Far be it from Christian Scientists to be disrespectful of...

The Knickerbocker Press

Far be it from Christian Scientists to be disrespectful of the courts of the land or of the medical profession; nevertheless, owing to the publicity that has been given to the Walker case in Newark, New Jersey, they are prompted in self-defense to speak a few words for public consideration. Like all other exemplary citizens, Christian Scientists aim to obey the laws of the land, not only because good citizenship requires it, but because the teachings of Mrs. Eddy demand it, based, as they are, on Principle. On page 128 of Miscellany, Mrs. Eddy writes, "Christian Scientists abide by the laws of God and the laws of the land; and, following the command of the Master, they go into all the world, preaching the gospel and healing the sick." Nothing could be farther from the truth than the commonly accepted error that Christian Scientists are neglectful regarding so-called contagious diseases. True, they do not fear them, or any other disease; nevertheless, they aim to report them as do others, not only because the law requires it, but because Christian Scientists are uniformly considerate of those who do not possess the confidence and security inspired by Christian Science in times of sickness as well as in health.

It may be that Christian Scientists occasionally err, but this must be at least equally true of those who are not Scientists. We believe, however, that it would be difficult for anybody to find a single bona fide recorded case of willful negligence on the part of a Christian Scientist; which is significant in view of the oft repeated charge that Christian Scientists are incapable of detecting disease. During his term as health commissioner of New York city, the late Dr. Lederle issued a statement to the effect that he had found Christian Scientists more zealous than any other class of citizens to obey the regulations of the sanitary code. This statement was prompted by inquiries as to whether or not Christian Scientists were neglecting to report so-called contagious cases. Even doctors sometimes err in their diagnoses. Was it not the noted Dr. Richard Cabot of Boston who declared publicly that nearly fifty per cent of the cases admitted for hospital treatment, including surgical cases, are wrongly diagnosed?

Furthermore, we respectfully submit the proposition that if the law is to be invoked in these isolated cases of failure under Christian Science treatment, it should also be invoked in cases of failure under medical treatment, the daily number of which the reader may estimate somewhat by consulting the newspaper obituary columns. Death is as unlawful under one method of treatment as under another, unless, indeed there be a regular way in which to die. A metropolitan evening newspaper, in an editorial comment upon the Walker case, goes to the extreme of making the following statement: "In diphtheria, especially, proper medical treatment has given an almost unquestionable assurance of recovery, while neglect has been almost a promise of death." A complete answer to this is found in the vital statistics as to diphtheria, as compiled by the health department of this city. It is safe to assume that in nearly all of these cases "proper medical treatment" was administered. Inasmuch as the Christian Science movement is made up to a large extent of those who have been restored to health, happiness, and usefulness when other means have failed them, we are confident that the public will not permit its vision to be beclouded by the verdict in the Newark case.

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August 28, 1920
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