Article September 1, 2013

"From a child I had weak lungs..."

Anna G. Hosking

Originally published in the 1914 pamphlet “Christian Science: its legal status—a defense of human rights”

From a child I had weak lungs. I would take cold easily and had to have special care. My lungs grew weaker as I grew older until in the year 1898 the doctor said nothing more could be done for me as I was in the last stages of consumption. He gave me three months to live. It was necessary for me to settle my business affairs, but I was feeling so badly when the lawyer came to make my will that he had to leave it unfinished, as I was unable to talk.

The next day while sitting in a chair at the front window, Mrs. Eddy passed in her carriage. The thought instantly came to me, Why not try Christian Science? The doctors can’t help me and Christian Science cannot hurt me. With this thought strength came to me. I put on my wraps and walked out, no one knowing, and went to the Christian Science hall. After asking the practitioner if Christian Science could cure consumption, I had my first Christian Science treatment. Then I realized that God could and would heal me. After this treatment my throat was better and I could speak aloud. I slept that night, the first night for years without coughing, or taking any medicine or alcohol bath; and had no night sweat. I cut the stitches of the padded lung protector that night and took it off and never put it on again, as I realized that God was my protector.

The cough never troubled me after from that day to this. I had been forbidden to eat solid food on account of valvular heart trouble, but the first night after turning to Christian Science I ate meat and other solid food for the first time in months and had no bad effects from it. At that time I weighed eighty-two pounds and now weigh one hundred and forty pounds. I was really healed in the one treatment, though I continued treatment for awhile with a steady gain in strength and flesh.

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