Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-07
" CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. )
The Manner in Which Many Appsrs
emily Miraculous Cures are Effected
by Means Of This DeIusion.
Whersin Consists the Deception and
Wrong Doing of the Faith Doctors
and "ChrisJian Sclentists."


Scientists" but 1 Wss somewhat amused
by the writer's deduction that there i:
anything mysterious or occult abou
these new manifestations Of very ole
matter. 1 have noticed that since theI
objection has been made in open cour'
in Philadelphia to the chartering of 81
Institute of Christian Science, on the
ground that 1t was species OF charlata-
nism calculated to do much harm to the
Ignorant and weGk-minded. Similar
alarm, it appears, has also
arisen in New York, and the
correspondent from this city OF the
S.. Louis GiObe-Democrst prefsces two
column stow EooUt the new sect, new
profession, new scheme, new lad, OF
Whatever it may be, with the announce
ment thSt "the spread of the Christier
science crsZ9 has st lsSt become SO SER
ious in this neighborhood that our Coun-
ty Medical Society has taken up the mat
ter, and is now preparing petition to the
Legislature asking that g committee OF
physicians and lawyers be appointed to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of passing Law
rohibiting the people from pIacticing
medicine and endangering the lives OF ig-
norant or Weak-minded persons.
scarcely think that the popular de-
fusion concerning this much misunder-
stood subject needs any such serious
treatment. Such evils, If evils they are,
have their rises and falls and generally
Orrect themselves. But the greatest
harm they do is to the pockets Of the
credulous, and perhaps their purses
might otherwise suffer with more harm
full results. Then, too, while the Christ
ian scientists may be indirectly RESPONSE
bic for the deaths Of people whom they
have induced to "throW phYsic to the
dogs" 1t must be admitted, on the other
hand, they have worked many cures.
How?
Let me preface my answer to that in
terrogstoTy with the undeniable state
ment that Christian science and faith Gu e
are one and the same thing; the first re-
quires the patient to think that he is we'll;
the latter to think that he will be made
we'll. It is distinction without differ
ence. Now, do not look upon me as
scofter of religion when say thst prayer
of itself has no more to do with the cor
rection Of physical disturbances in man
than has the fetch of the voodoo woman
or the mummery of the Indian medicine
man. In these non-mirsculo1s modern
days prayer OF itself cures only mental
ills. And yet-although this seems para
doxical-Without the prayer the "faith
cure" would not be effected. In plSin,
non-technic6l terms the entire mystery is
explained by the fact that mental impress
sions have such 8 powerful and marvellous
effect upon the body that il physically
afflicted Woman believes that she will be
cured through the efficacy of prayer, in
numerous instances the desired result is
accomplished.
But bear In mind that the same end can
be attained with the same subject by sim
ply telling her that at certain moment
prayers are being offered in her behalf in
distant church even though no such
event was taking plsce. So you see it is
the mental impression and not the prayer
that produces the effect. These expert
ments succeed only with persons of
peculiarly impressionable dispositions,
snd that is the reason why women figure
most frequently as the recovered patients.
l could cite hundreds of authentic
cases in support of my position. Nor is
1t even necessary thst these workings of
the Imagination should play alone on the
nervous system, which, of course, is the
most susceptible. Even the involuntary
muscles are scutely subject to the i'm
pressions Of the mind. have been look
ing up some authorities upon this point,
and have some applicable examples taken
from DR.. Tuke's work On the "Iufiuence
of the Mind upon the Body"
"YOu may see q person with gout,"
says AbernethY in his lectures, "Who Is
almost unable to move with pain; but
produce shock on his nervous system |
by telling him that the house is on fire he |
will scamper about like q lsmplighler"
Smollett tells us in one Of his novels OF |
Captain LismAhago who went into 3 |
house aud cried out to an old man with |
the govt, "Mad dogi mad dogI" when |
he jumped up and ran out Of the house, |
seven into pond CT water opposite" In
such examples it is MINISTERIAL whether |
the terror arises from a real or imaginary |
cause; the remarkable, though familiar |
fact, is, that strong, mental image or
impression iniuses new power |
into the nervous and muscu-
lar systems. The very fear
which in healthy person may produce
excessive muscular contraction-s con- |
vuisioE-Till serve to nerve the limb of !
the cripple podagric just sufficiently to
enable him 10 escape from danger. But |
were this ell, We could not adduce this |
occurrence SIS an Illustration of the cure |
of the govt, an obstacle to locomotion |
being temporarily overcome but the dis
ease remaining. In the second case, how
ever, Adduced in the following illustra- |
tons, an ectual cure would appear to |
have been effected.
ga captain of a British ship-of-wsr,"
ssysithe eminsnt DR.. Rush, "who had
been confined for several weeks to his
cAbin by severe fl! of govt in his feet,
was suddenly cured by hearingsthe cry of
"Fire!" on board his ship. This fact
was communicated to me by gentleman
who was witness TO 1t. Many similar
cases are upon record in books of medi-
cine. shall in another place insert an
account Of one IN which the cure effected
by fright erAdicated the disease from
the system so completely as ever after
wards TO prevent its return" Here is
the case, communicated by Judge Rush,
the DOCTORS brother:
"Peter Fether, the person cured, is now
alive, householder in Reading, seventy
three years OF age, native Of Germany,
and very hearty man. The first 1T Of
govt he ever had was about the year
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