SIR,-111 his article on 'Fringe Medicine,' Mr. Murray may unwittingly
give the impression that the work of the Churches is to be regarded as a supplementary form of therapy which can be called on as required. Needless to say, no parish priest or minister would think of his work in that way. We are con- cerned with the 'whole man,' his hopes and fears, his relationships with the people round him, his faith in the widest sense of his `vision of God.' It would be obviously wrong to isolate a ministry to the body from this wider context.
But it is also true that the physical symptom may give a clue to the real problem in the patient's life, and much physical distress is alleviated or even cured when the root of the difficulty can be treated in this way. 'Faith' does bring many sufferers through the crisis of disease, and may well be the deciding factor in a particular case. I frankly believe further that a spiritual ministry of prayer and the sacra- ments can affect the body directly, but I know of no way of proving it. There is always the problem of spontaneous remission. If a growth can diminish 'spontaneously' for no reason known to medicine, it is impossible to say whether prayer or an allevia- tion of the patient's stress or any other factor has contributed to this result. In the present state of our knowledge, I see no way round this difficulty.
In the meantime, we must not overlook the high proportion of sufferers from stress disorders, many of whom, as Mr. Murray rightly points out, are treating themselves at home. The problem is proving too big for the NHS, and the clergy have as much as they can do to help the more serious' mutters. In default of any kind of counselling service (which seems overdue), what can he done. to stem the tide of pills and placebos? Would a scheme for dis- cussion groups, of the kind that has been promoted so successfully by the National Council of Social Service in other matters, be the first step towards enlightening public opinion? It is high time some- thing was done.—Yours faithfully.
0. C. HARDING
Churches' Council of Healing, 16 Lincoln's Inn Fields, WC2
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