Sound Therapy with Opera Singer, Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane, Ward’s Island, New York,...

On back of photograph: Melody to cure mental malady - An experiment that will be watched with intense interest by alienists, psychologists and the medical profession in general took place when Miss Ethel Tamminga of Chicago, sang at the Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane on Ward’s Island, New York, in an attempt to relieve some of the inmates of their obsessions. Miss Tamminga’s soprano voice has a peculiar pitch whose quality in its various shades of tone has a soothing effect which is believed to have a curative effect upon unsound minds. Alienists have noted that their patients are extremely sensitive to musical sounds, particularly those of the human voice, which they say have the ability to ease defective brains. So, Miss Tamminga, who has administered this kind of treatment before, has been engaged to try her singular power on the patients on Ward's Island. Photo shows Miss Tamminga administering the first dose of her uncanny “medicine” to the unfortunate imbeciles. 8.5” x 6.5”