Article May 25, 1899 Issue

Science and Health

Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy's Authorship of the Work Sustained

Ada G. White

Portsmouth, N. H., May 13, 1899.

To the Editor of The Portsmouth Times:—In view of the fact that the Arena is publishing articles attempting to disprove Rev. Mary Baker Eddy's authorship of Science and Health, I would like to ask space in your paper for some extracts from an article printed in the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Sunday Democrat, and prepared by the Board of Directors of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, of that city. Before presenting the matter referred to, I would like to mention that there is in this city a gentleman of my acquaintance who knew the late Dr. Quimby, personally, for many years, and he entirely repudiates the claim that Dr. Quimby's views were at all similar to Mrs. Eddy's. Dr. Quimby used to jot down, after treating, certain ideas that came to him relative to the patient, and in some manuscripts he gave his views in regard to man's relationship to God, but they were totally different from Mrs. Eddy's. His method of treatment was to convey electricity through or by manipulation; whereas Mrs. Eddy's convictions, after years of careful experiment in homœopathy, were assuming this form, that the Divine Mind is the only physician.

I would state here, that, when the father of one of his patients offered him one thousand dollars if he would explain his method, he replied he could not, as he did not understand it himself. There is proof that this statement is entirely authentic. Both his theories and methods were utterly dissimilar; and, as he was a good man, no doubt, were it in his power, he would object, vigorously, to these false charges.

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