Senator John D. Works of California made a remarkable...

New York Sun

Senator John D. Works of California made a remarkable speech in the United States Senate today [July 6] in which he defended Christian Science and told his colleagues how he and members of his family had been healed of their infirmities by practising it. The senator's frank avowal of his faith in the efficacy of Christian Science treatment and his recital of his family experiences surprised and interested his colleagues. He was speaking in opposition to a bill introduced by Senator Owen of Oklahoma creating a department of public health.

The galleries showed a fair representation of Christian Science followers who came with knowledge in advance as to the character of the speech. They indicated their appreciation by smiles and nods of approval. Senator Works was heartily congratulated by Senator Clapp of Minnesota at the conclusion. The senator from Minnesota is a regular attendant at the Christian Science church in Washington and has been a believer in the healing power of the Christian Science faith for many years. His confidence is based on his own experience in being cured of an aggravated case of rheumatism that had baffled regular physicians. There is at least one other senator who attends regularly the Sunday readings of the Christian Science church, but he was not present today to hear Senator Works.

The senator from California declared that the bill to create a department of public health was designed to create a "doctors' trust." His opposition to the measure is shared by all of the Christian Scientists of the country, who have been petitioning Congress in opposition to the Owen bill and manifesting their hostility in other ways. Senator Works stated that he himself had been cured of a persistent malady which he feared threatened his death. As a last resort he placed himself in the hands of a Christian Science healer and was restored to health. His wife was also cured after an illness of fifteen years with a disease which regular doctors said would yield only to the surgeon's knife. She was restored to health in three treatments, said Senator Works. The third cure to be wrought in the same family was that of the son from the drink habit. The young man at the close of a long debauch declared he felt inspired, in view of the wonderful healing effect of Christian Science upon his father and mother, to try the cure himself.

"A Christian Science practitioner was called in and my son has not taken a drink from that time to this, seven years," said Senator Works. "Once before he had overcome the temptation for the period of eleven months, yet the craving was always with him, but since he took the Christian Science treatment this desire has been abolished. Senators may say to themselves, 'It is all a delusion,' but I want to say that if it is I hope the delusion will not be dispelled. It has healed the sick, saved men and women from suffering and sin, and frequently been more effective than the surgeon's knife." Continuing, he declared there was no antipathy between Christian Scientists and the regular medical profession, so far as the former were concerned; that Scientists recognized the medical profession as good and useful and its work as beneficial to mankind in relieving suffering and healing diseases.

In opposing the bill offered by Senator Owen of Oklahoma, providing for the creation of a national bureau of health, he charged that a bargain had been struck between the medical officers of the government and the American Medical Association as to the form of the bill. He wanted to know what this bargain was. He alluded to Dr. A. M. McCormick, chairman of the committee on organization of the American Medical Association, as "the walking delegate of the doctors' trust." Adverting to the series of articles recently appearing in Collier's Weekly on the subject of Christian Science and the proposed national bureau of health, he offered a mass of correspondence which he said had passed between the editor of Collier's and the officers of the National League for Medical Freedom, and also offered a number of affidavits which he asked to have published in the Congressional Record.

He mentioned the controversy over the adoption of a uniform system of charges by physicians in all parts of the country and read an article from Dr. McCormick urging such an agreement among all doctors in each community whether they were members of the national association or not. He said Dr. McCormick in connection with his work as a "walking delegate" was advocating this plan. Calling attention to the provision of the bill which prevented any "recognition of any school of medicine," Senator Works expressed the fear that this might be construed to give the right to refuse recognition to every class of healers except the regular medical practitioners.

Senator Owen of Oklahoma interrupted to ask if the bill could be perfected by the addition of any words making plainer the meaning that no discrimination was contemplated or could be practised. "I do not think it could," said Senator Works, "for the trouble would be inevitably connected with the control of the board by one school or the other." He said he would oppose as strongly lodging control of the board in Christian Scientists as in the regular school of physicians.

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