World Famous Magician Relates His Experience of Chiropractic
Harry August Jansen, now known in every part of the world as “Dante, the Magician,” was born in Copenhagen, but has spent a good many years of his in America where he received his education. It is claimed for him that he is the world’s greatest stage artist today; and if we had space to print even a brief summary of his record it would be seen that, so far as the ranks of magicians at least are concerned, the claim is fully justified. We have ourselves witnessed the entertainment which he presents; and we can truthfully affirm that for breezy personality, rippling humour, smoothness and rapidity of execution, and variety of interesting, dazzling, and mysterious tricks, it is a unique and altogether outstanding performance. His opening appearance at Wellington, N.Z., was honoured by the presence of His Excellency the Governor [Governor-General], Lord Bledisloe, the Lady Bledisloe, and suite, and was from every point of view an unqualified success. Dante has just concluded an extensive tour of Australia, and is at present giving a series of performances in New Zealand. We cordially recommend our readers not to miss such a fascinating and noteworthy entertainment.
This distinguished and much-travelled magician is, with good reason, a convinced believer in Chiropractic; and we have pleasure in presenting herewith the greater portion of a Radio Talk on “Good Health” as given by him on May 9, 1933, at Melbourne. Dante spoke, in part, as follows:
GOOD HEALTH
“In my broad experience I have gained knowledge that has given me the power to live in the face of adversity, and I say with confidence that there are few of my listeners who possess this knowledge, and therefore it make me happy to pass it along. The other night a very dear friend of mine quoted these well-known lines to me, ‘I shall pass this way but once; if I can do anything that will help any human creature let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again.’
“Therefore, tonight, my subject is going to be Good Health. Most of us are too wrapped up in the machinery about us; too concerned about the trivial things when in reality the most vital thing – more important than anything else in the world – is to feel well. Few of us pay any attention to the wonderful machinery of the body, and up to until a few years ago I was one of them, when suddenly I became stricken, and undoubtedly would have been in a wheelchair today, or more likely out of existence, had I not by accident discovered the ‘trick’ of how to get good health, that I am going to tell you about.
In Buenos Aires.
“Some years ago while in Buenos Aires in perfect health I suddenly was attacked by a violent pain, so that I was forced to roll around the floor with screams of agony. A doctor was called immediately, and after considerable fuss with a stomach pump and other devices, from which I received no relief, he commanded that I be removed to a hospital where I must remain at least two weeks. He prescribed medicine, which I did not take; instead, I appeared at the theatre that evening as usual, still in pain; and this lasted for two weeks.
In Russia and Germany.
“Then for two weeks I was perfectly normal; then at intervals of two weeks apart for over a year the same pain returned in the same place, until it became more violent. It then took the form of gastritis, causing expansion of the stomach, to an enormous degree. By this time I was in Russia, where all sorts of medicines were tried but with no relief. For months I sat up at nights in agony, unable to sleep. On arriving in Berlin I sought the most able specialist there, and this gentleman saved my life, because he admitted frankly that he could do nothing for me. To find this out it cost me over £200. After having starved for almost a week, and after having daily X-rays taken, he returned a very complete set of photographs together with five typewritten pages of the result of his investigation, and it was for this he charged his fee. However, my suffering went on; he had searched for gall stones, paralysed stomach, inflammation, cancer, ulcers, and found no trace of any of them. He might have indulged his curiosity by deciding to look inside, which is too often the case, but this he did not suggest.
In Paris.
“I then took myself and my pain to Paris. Here it became so violent that for two nights I was unable to appear at the Empire Threatre, and worse than this I was now becoming paralysed and could not move from my bed. At this stage two doctors from the American Hospital were called in, and their orders were an operation as early as possible. Arrangements were to be made the next day. In my despair I thought of my grandmother having lived in perfect health to reach the age of 92, and my grandfather to 96, and my father still living at the age of 80, and my judgment would not permit me to believe other than that I had a perfectly normal stomach. I had now suffered consistently over two years, still carrying on my work – and then the miracle happened.
Finds a Spine Specialist.
“I felt a sharp burning sensation in one vertebra of my spine and I found by pressing this not only did the pain in the stomach stop, but I could sit up and even walk slowly around the room. I immediately asked to have a spine specialist called in by the name of Mr. Schwing; very few had ever heard of him. He observed dozens of medicine bottles at my bedside; I explained my ailment to him and that I had consulted practically every reputable doctor in the Capitals of Europe, and had expended hundreds of pounds.
“He brought forth a small nerve meter, and this he placed slowly from vertebra to vertebra starting from the top of the spine. He then placed his hands on the particular vertebra, and all I heard was a slight crack; there was no pain. The whole treatment required less than three minutes, and for this he charged me the equivalent of eight shillings. Within half an hour I was up and dressed and fully enjoyed the first meal I had had in a week. Needless to say the Hospital engagement was called off, and I have not had the slightest trace of stomach pain, gastritis, indigestion, nor all the rest of the fancy names suggested by the dozens of doctors.
Trouble in Italy.
“Again in Italy, hurrying through my performance, I ran up the runway quickly from the audience to the stage; the show was half over, when suddenly a sharp pain attacked me in the calf of the leg as though I had been stabbed, completely disabling my right limb. There was later no pain but I simply could not walk. The performance stopped, and the theatre was closed for four days. I sent for the best doctors available; one said a twisted ligament, use hot applications; another said too much uric acid, don’t eat fats, no soup of any kind, go on a diet; another gave me an electrical treatment which almost disabled me completely.
“They took my temperature and went on with all the usual examinations, and after several days of this they decided there was nothing wrong with me. In spite of this I could not walk. Nevertheless, their report went to the Police Department, and inasmuch as all the theatres in Italy are supervised by the police they sent detectives to my bedside, demanding that I get up and appear, as they could not allow the Theatre to be closed any longer.
“At the eleventh hour, I recalled my previous experience with the spine specialist in Paris, and asked to have one sent in, and to my great amazement found the medical profession there [in Italy] were opposed to them, and had succeeded in barring them from practice. At the end of five days, my contract expired and I was permitted to leave for Paris. I again called on Mr. Schwing, not dreaming that the spine had anything to do with the calf of the leg, and in two treatments I was again in perfect shape.
Importance of the Treatment.
“When you stop to realise that the spine is the great human switchboard and that the whole nervous system which affects every move of your body is interwoven through the various vertebrae you will realise how important a treament of this kind is, and yet how simple. People suffer headaches for weeks; they take pills, not that cure but pills that deaden, when in reality a slight treatment by one of these great men, simply with a gentle touch and the great skill of their wonderful art, can relieve you within a few minutes; even to the extent of assisting eyesight.
“To make it a bit more clear as to what this wonderful practice is I will try to picture how it functions. If, for example, you have rheumatic ache or pain in an arm or leg, you rub it with liniment. You are not getting at the cause. For example: If an electric lamp suddenly goes out and that lamp is a perfectly good one, you may rub it or fool with it, or even put in a new one without result, if it is the fuse at the switch box that has blown, or the wire leading to this lamp has been cut. So it is with your nervous system. If you will watch a dog or a cat in the morning after having been curled up all night you will see them stretch, that’s what they call it. In reality they are aligning their vertebrae. In this regard they seem to hae more understanding than some human beings.
“One more instance that has come under my personal observation, and which I mention as an afterthought. For years I had touring with me a comedy juggler. One of his tricks was to throw a huge cannon ball into the air and catch it in the middle of his back between the shoulder blades. This he did for many years. You can imagine the condition of his spine as the result of this. He too was in pain continually with what he thought was stomach trouble. He seldom enjoyed a meal, and what a pity in those days that I did not possess my present knowledge. A few years ago he succumbed to an operation in Rio de Janeiro, and was sent home in a casket. I have knowledge that the late Rudolph Valentino suffered from a fall in his picture work, and your will remember that an operation ended his career.
To Assist Humanity.
“As I have already mentioned, I have no other object in this talk than to assist humanity I am not advertising any special firm or person, and have no arrangement with anyone to do so, to to make myself clear I am not referring to masseurs, bone-setters, nor osteopaths.
“The practice I am referring to is called ‘CHIROPRACTIC.’ The chiropractors use no knife, no medicine. They are not quacks but graduates of an Institute of high standing; they do not claim to cure every ailment. The treatment is quick, clean, and simple; they do not undertake a case which they know they cannot relief; and there is no exorbitant charge.”