Article April 10, 1902 Issue

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We clip the following from the Public Ledger of Norfolk, Va.:—

A party of Christian Scientists from this city and section returned this morning from Richmond, where they had been to protest against the passage by the Legislature of a bill that had been introduced in the Senate, having for its purpose the prohibition of the practice of healing by all persons who have not passed an examination before the State Medical Board.

This bill would have excluded the osteopaths and Christian Scientists from practice in Virginia, and both of these schools of healing were ably represented before the Senate Committee on General Laws in Richmond when this matter came up yesterday. The Christian Scientists present from this section were Miss Mary Way, the leading Scientist here; Mrs. Anna L. Morris, Mr. J. C. Batts, Mr. George H. Barrett (of Portsmouth), and Mr. William F. Crall (of Virginia Place). Mrs. Bernard, the leading Christian Scientist in Richmond, and several others of that faith were also present, as was Miss Langhorne of Lynchburg. The Christian Scientists had with them as counsel Mr. Joseph T. Lawless, of the firm of Jeffries & Lawless of this city, and Captain Tazewell Taylor, Police Justice of Norfolk. The Christian Scientists' defence would have been that, as their treatment for disease is purely spiritual, and is prayer, such a law as that proposed would have proscribed their religious liberty, and would, therefore, have been unconstitutional. They did not have occasion, however, to present their side of the case, as the proposed bill was over-whelmingly defeated by the presentation of the side of the osteopaths, who were represented by ex-Governor O'Ferrall as counsel.

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