Article March 9, 1912 Issue

In a recent issue a writer in commenting on health conditions...

Ezra W. Palmer

Durango (Col.) Herald

In a recent issue a writer in commenting on health conditions on the Canal Zone, took occasion to say some harsh things about Christian Scientists. The animus of this writer seemed to be because Christian Scientists through Senator Works of California made representations to President Taft to secure a modification of his executive order made some weeks ago which excluded Christian Science practice from that territory.

A former Colorado woman writing from the Canal Zone, whose letters are in my possession, throws some light on this question. She states that the order of President Taft followed soon after the death of a patient from malignant malaria under Christian Science treatment. This was the first case the Christian Science practitioner had lost with malignant malaria, although she had handled from three to seventeen cases daily for the last six years. During the same period the hospitals under government control have lost many cases. During the same period Christian Science has cured every fever known to the tropics, including black water, yellow fever, also tuberculosis of the lungs and other diseases, all for the most part given up as hopeless by the doctors. In view of these facts, it is apparent that a great injustice would have been done had President Taft's order remained in force, and to the credit of his fair-mindedness, the order was quickly revoked, to the discomfiture of those who were prepared to make the most of it.

The attack on Christian Science in the Canal Zone is but another instance of attempts to outlaw Christian Science made in practically every legislative body in the Union. These attacks have not been demanded by public opinion, or by the press, or in behalf of the public health, but have been pushed by the adherents of materia medica, who hoped thereby to embarrass Christian Science practice for their own selfish interests. To the credit of our state legislatures, these class appeals have for the most part met the fate they deserved—defeat. The further efforts to discredit Christian Science in the United States by colored reports to the press, based on the President's order of exclusion, have likewise failed, as the revoking of the order has shown how false are the charges against Christian Scientists.

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