The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-03

the same when the question was one
of medical attendance, for ae to that
opinions differed, and he read To the
jury from the general Epistle of st.
james V i4-ii those words upon
which the Roman church rests the
doctrine of extreme JUNCTION, and the
MormonS and Peculiar People" rest
their doctrine of healing the sick by
amounting and prayer only; words
which the learned and sensible com
mentator, Adam Clark, forcibly argues
tn he an eXhOrtation by the apostle To
use the ordinary Eastern remedy, oil,
as well as prayer, in treating the sick.
The jury acquitted. Recently in like
case, Reg. vs., Cook, they convicted.
Beyond doubt there are very honest
intelligent, cultivated persons who be-
lpve in the efficacy of Christian
Science and faith cure, Among some
twenty cases of death under such
treatment, including cases of contag-
iOus diseases, the writer has noted the
names of such persons. 1t is equally
true that some intelligent persons"
find no FAD" too extraordinary for
, adoption. The writer knew of a mOSt
shrewd and cultivated woman who
consulted in Sing Sing prison as to in
! VeStment in stocks an "aStrOlOger'
convicted not only of Illegal medical
practice but of abhOrrent crime. 1t is
| said that where voudOOism prevails,
! cultivated people consult it's priest
! esses, after the fashion of Nicodemus
! And when st. John Long, prince OF
! uuaCKs, was convicted of manslaughte
| at the Old Bailey a Car and =. 39S)
/ among the tWenty-nine patients who
! testified to the excellence of his treat
! ment were divers "Jades of quality,
! headed by the Marchioness of Ormond,
! than whom, save royalty, only duch-
ess could be better able to form IA
sound opinion i'm such case.
THE LAWS LIMITS.
But nothing is more false than to
say that medical laws forbid. the prac-
tice of Christian Science, faith cure,
youdoo, vtapathy, or any other
"pathy" or cult. Those laws provide
only, at most. that no person shall
| practise medicine who has not pursued
a course in medical study. There is
| nothing in them to prevent any licen-
tiate from practising as he pleases.
| There Is nothing to prevent masscul
| without license from washing and rub
| bing a man, If he confines himself tC
! that. But there is no reason why un
qualified persons should be allowed I,
pretend to cure diseases by their pre-
tenccs deprive the sick of the benefits
! of science, and yet escape the just con
sequences of their impOsture. The
| whole ease of these people who desire
to earn "A livelihood by treating the
! sick without any adequate preparation
therefor through study and investi-
CATION was summed up in the gro
tesque falsehOOd, circulated by way o
petition to the New York Legislature
of 1885 for the repeal of the medica
law. which said:
THE law depriVes from practising II
this state persons who are gifted will
the power Of healing by the laying of
hands, through the presence and i'm
parting Of vital magnetic force, and
otherwise. Some of these powers are
natural to the practitioner and cannot
be imparted or increased, but are like
ly to be limited or impaired 10y the
course of study required by medical
colleges" Could anything be more
absurd? The natural power To heal
disease impaired by the acquisition of
knowledge concerning disease! And
yet there were those prepared to be-
lieve even that, so true is it today as