Testimony of Healing February 22, 1908 Issue

During my army service in the Civil War I received a...

John B. Overfield

During my army service in the Civil War I received a gunshot wound in my side, which in after years resulted in serious stomach trouble. I was ill for over two years and sought help from some of the best physicians to be found in New York, Philadelphia, and other cities. I regained my health but slowly, and was assured over and over again that I could never survive another attack of that kind. Two years ago, however, while residing in Eureka, Cal., a hemorrhage came on, and in a few hours I knew that there was nothing to hope for at the hands of the doctors.

I was not then a believer in Christian Science and had even found its so-called "demonstrations" a source of amusement, but at the earnest solicitation of my daughter I agreed that I could as well die under its treatment as under materia medica, and a Christian Science practitioner was called. The trouble continued at intervals from Wednesday evening until Friday morning, when the most violent attack left me, as we all believed, dying. The practitioner was hastily brought to my bedside and remained until I began to rally. I gained steadily from that time and in forty-eight hours I sat at table with my family and ate a hearty dinner. There was absolutely no recurrence of the condition that had followed the former attacks, although the last had been far more severe than any of the others. Previously I had confined my diet for months to dry bread and hot water and had scarcely dared bend over for fear of bringing on an attack. In two weeks after my healing through Christian Science I went to work at laying floors in our house, and when this was finished I helped with the moving, not sparing myself in any way.

I have always been called a hard-headed man, not easily influenced and not given to fads. I do not now understand Christian Science, but I do know that it has power to heal disease and save from all kinds of suffering. I want to give this testimony in order to help some one who believes "there is nothing in it," as I did.

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