h of the
East. He was famed in all Russia for his sanctity, and was so thronged
by crowds for his healing power that he often had to escape by side
doors after celebrating the communion. His cures were many, but I
choose his own account of one as an example.

"A certain person who was sick unto death from
inflammation of the bowels for nine days, without having
obtained the slightest relief from medical aid, as soon
as he had communicated of the Holy Sacrament, upon the
morning of the ninth day, regained his health and rose
from his bed of sickness in the evening of the same day.
He received the Holy Communion with firm faith. I prayed
to the Lord to cure him. 'Lord,' said I, 'heal thy
servant of his sickness. He is worthy, therefore grant
him this. He loves thy priests and sends them his
gifts.' I also prayed for him in church before the altar
of the Lord, at the Liturgy, during the prayer: 'Thou
who hast given us grace at this time, with one accord to
make our common supplication unto thee,' and before the
Holy Mysteries themselves. I prayed in the following
words: 'Lord, our life! It is as easy for thee to cure
every malady as it is for me to think of healing. It is
as easy for thee to raise every man from the dead as it
is for me to think of the possibility of the
resurrection of the dead. Cure, then, thy servant Basil
of his cruel malady, and do not let him die; do not let
his wife and children be given up to weeping.' And the
Lord graciously heard, and had mercy upon him, although
he was within a hair's breadth of death. Glory to thine
omnipotence and mercy, that thou, Lord, hast vouchsafed
to hear me!"[201]

For the past century and a half healing has been carried on among the
Pennsylvania Germans by means of a superstitious practice known as
"Pow-wow." A book called _The Sixth Book of Moses, or Black Art_ is
said to be the basis of the practice. The practitioners are usually
women of the most ignorant, degraded, and, not infrequently, immoral
class, and in harmony with this, a firm belief in witchcraft is
entertained by them. Notwithstanding this, they are employed at times
by intelligent and respectable people, even by those whose standing in
the community might well guarantee a disbelief in such incantations.
The healers treat for burns, erysipelas and all skin diseases, goitre,
tumors, rheumatism, and some other similar troubles. They have
different f