Testimony of Healing August 27, 1904 Issue

Two years ago last June, on my return from a trip in...

J. D. Davison

Two years ago last June, on my return from a trip in far northwestern Colorado, I was surprised to find my wife, who had always appeared very healthy, quite sick with dropsy. I was alarmed and called in our family physician, who was at loss to understand the cause. There is a material theory that dropsy is caused by interference with the circulation, and as there are several things that cause it, a search was made at once to find which one of them it was. It was not easy at first to detect the cause, but, after a most rigid examination, he announced that it was organic (valvular) disease of the heart, and. that there was no known cure. I then called in another medical practitioner, one standing among the highest in the esteem of this community and in his profession, and, after a rigid examination, he agreed with the first; and then, no make sure that there could be no mistake, I called in another,—one of the highest known in the profession,—one who made a specialty of heart disease.—with the same result. I then had the first two make examination a number of times, in consultation, always with the same result. They finally told me that nothing whatever could be done for my wife, and recommended that she be kept on her back and made as comfortable as possible so long as she lived, but that there was positively no hope for her, and no known remedy indicated in a case of the kind.

It is needless to say that I was greatly worried, and very likely showed it in my face. One day while at lunch with a friend, he noticed that I was anxious, and said. "Why don't you try Christian Science?" I replied that it could do no good where any vital organ was diseased; that if the trouble was with the stomach, liver, or any other organ influenced by the mind. I would think of trying Christian Science, but certainly Christian Science could do nothing in a case like that of my wife. He replied that he was not a Christian Scientist, and while he did not know that they could cure the disease, he did know that Science could give rest and ease to my wife. "Well," I replied, "if they can do that, I will gladly pay for it."

I Will say that up to this time my wife and I were totally ignorant of Science and its teachings. we had been severely skeptical and hard on Science and any one who resorted to it for healing. We had both been brought up in an orthodox church, and were members of it, and we had imbibed the spirit which would abuse Science even from the pulpilt. I realized, however, that the medical profession could do nothing to save my wife, so I concluded to accept my friend's advice and try Science if I could get my wife to consent; not that I had any faith in it, but as a drowning man grasps at a straw. In my own reasoning I concluded that a Christian Scientist should be pure minded, and I therefore started out to investigate and find one whom I thought would fill the bill. I first obtained the names of a half dozen practitioners, and after making close inquiries, made my selection, which, I am happy to say, proved very satisfactory. I then called on the practitioner I had selected, had a talk with her, and told her frankly what my friend had said. She smiled and said, "Yes your wife can not only receive rest and ease, but she can be cured." I was surprised, and cannot say that I then had much faith in the claim to effect a cure. I went home and said to my wife, "What do you think of trying Christian Science?" As she lay on her bed, very weak, she turned her head over on the pillow, and looking at me with a smile, asked, "What is going to happen? To think of any who have ridiculed Science as much as we have, now trying it ourselves." I replied that we would not stop to argue that question, but I asked her to think it over a day or two, and then let me know her conclusion. The next night she said that if I knew of a satisfactory practitioner she believed she would try it.

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