Article April 8, 1905 Issue

Healing by Christian Science

Caleb H. Cushing

The following article appeared in the Lewiston (Me.) Journal in answer to an editorial comment in that paper respecting a hearing before the Judiciary Committee on the "Potter Amendment":—

It is true that members of this faith believe in standing up for their constitutional rights, but so do most other sects for that matter. During many years, however, unjust attack and misrepresentation from certain (though we are pleased to say very limited) portions of the pulpit and press were unanswered, until forbearance ceased to be a virtue and it was found that many honestly desiring to know the facts were kept therefrom through these published misconceptions and misstatements. It is gratifying to note that at this day and hour most of our editors, particularly those of this State, are manifesting the kindness and toleration characteristic of their class, in their attitude toward the Christian Science denomination. As the editorial above referred to would tend to give people a wrong impression relative to certain evidence brought out at the hearing, I trust you will kindly allow me to review the same.

The case of varicose veins mentioned did not have surgical treatment. While one of our best surgeons diagnosed the case, he did nothing in a medical or surgical way, and the healing was brought about entirely through Christian Science. While under its teachings broken bones are left to the fingers of a surgeon, Christian Science treatment thereafter relieves the patient of pain in the majority of instances and also tends to lessen the term of confinement. In your deductions and hypotheses you have evidently lost sight of the fact that all our claims are based on what has been done by this Science, and that speculative theorizing is practically eliminated from the premises. When ninety per cent of those treated by Christian Science affirm that they are healed or permanently benefited thereby, and when in two thirds of these cases they had failed to secure help through ordinary medical treatment, it must appear to the unprejudiced thinker that the Christian Science system of therapeutics is an unusually efficient one. Furthermore, when but ten deaths occur in eight of our Maine cities during a period of two years (and all these patients had previously been give up by physicians), it would seem to indicate quite conclusively that this practice is an unusually safe one.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

MRS. EDDY TAKES NO PATIENTS