see what he said about my case; previous to this I had not seen him for a long time as he was now living in Alabama, but he was visiting at his home. On the afternoon of above date he came to my office at the suggestion of my friend, who came with him. He laid down and went into one of his usual naps. Now he had been told nothing pertaining to whose case he was to tell about, and as I had tried everything suggested by seven men and no relief, of course I had little faith in anything. But I was willing and anxious to have him try. My friend said “Go over this man carefully, (giving my name) he is here in this room. Tell us what you find.” “Yes, we have him here. A little over twenty-eight moons ago this man wrenched his spine, as a result of which we find an impinging on the vertebrael end of the nerves at the last dorsal and numbers one and two lumbar vertebrae. We now find pain and irritation at the opposite pole, or in the inguinal region, worse on the right side, through the sympathetics. We also find some irritation of the bladder. As this was caused mechanically it will require mechanical treatment or manipulation to relieve it.” My wife, upon being told, immediately recalled the time when I wrenched my spine while feeding my horse. It had only troubled me a few days and had completely passed from memory until it was recalled. My faith in his statements was strengthened when I found this had occurred only two or three weeks before my first trouble in the Autumn of 1906. Treatment along the new idea followed, but not until I had consulted my Gray’s Anatomy and found the land marks as he stated. After three or four mechanical treatments my pseudo-appendicitis cleared up entirely and all soreness localized at the original seat in my spine. After taking a total of nine treatments, or from March 29th until April 21st, all my trouble ceased and I had not been troubled since. Then the thought came to me - how does he do it? Where is the source of his knowledge? Was it just shrewd guessing? In the cases and testimonials that follow I shall call on you to decide.

Case #2. Mr. L. H. D. [See 4912-1], a contractor and prominent politician was taken ill in January 1910. Local physician diagnosed case as appendicitis with abscess forming. Patient not completely satisfied sought advice in Evansville, Ind. Had a prominent specialist verify previous physician’s diagnosis and allotted him six weeks to live unless he was operated on at once. Patient still in doubt, sought aid in Lexington, Ky. Physician #3 first said that previous diagnosis were wrong, but after three weeks treatment gave as his opinion that operation was imperative and referred him to a prominent Kentucky surgeon - that latter, after a two hour examination stated that he advised an exploratory operation, making an incision in the median line so he might explore entire cavity, but added, “he is too nervous to operate at present, go home and rest for two weeks and come back to the hospital.” Patient first came to my office May 17th 1910, and in face of previous diagnosis I hesitated to give an opinion, but prescribed electric treatment as a nerve sedative. After one month patient noted slight relief, if any, except in his sleep, which was better. At this time mention was made of the Psychic. My patient replied “Well, he can do no worse than you doctors, so bring him on.” He arrived in Hopkinsville June 22nd at 7 P.M. - had no knowledge of what he was to be asked to do. He had not seen the patient in four or five years and did not see him until after diagnosis. The following were his statements, verbatim;-

“At the first cervical vertebrae, the second to the eighth dorsal, second and third lumbar, we find lesions which influence this case through the ganglia on either side, or through the sympathetic nervous system, in the region of the tenth and eleventh dorsal, there is lesion that affects directly the Solar Plexus, which lies immediately behind the stomach. In other words we have spinal congestion.

“We have in this case poor excretion of all waste products due to the overtaxed condition of the whole nervous system. All reactive forces are low, affecting indirectly kidney, liver and spleen. The whole system is easily irritated pains shift from one part of the body to another, caused by lack of nerve force. This condition has been brought about by long continued over-work, over-taxation of all the animal forces, in other words, everything has been running at too high tension. We also find the slowing of the circulation, sub-normal pulse and sub-normal temperature. We find a lack of leucocytes. The spleen also is not performing its functions properly; its functioning ability has been overtaxed, consequently, inaction. Every thought seems to irritate and depress his whole system. This condition continued, as it is, for a period of time - his mind will be blank. The reactive forces do not seem to be able to counter-balance with the waste, hence this condition. There is a deficient metabolism, due to lack of nerve force in the proper direction.

“Treatment: First, rest from all mental exertion, stimulate excretionary organs, liver and kidney; stimulate nervous system by applying electricity and other stimulation to the spine, from the first cervical to the last lumbar. Incidentally, medical treatment. Trouble in the region of the appendix is due to lesion in the spine. Sub-costal nerve being irritated at its root or origin produces pain and irritation at its distribution, which is in the caecum and vicinity of appendix. No organic trouble, purely functional.”

Carrying out the idea in this direction, I took my patient along with me to the Pacific Coast, where I first was asked by Dr. Krauss to write a paper for this Society - after I recited to him the above case. Patient returned home improved, but within two weeks was again troubled as before. I recommended Sanitorium treatment and he entered same about Sept. 10th. I requested a definite and exhaustive diagnosis from physician in charge and, after two weeks received the following: [See 4912-1, Reports.]

“Sept. 24th, 1910 - Dear Doctor; After going carefully into the case of Mr. L.H.D. we have diagnosed his case as one of Hyperemia of the cord, a condition we believe to be the result directly of a disturbed nutrition and an imperfect elimination. His blood count shows 3,936,000 red corpuscles

• 5,800 white, -95% hemoglobin - 130 blood pressure.

“The low count and the increased pressure both give sufficient reason, in our estimation, for the trouble he complains about in his back; his sleeplessness; his nervousness and in fact all of the physical and mental manifestations he presents. These same conditions account also for the distress he has in his abdomen. In the examination of the urine we find a specific gravity of 1024, with a number of crystals of urates; a few epithelium cells and a showing of indican. This is our proof of the imperfect elimination and we believe to the toxic condition which is helping to perpetuate his trouble. Mr. D. has become much worried about himself and this has a tendency to aggravate his troubles. We can see no reason why this man should not get well. I am enclosing herewith a copy of the treatment card we are employing in his case. Any suggestions you may have to offer will be duly appreciated. I think it would be helpful to him if you were to write him upon the receipt of this.

“I wish to thank you for the kindly reference in this case and assure you of our very best efforts in his behalf. We feel sure that if Mr. D. can only be a little patient, we can land him all right,

“With best wishes, I am Sincerely yours-”

Following the receipt of this I searched my desk for the diagnosis of June 22nd made by the Psychic. This I had carelessly thrown in a pigeon hole.

My patient followed the prescribed treatment and remained in the Sanitorium three months which completely affected a cure.

Case #3 - Miss C. P. age 40 yrs. [See 4474-1.]

Had an attack of appendicitis in June 1906. She refused to have an operation. Abscess formed and burst into the bowel tract, then operation was advised again but to no avail. She was bedridden most of the time, was willing to have any treatment except operation which seemed to be the only chance for relief. She complained of pain in her spine more than any other part of her body. The following reading was given November 17th, 1910:

Go over her body carefully and tell us what the trouble is, if anything. “Yes - we have troubles throughout the whole system. There are quite a few troubles and many reflex conditions. Some are localized, others purely reflex. The trouble with this body is principally with the intestinal tract, in fact all below the stomach. We have a choking up of the intestinal tract and a sluggish condition of the peristaltic movement of the intestine, beginning here where the liver empties into the intestine, along with the pancreas, and extending clear through. This condition has brought about all sorts of reflex troubles. This trouble was primarily caused, or in the beginning caused by this sluggish condition of the liver and pancreas and glands of the intestinal tract. We have a lack of juices here to carry off the contents of the bowel tract and allowed this choking up here, as a result of which we have this condition in the system. Then through reflex action or through the sympathetic nervous system we have inflammation kept up. The glands on the inside have been irritated as a result of this choked up condition. They do not throw off the extreta as they should, or they do not work. We have this trouble in the intestinal tract associated with pains in the bowels, in consequence of this lack of secretion. In fact, causes pains through the whole system; makes her sick and tired all over; she wants to lie down all the time, cannot go. These conditions produced to the nervous system this unstable condition that we have in this patient. As a result of this intestinal trouble we have produced through this lower part of the intestinal tract, through nature’s effort to throw off waste this catarrhal inflammation which has reverted to the opposite pole, or to the spine as a result of the irritation of the capillaries in the intestine. In other words the reaction from the irritation. We have the inflammation and soreness along with considerable pain, especially when this mucous sloughs off through the intestinal tract, that we see here. The pain here in the right side also is referred around to the back and we have irritation and tenderness at the ninth, tenth and eleventh dorsal vertebrae. This comes as a result of this catarrhal inflammation in the lower bowel tract. We have also through the sympathetics, pains referred to the different nerve plexuses in different parts of the body. We have also, pains extending into the locomotor muscles of the legs, especially the right one. This comes only when this irritation is aggravated, then after these spells pass away the system reacts for awhile as it has thrown off this waste. It passes out, then we find relief. This trouble occupies the colon principally, but is also reverted to the small intestine.

“Treatment - first, give as much pure water as it is possible for this body to take in. Also, flush the intestinal tract locally with water, as hot as she can take. Do this frequently and keep it up. Use external heat also, up to the point of irritation, until we can produce an absorption. Also, keep the intestinal tract clear. Watch the food carefully. Tone up the stomach. Then the liver and pancreas will act better. As a result of which the whole system will react. It is necessary to get more water into this body, then those nerves will relax. Light diet and as much exercise as this body can stand. Do not let it be dormant but take treatments both internally and externally for this catarrhal condition in the intestinal tract. We will then stimulate the nerve centers that are affected in the spine with Sinusoidal Electricity, both in the dorsal and sacral regions. Not too much electricity or the reaction would be too great. Relax this stiffened condition of the muscles, get more life into them, also into the tissues. They are not dead - just do not work and lie in a dormant state. Now, if we over stimulate the nervous system in this body, we will have severe pains in the back and it may irritate the kidneys. Be sure and cleanse the system with plenty of water, and mild laxative as needed to stimulate the secretions in the bowel tract, so as not to absorb this excreta back into the system again. Also stimulate perspiration so as to eliminate externally as well as internally.”

After going over the description thoroughly I decided to follow details to the letter. The Sinusoidal treatment to the spine referred to me was entirely new to me, as to its merits or mode of application except as he dictated until January 1st, 1911 when I procured a copy of Abram’s Spondylotherapy [Kellog’s electrical treatment]. After referring to it I could easily see why it had merit, when Time demonstrated in this case. After eight months treatment, patient was recovered entirely and all her bodily functions are normal, the first time in years. A copy of the patients statement I shall present to you under separate cover. [See Par. R2 below.]

R2. The following letters are testimonials submitted by Dr. Ketchum as evidence of the accuracy of Edgar Cayce’s diagnoses. They are included here as one Report:

8/16/11 Letter:

Springfield, Tenn.

To Whom it May Concern:

This is to certify that I have known EC for the last seven or eight years and have become very much impressed with his wonderful psychic power, displayed while under self imposed hypnotic spell.

It has been my privilege to have followed his prescribed treatment in ten or twelve cases, all to my entire satisfaction. In several of these cases I was enshrouded in doubt until consulting him and following his prescribed treatment to the letter. I was happy in seeing the results I longed for. This man possesses some power that I know nothing of, but if taken and followed certainly is a boon to suffering humanity.

Yours truly, Dr. T. B. House

2/14/10 Letter:

Dear Sir:

Glad to hear from you, and also to state to whom it may concern, what I think of your ability to diagnose diseases. Your reading on my patient gave the symptoms from start to finish, just as they were, even to the complexion of the skin at the time. You had not seen, neither did you know upon whom you were giving the reading. You certainly stated the facts in the case.

Yours truly, Dr. J. D. H.

4/7/10 Letter:

Dear Sir:

Will say in reply that all men are skeptical in regard to your power as a diagnostician, and testimony will not convince them. It is only when you demonstrate the power to them that they believe. I have been thoroughly satisfied in each case I have witnessed.

Yours truly, Dr. J. N. F.

6/30/10 Letter:

This is to certify that I was present with Mr. Milligan Beard [5777] when he called on Mr. EC for a “reading”. I believe it is so classified. After Mr. C’s usual manner, he explained Mr. Beard’s physical condition in all essentials, about as I and other Physicians. [GD’s note: There is no copy of this reading in A.R.E. files.]

R3. 9/29/10 (Thursday) The Boston Herald’s article on EC:

HYPNOTIC ‘DOCTOR’ INVITED HERE

Clinical Research Association Wants to Be Shown Proof of Dr. Ketchum’s Claims.

NEW PROBLEM IN MEDICINE

Illiterate Man Represented as Diagnosing Rare Cases While Hypnotized

Can an illiterate man, with no knowledge of medicine or surgery, correctly diagnose disease and prescribe medical or surgical treatment when in a hypnotic state? Dr. W. H. Ketchum of Hopkinsville, Ky., says he has a hypnotic subject who can do this.

The American Association of Clinical Research, now holding its second annual meeting in the Boston Society of Natural History building, says, in effect, that it is “from Missouri.” It has invited Dr. Ketchum to attend its next meeting, accompanied by his subject, and submit him to a test. A vote to this effect was passed at yesterday’s session, after Dr. Ketchum’s report of the case had been read and discussed.

The Kentucky physician reports that he has used this man in over 100 instances, and only in two has his diagnosis failed of being absolutely correct or his prescription for treatment failed to produce a cure.

He states that in one instance the daughter of an official of the American Book Company, living in Cincinnati, had been pronounced incurable by six of the best diagnosticians in the Middle West. The hypnotic subject was used, he declared their views all wrong, made a different diagnosis, suggested a simple surgical treatment, and when it was followed, the girl [2473] was well inside of three months.

Some of the doctors who heard this report yesterday were skeptical, some were incredulous, while others were willing to be shown, and the vote to ask Dr. Ketchum to make good resulted.

Dr. Ketchum writes that four years ago he heard of a man, then only 24 years of age, who had the reputation of doing “wonderful things” when in a hypnotic sleep. He sought him out and began experimenting with him, with the result, finally, of having him produce the results already mentioned. Dr. Ketchum says:

“He simply lies down and folds his arms and by auto-suggestion goes to sleep. While in this sleep, which to all intents and purposes is a natural sleep, his objective mind is completely inactive and only his subjective is working.

“By suggestion, he becomes unconscious to perception of any sort, and, strange to say, his best work is done when he is seemingly ‘dead to the world.’ I next give him the name of my subject and the exact location of the same and in a few minutes he begins to talk, as clearly and distinctly as any one.

GOES INTO MINUTE DETAIL

“He usually goes into minute detail in diagnosing a case, and especially if it be a very serious case. His language is usually of the best, and his physiologic terms and descriptions of the nervous anatomy would do credit to any professor of nervous anatomy. There is no faltering of his speech, and all his statements are clear and concise.

“He handles the most complex ‘lawbreakers’ with as much ease as any Boston physician, which to me is quite wonderful in view of the fact that while in his normal state he is quite an illiterate man, especially along the line of medicine, surgery or pharmacy, of which he knows nothing.

“After giving in detail a diagnosis and also minute etiology, symptoms and treatment of a case, he is awakened by a sign that he will see this person no more.”

Dr. Ketchum added that when once more awake his subject knew nothing about the case concerning which he had been talking, and that when questioned on scientific aspects of the matters he had just spoken so learnedly he showed absolute ignorance of them.

In the discussion which followed the presentation of this unusual report, it was suggested that perhaps the hypnotic subject merely used the subconscious mind of the physician who hypnotized him, without the latter’s knowledge. No one present, however, pretended to understand the case, and the most favorable attitude expressed toward the matter was a willingness to be shown.

The American Association of Clinical Research, of which Mr. E. Stillman Baily of Chicago is president and Dr. James Krauss of Boyiston street, Boston, is secretary, is a comparatively new organization. Its membership is open to physicians of every school, and, as Dr. Krauss stated last evening, “It has antagonism for no school of medicine; it is a collection of earnest investigators from all schools.”

SECRETARY READS PAPER

Last evening a public session was held at which the secretary, who holds his medical degree from the University of Berlin, read a paper on “Some Elementary Facts in Medicine,” in which he said:

“The main object of the association is the systematic, scientific investigation of the science and art of medicine by conclusive methods that will leave no doubt as to the truth of any conclusion that may be reached.

“The public has it in its power to exercise a potent influence on medicine if this influence be given for the furtherance of rigid clinical research and is not allowed to run after false gods.

“The benefits derived from truths conclusively established are obvious. It will no longer be possible to fasten the ignorance of individual practitioners upon the shoulders of the entire profession or to measure the science of medicine by the knowledge of single men, even the most learned. If men fail in their daily ministrations, it does not mean that the science of medicine fails. The truths of medicine will conquer all the ills of the flesh.

President Baily gave a talk, illustrated with latern slides, on “Research Work in Radio-Activity.” He reported a case of the cure of cancerous growth on a man’s finger by a means of radium and then showed some shadowgraph slides made by the radio-activity of the minute particles of radium contained in the ashes of the bandage which had held the radium application in place, reduced in solution to very attenuated degrees.

The meeting of the association will be continued through today, with morning and afternoon sessions. This evening there will be a banquet, and a sightseeing trip Friday.

R4. 9/10/63 Certificate presented to Dr. Ketchum from A.R.E. President C. W. Dillman:

The Association for Research and Enlightenment honors Wesley Harrington Ketchum, M.D.

To Salute his pioneering achievements in the field of extrasensory perception to aid the sick and the helpless, and in particular his association with Edgar Cayce, whose unique capacities as a sensitive he was among the earliest to recognize and,

To Pay Tribute to the courage with which he dared to face doubt, cynicism and detraction as the first Doctor of Medicine to champion the cause of Edgar Cayce, and

To Testify to the appreciation of his vision and faith by thousands who benefited from the study and use of the insights in the Edgar Cayce readings in later years, the Members of the Governing Board of the Association for Research and Enlightenment have caused this record to be engrossed, and a copy thereof deposited in the archives of the Association, this 10th day of September, 1963.

[signed] C. W. Dillman President

R5. 6/12/67 Dr. Robert Ketchum’s letter to Dr. F. J. Lichtigfeld:

Robert D. Ketchum, M.D. 5624 Oso Avenue Woodland Hills, California

Dear Dr. Lichtigfeld; [F. J. Lichtigfeld, M.D., 440 Viola Rd., Apt. 20, Spring Valley, N.Y.]

Your letter of May 30, 1967 has been received. I am very sorry to have to report that my father, Wesley H. Ketchum, M.D. is not able to answer your letter. He is in failing health, and is confined to hospital. He is now 89 years old and time has its way of taking its toll.

I think that I can provide the information that you are requesting, however. I have heard many of Dad’s discussions about Cayce over the years, and I have some of Dad’s papers on the subject.

The particular case that you refer to [the [3502] case] was ‘diagnosed’ by Cayce as CNS lues, not dementia praecox as had been indicated by the various contemporary consultants. The popular “specific” of the day for CNS lues [Central Nervous System lues - syphilis] was potassium iodide. This had been in vogue since the mid 1830’s. In this particular case, after Cayce’s reading, the patient was evidently started on saturated solution of potassium iodide in what were relatively high doses. To quote Dad’s notes, “I started with ten drops in the morning, eleven at noon, twelve at night - thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, up to twenty - then back, step by step, to ten; watching him every day”. In three or four weeks the patient was said to have been much improved.

I hope that this provides the information which you desire.

Sincerely yours, [signed] Robert D. Ketchum, M.D., F.A.C.P.

R6. 1/67 See Jess Stern’s book, THE SLEEPING PROPHET for details of the [3502] case, pp. 98—101.

Background

Background

B1. No copy of 3502-1 is available according to Edgar Cayce Foundation records. See 3502-1 Reports for correspondence and commentaries on the case by Dr. Wesley H. Ketchum.

B2. 4/4/59 Hugh Lynn Cayce’s tape to A.R.E. staff, dictated in San Diego, California [following meeting in A.M. with a professor at Stanford Univ.]:

In the afternoon, George Abel, Renald Rosewood and I paid a visit to a very interesting homeopathic M.D. still practicing, past 80 years old, and his name is Dr. Ketchum. I haven’t been so fascinated to listen to stories about Edgar Cayce in a long, long time. He had some on tap that I’d never heard of. The description of how he made contact and talked with Professor Dietrich regarding his little girl, Amy Dietrich, is just remarkable. His story, too, of his readings that he got for his patients - even the man, apparently, who handled the [3502] case. I have heard about this all my life and now I know from Dr. Ketchum why it has never been reported in public. This was mentioned frequently but no one seemed to have kept any records about it that I know of, and certainly no details of it. Dr. Ketchum’s story on it was a honey. Apparently, the [3502] family was very well-to-do in … and the [3502] boy was sent home from college, practically a raving maniac. He was very violent, talked violently and had to be restrained at times. The family sent him everywhere, ending up at Mayos, with a diagnosis of dementia praecox and a complete statement from doctors that he would never recover. Apparently, they went to Dr. Ketchum. According to his story, he then went to Bowling Green with Dr. House and had a reading from Edgar Cayce which described the [3502] boy then in … The description of the condition and the outline of the treatment was something that was then fairly well known but apparently the condition was so covered up that it hadn’t been diagnosed properly. It was inherited syphilis, as Edgar Cayce described it, according to Dr. Ketchum. The boy’s brain was on fire and he outlined a medicine which Dr. Ketchum then began to give him and the boy recovered normalcy. This one, I would certainly like to check a bit but I’ve heard Dad mention the [3502] case and I think we may have some records of it. Of course this is not the kind of thing we can publicize or talk about, even now, because the family is still there. The reading, according to Dr. Ketchum, indicated that it went way, way back as an inherited physical condition which would prove obviously embarrassing to everyone concerned.

Dr. Ketchum went on to talk about his early cases. He would wander off every once in a while to describe his own experiences in various directions. He talked his relationship with Mr. Noe and his difficulties with L. B. Cayce, but constantly spoke highly of Edgar Cayce and flatly stated that, in his opinion, he never saw a diagnosis which was wrong and that if the people followed the suggestions, they got well.

Now, this man is a practicing M.D. and has been in Palo Alto for 40 years. He wasn’t too pleased over the presentation in THERE IS A RIVER (we didn’t get into that discussion) but I wrote to him at the time and tried to get him to correspond with us about it. He didn’t answer letters. He was most friendly this time. He is as chipper as he can be - filled with stories, and he went on for 3 1/2 hours that afternoon. I’m going back to see him to see if I can get some data on tape. He is very reluctant to publish any of it. He still has an idea, I think, of making some use of it either in a book or radio or T.V. series and his interest is not so much now, I think, in money in regard to it but just in getting some acknowledgement of his early work with a man that has now become very accepted. [3/64 See booklet THE DISCOVERY OF EDGAR CAYCE by Wesley H. Ketchum, M.D., pages 5-10 in re Case [3502]. Also see 3502-1 Par. R5 on [3502].]

George Abel was going to try to get him to talk to the students at the University about it. While the data isn’t evidential because there is nothing in writing on it, it still represents practically a legend in the Edgar Cayce story. I shall do everything in my power to get him on tape or in writing at least on some of his stories before I leave California. Ketchum was the man, if you remember THERE IS A RIVER who wrote the article that was read in Boston on which the New York Times article was based. This was read before a group of M.D.’s. I had always thought of this as being something else, but it was actually a meeting of M.D.’s in Boston and apparently it produced a terrific response - rather obvious, I guess. He is a rather small, fat, little gentleman now, stooped in one shoulder, very chipper, quick sense of humor, still has statues of horses, horse racing pictures all around his room. At some points, his stories differ a bit from those I have heard, but he is a fascinating character and I knew all of you there would want to know about it. I’d heard about him from David Kahn who had a session with him out here some years ago, but it is the first time that I have been able to get in touch with him when I’ve been in California. More about this later when I talk to him again on the morning of the 21st to meet his wife and family. One of his sons is a Ketchum who knows Bob Smock through McCann Erickson, in fact Ketchum is one of the officials, I understand of the McCann Erickson and his other son is a doctor in a hospital for one of the insurance companies in the Los Angeles area.

B3. GD’s note: Dr. Ketchum later gave us a copy of his report read in Boston, Mass., 10/11/11, before the American Association for Clinical Research. Because of HLC’s above introductory remarks, I am adding Dr. Ketchum’s report to the society with Case [3502] in the pages which follow. [See 3502-1, Par. R1. See Also 9/29/10 copy of THE BOSTON HERALD article regarding Ketchum’s paper, 3502-1 Par. R3.]

Mentioned Entities

Wesley Ketchum, A.R.E. (Association for Research and Enlightenment), California, Kentucky, Radium, Cain and Abel, David Kahn, Glands (Esoteric), Hopkinsville, Iodine, Ohio, Alabama, Chicago, ESP, Germany, Hugh Lynn Cayce, Jess Stearn, New York City, Pacific Ocean, Prophets

Source: The Complete Edgar Cayce Readings, A.R.E. CD-ROM (2006). Reading 3502-1, ReadingID 10985.