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Arigo: Surgeon of the Rusty Knife

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According to this book and other information available on the Web:

Arigo was a Brazilian peasant, with no formal medical training, or other schooling past 3rd grade. He was able to diagnose and cure virtually any malady. He did diagnosis at a glance and prescribed modern pharmaceuticals -- often in combinations and doses that made no sense in conventional terms, but which worked in virtually all cases where this could be followed up by investigators. Arigo performed operations of kinds which have apparently never been duplicated by conventional physicians. For example, he commonly excised even those metastatic tumors that extensively infiltrated vital organs, amid blood vessels and nerves. He regularly removed cataracts with a kitchen knife by scraping the cornea and removing the lens -- and his patients were able to see well afterwards. Most operations were done within 5 to 60 seconds, without anesthesia or antiseptics, yet without pain or damage or infection to patients. He commonly treated up to 300 patients/day.

This sounds like a fairy tale, but was extensively documented by highly respected physicians and other scientists from America (led by Henry Puharich) and Brazil. They made detailed films, and performed on-the-spot diagnoses and examination of patients before and after treatment by Arigo. His "instant" diagnoses agreed with their diagnoses at least 96% of the time.

This is not only among the best-documented records of psychic healing, but among the most intruiging sets of evidence for psychic phenomena in general. Instead of just rehashing the same o same o notions of telepathy, clairvoyance, etc. it opens up entire new phenomena. In particular, it suggests a radically new perspective on the nature of disease and healing.

Granted, this perspective has something in common with notions of the so-called etheric body and how it can be operated on -- an approach common in Brazil, where physicians commonly combine so-called spiritist practices with modern medicine. (But Arigo's skill and the intelligence underlying it went far far beyond that of his peers.)

This is the so-called intellectual Karcec school of medicine, and is reputedly practiced by hundreds if not thousands of physicians who have graduated from top ranking medical schools [including American and European schools] and who publish regularly in professional journals.

The Kardec approach involves consultation with spirit physicians -- discarnate beings that were allegedly once alive on Earth -- through mediums. Arigo was unusual in that he was his own medium. His spirit helpers either gave him advice or used him like a puppet to perform treatments -- at which time he was in a trance.

Although this sounds extraordinarily far fetched, the documentation is good enough to warrant serious thought. Alas, Arigo was killed in a car wreck before his work could be studied in enough detail for his methods to be passed on to other healers. Many healers aspire to emulate him, but apparently none has equalled his prowess and gentleness.

This is the kind of book I've been waiting for for 30 years. I only wish that the films and detailed medical records were available too.

I read this book in 1977 during a trip to the US. As I see the book here and I read some superficial opinions coming from Randi's admirers(!), I feel compelled to comment. Arigo was a well known healer in Brazil, his healing work through surgery, allways free of charge, went on for many years, hundreds of people a day, till he died in a car accident in 1971. John Fuller's book, writen after his visit to Brazil with Dr. Andrija Puharich to meet, talk to Arigo and see personally what was happening around that healer work is a very good piece of research, well documented. Anyone who is interested in phenomena that shows facts that science is far from explaining, will get a precious source of information from John Fuller's book. Even though skepticism comes about when we face cases like Arigo, there is an unending source of documentation about his life and the authenticity of his work. Scientists, politicians, wealthy people as well hundreds of thousands of simple people were operated by him. Superficial opinions from anyone who hasn't a clue about what they are talking will not invalidate cases so extensively proven true like Arigo. John G. Fuller's book is more than worth reading. Healers like Arigo exist, spread all over Brazil, anyone with time, will and interest can do what Mr. Fuller did so well, research and write about them.

Hello. I would just like to say that this book has made a significant impact on my life and outlook of existence. It is not often that strange and paranormal activity is documented undenialbly by a reputable group of individuals that are held in the highest esteem troughout the world. The American Medical Association is just such a group. Photographs, film footage, testimonies of thousands upon thousands of individuals treated by Arigo. It's just mind blowing to read that this humble man never had beyond a third grade education yet when treating his patients spoke perfect German, used no anasthetic, and on verbal command, on more than one occassion, stopped the flow of blood. If you can get your hands on this book you're in for a treat.

The most famous healer in history was not Arigo but Jesus of Nazareth. As a mortal and apart from Jesus, it is well documented that Arigo healed thousands, as many as 300 a day for two decades. This was probably more people than any man in history.

Arigo was NOT A PSYCHIC SURGEON AND HIS HEALINGS WERE NOT SLEIGHT OF HAND! One fact stands out in making that comparison: The slight of hand psychic surgeons from the Philippines were exposed on national television. They charge large sums of money for their magic. Arigo would not even accept as much as a cup of coffee for any of his treatments! That fact should at least open your mind to the possibility.

Henry Belk, a successful furniture business man from North Carolina, paid for prominent medical doctors from the United States to go to Brazil to investigate this unbelievable healer. Arigo opened himself up to their investigation. They were allowed to examine the patients before and after treatment. (something psychic surgeons will never do). THEY FOUND NO DECEPTION!

Magic yes, because Arigo's healing cannot be explained, but so is all healing. The healing process and the human body is so miraculous that it is far beyond anyone's ability to fully explain or understand. "Do you remember how electrical currents and 'unseen waves' were laughed at? The knowledge about man is still in its infancy" - Albert Einstein. Albert Schweitzer said the following about such healers as Arigo: The witch doctor succeeds for the same reason all the rest of us succeed. Each patient carries his own doctor within him. They come to us not knowing that truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor that resides within each patient the chance to go to work.

Arigo claimed his success came because he was influenced by the spirit of a German Doctor that had died years before. There was evidence for this claim because he wrote in perfect German script some of his prescriptions, even though he had never studied the Germain language.

Lay your scientific disbelief aside. Be as skeptical as you choose, but read the book about Arigo with an open mind; remembering the words of Helen Keller, "No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit."

The documented evidence for what this famous healer did is far beyond anything you may have previously thought possible. You will be awestruck and realize there are still many things about the human body (and about the unseen spirit world) that we do nor know. I guarantee that. In fact, I'll buy your book at double (or more) than what you paid for it, if it is not one of the most challenging and revealing books about healing that you have ever read.

FOOTNOTE:
For what may be the most profound quest into the miracle of human life, see: 'Man, God's Greatest Miracle' [also available from amazon.com]: Address given at the summer religious course for seminary and institute teachers at the Brigham Young University Monday, June 21, 1954 by J. Reuben Clark

The great [meaning famous and good] never to be forgotten motion pictures about discovery and healing are: 'Lorenzo's Oil' and 'Awakenings.' I would give both films more than 5 stars.

See all of my Reviews. I write only about books, events, or motion pictures that have changed the course of history or unforgettable books or motion pictures that will totally change peoples lives.

I first read this book about 25 years ago and to this day it remains one of the most significant books I've read.

It is well enough written, but the value is in the stunning details of Arigo's activities, so expertly and overwhelmingly documented that you would have to be a real fool to doubt the truth of it, and yet that is what that part of your awareness still susceptible to conventional science would have you do.
Therein lies the importance of this book.

Never have I been confronted with information so difficult to believe, yet so convincingly documented.

I don't remember ever seeing any reference to Arigo in the North American press, yet he was second only to Pelee, the soccer star, in Brazilian newspapers until his death.

The Brazilian Medical Association was after him for practicing medicine without a licence, but they were thwarted by the facts that 1] he never accepted payment and 2] they couldn't find one case where the patient's condition was apparently worsened by Arigo's treatment.

When he was jailed, they had to jail him in a nearby village, not his own, and even then the jailers would not lock his cell door, but left it open so Arigo could minister to all the local villagers.

Tha Catholic Church was also after him, but apparently gave up - Arigo's assistant was a member of the clergy sent to investigate him who stayed to help.

The drugs prescribed were unusual in that they were administered in unusually large doses and ranged from the very recently discovered to the long out of use. This gives some credence to the information (learned while Arigo was under hypnosis) that the doctor guiding Arigo was a German surgeon who had died some time earlier, before he had the opportunity to right some wrong he felt he had committed during his life.

You really should read this unique story.

Seems unbelievable but true. Amazing life of Arigo. Randi carries his arguments too far and when they don't fall in line with the evidence in hand, such arguments can only be called personal prejudice or opinion. Randi can explain the surgery part but what about the medicine prescription ? How can an illiterate prescribe medicine that too in such unusual and strong doses? And above all the prescriptions were effective. The number of cases that were cured defies any explanation like placebo etc. Even if such high success rate could be 'explained away' as placebo then such placebo effect should itself become a focus of fresh research. Yes, as a last word on this subject, we cannot subscribe to blind beliefs especially in matters concerning human body for it may lead to tragedies and men like Arigo and Rasputin should only be regarded as exceptions.

Wow. An exciting read, full of miracles, mysteries and wonderful healing. I hope with my heart this is true, that a fabulous spiritual reality exists beyond our material existence. My only regret is that there is not more information available on Arigo and Dr. Fritz.

This book needs to be made into a serious full length movie on the order of "Gandhi".

'ARIGO - SURGEON OF THE RUSTY KNIFE' is a very well researched book by the well known author / journalist John G Fuller. Repeated, in depth, reading brings me to conclude that, most probably the soul of the German physician who died in the 1920s, transmigrated to Arigo, and made him bring such extra-ordinary cures to thousands of patients.

My only regret is that I did not learn about this Great Healer till after his death, otherwise I would have visited him.

In this regard Dr Henry Puharich, the well known American Eye-Surgeon, was lucky to not only meet him, but also get his Lipoma removed in a 15 second, painless and bloodless surgery.

How I wish I could get in touch with Dr Puharich.

A Great Book, especially for those who have more than ordinary curiosity to learn about the existance / nature of the soul.

An incredible saga of a peasant who, through channelling, becomes a healing force never before unleashed. The power and drama of this book has never, in my mind, been equaled.