Editorial June 4, 1938 Issue

Denying Detrimental Descriptions

George Shaw Cook

A recent issue of the Boston (Massachusetts) Herald contained a news item, the first paragraph of which is as follows: "While hearing a case involving an alleged epidemic of gastro-enteritis among infants at Lynn hospital, one of the members of the jury was stricken with the same ailment today."

This item reminds one that Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, at one time a resident of Lynn, says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 197), "A minutely described disease costs many a man his earthly days of comfort."

When Mrs. Eddy wrote these lines she had already discovered that what is called disease exists only as a belief of the so-called mortal mind. She knew that a description of the symptoms of disease creates, in belief, a mental picture which may be accepted to his detriment by the one who reads or listens to such a description. Thus is seen the importance of heeding the admonition given by Mrs. Eddy on another page of her textbook (ibid., p. 392): "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously." And she continues on the same page, "Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them."

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