Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-27
MENTAL. HEALING.
n Curious Craze That has Taken Hold
Upon the Boston Mind.
CREED OF THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTISrS-A |
STRANGE FAITH THAT THE MINISTERS /
HARDLY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH.

| Correspondence of the Philadelphia Times.
! The new science of mental healing-nothing
that originates in Boston is less than science
| or an art-has gained such multitudes of fol-
| lowers within a few months that its missionar-
les are sure soon to begin practicing and teach
! ing its principles outside New England. The
press of the country has found occasion To make
| frequent sharp paragraphs about Boston 5
| mind-cure craze" bur 1t is long time since
| any local paper has been SO indiscreet 10
| make sldrring allusions to the new pathology.
| Absurd and idiotic some Of the ideas are
| which the prophets OF the system advance the
movement has far eutgrown the limits Of q
popular but temporary craze. Its wonderful
| cures have been perSistcntly proclaimed
that q large proportion of average Bostouians
are willing mt least to admit that there IL some
thing in it," Hundreds claim to have been
benefited in varying degrees by mind-cure
! treatments. Many such become themselves
! heaiers. and thus the new idea has spread.
Just now the religious features OF the new depar-
| ture more prom inentiy cngross public attention.
scores OF the most valued church members are
| Joining the Christian scientist branch of the
| metaphysical organization. and it has thus far
| been impossible To check the detection. 1t Is Il
| movement faT-feacillng in its influences and
| including many thousands among its Sympa-
| thZers whose ordinary Intelligence entities
| their judgment TO respect.
THE TREATMENT.
! Here is a familiar Boston parlor scene: Two
!
! silence for perhaps twenty minutes The face
OF one is as hotly flushed as if she had been in
duit;ing III violent exercise, physical instead of
/ mental. The other, the patient, apparently
| dozes in her chair. Externally this is all that
constitutes mind-cure treatment to which
hundreds hereaboutS are daily submitting" The
! fundamental idea that underlies the whole svs-
tenn is that there is no such thing sickness.
| Disease, they say, ia an error of the mind the
result of fear. This startling hypothesis entails
some very strange and absurd conclusions The
leader OF one or the factions-or there are sew
eiai IN sharp rivalry one with another-gves
| these Instructions for healing: treason in Your
| mind that God made everything good. He is
| not the author OF disease. Therefore, as disease
Is not creation it is not reality nut is merely
| q deiusio of the mind the effect OF fear Fear
* faith inverted and perverted. You are 10 w.,in
You The cause OF what he thinks is his disease
| but with your clearer mind you see that il is
H Non sltkness at an but an error in his mind.
! mentally upon the truth and wisdom of God
aud thus the faith of the healer meeting the
lear OF the patient produces chemical change
IN the fluids Of the system which results in
| health" Many nval;ds are willing Ia accent
inns or any other sophistry in explanation of
cures ii they themselves are physically beue-
| fitted.
| VARIOUS THEORIES.
But among the intelligent people in EVERYDAY
lie who have studied the mind-cure theories
| and to greater or less extent have tested them.
lhe IDEAS OF the teachers are very much modi-
|
conception OF the science One lady believes
that to be consistent healer one must be a
| universalist. Another insists that the minds of
her patient shall be made free from guile and
accordingly asks for a full statement of their
| lives. Many persons who study the system re-
| nounce all religious and superstitious ideas in
| connection with it, but recognize the physical
phenomena, which they do not attempt to ey-
plain, and practice the art as successfully as
any. A lady in Hyde Park who takes this posi-
ton says she finds herself possessed of a power
| IS t-I,i,
| how to use. She says she prays earnestly and
| the ailinent OF the sufferer seems to be trans.
OIL she does not know whether to call it mind
| cure, faith cure or magnetism. Some OBJ
orators say they use no will power but simply
keep in their minds an image OF perfect health
ana let God or the truth work through Them
| Others exert the will intensely to drag out the
disease. as it were by main force.
| QUEER ENTHUSIASTS.
To be consistent the leading mind-cure theo-
rlsfs have TO maintain some very absurd ideas
| Poisons, they say, would be harmless ii the fear
OF them were removed. Children. they explain
are affected because OF unconscious hereditary
! fear. Mrs. Mary Il. G. Eddy, leader of the
| Christian Scientist Division of Mental Heaters.
claims that her husband, who died three or four
years ago, was murdered by an enemy among
the scientists. who Thought arsenic into him
| some OF these queer enthusiasts claim that
mental influence does not recognize distance,
ana That therefore the presence of the patient
| under treatment is not necessary. A lady in
| Hyde Park. Mass, has intimate friend i'm
| sacramento, Cal. who few months ago was
| given up by physicians to die OF intiammatory
| rheumatism. 1t WAS arranged by mail that at
| three clock, Boston time. on certain days the
/ invalid should mentally submit herself to the
| treatment OF her friend in Hyde Park 1t is
claimed that Improvement was Immediate and
that within month the patient was able to
VISIT san Francisco with her husband. Another
lady, III treating absent patients, puts a doll in
| a ehair upon which to H. her mind i'm lieu OF a
| sick person. Most of the mental heaiers pro-
tess contempt for the laws of hygiene. They
| bid their patients eat what they please and act
| as they please. Mrs. Eddy makes the proyiSo
that they must be of strong faith that what
| they eat and do will not harm them.
WHAT Is ACCOMPLISHED.
SO much for means and methods. When the
| inquirer attempts TO investigate the actual ac-
| complishments under the new pathology he
encounters a vast array of witnesses and testi-
| mony. But after attempting to sift the evil
| dence it is impossible to return a sweeping and
| decisive verdict. 1t would be useless to deny
| that under the influence Of the mind-cure prac-
| titioners beneficent and IN some cases remark
aoie t results are attained: IT IS not surprising
| whose ills exist only In imagination and it Is
easy to understand that their peculiar influence
| is more potent than that of medicine in cases
| of certain mental and nervous disorders But
when more marvellous cures are claimed the
average skeptic falls back upon DIR. Peabody s
assertion that a physicians success depends
on the degree in which he possesses the con.
fdence OF his patient. Complete harmony of
nlAuu anu confluence III any femeQlal agency
is a more potent factor in any case than most
people, even medical practitioners, generaIiy
recognize. This fact is the real secret of the
spread of the mind-cure craze, and with a
foundation SO substantial IL is, after ALL hardly
wonderful that SO vast and fantastic structure
has been erected. Investigation of any of the
miracles which it is claimed are wrought Is
unsatisfactory. Although cases are cited bv the
hundred OF alleged cures OF paralysis cancer
tumor, consumption, rheumatism. scarlet fever
spinal complaint nervous disorders and minor
complaints. there appears to have been no
genuine, scientific test of the system There is
testimony in abundance-radical positive and
undoubtedly honeSt-ffOm people who claim In
have been cured by the new agency of organic
disease of long standing; but investigation
that close analysis is almost always unsatisfac-
tory in its results.
illustrations might be detailed by the score
but asingle well authenticated case will am
swer n prominent dentist of this CITY fell and
severely injured his knee. He sent for a sur
geon of good repute, who examined the limb
and d1agnozed fracture, saying that he could
plainly detect the grating of the broken edges
OF the bone against each other. The patient
was properly treated and was advised to recon
Gle himself to several weeks confinement.
When the doctor had gone he yielded to the
opportunities Of his wife and allowed her to
call in mind-cure practitioner He treated
the injured man according to the tenets of the
new school and tried to persuade him that he
was not really hurt Finally he Induced him
difnculty, but soon with comparative ease. The
next morning the dentist walked into the office
OF the surgeon who had first. attended him and
the doctor thought for a moment that he saw q
ghost This case is naturally reckoned great
triumph OF mental healing over Old-fashiOned
methods. The old-school surgeon, of course,
simply acknowledges that he made a mistaken
DIAGNOSIS ana says that the gentleman sus-