The times., 1899-02-11
CriniunIE EuuuiicisIrl.

thing which happened not long ago. IN
connection with the death OF two children
in the care of Christian Scientists, indi-
Gates that it will not be long before the
community viii have to take measures
against this faith" in self-protection.
TIE children died from diphtheria-that is.
the doctors called it that; the Scientists
said il was a belief in diphtheria, or a be-
lief in grip or something. And the dress
in which the elder OF the children died
was sent to a dressmaker TO use as pat
tern for its shroud,
There is no reason to suppose that these
people would have acted differently if the
child had happened TO die of scarlet fever
or smallpox instead of diphtheria- Fortu-
nately. there were no evil results from
their criminal carelessness. But when, in
addition to allowing helpless children TO
perish without medical attendance because
disease does not exist" deIuded persons
assume the responsibility OF neglecting all
ordinary precautions against the spread Of
the disease it is time for the community
10 take the matter in hand.
Let US suppose, for example, that case
OF smallpox exists in Christian Science
family. Logically, the course which the
family pursue viii be this: They do not
report the case TO the health authorities,
and neighbors go in and out OF the house
as usual. They send their children to
school, as usual, and allow them free ac-
cess to the sick room, because there is no
disease, and therefore it cannot be con-
tagious. They call in no physician give no
medicines: they merely rely on prayer and
faith. Perhaps the patient dies. and per-
haps not; people have been known to sur
vive smallpox. even when unattended by a
phy,ician. But meanwhile all the persons
with whom any of the family had to CO
during the sickness will have been exposed
to the disease, and the result will be an
epidemic of alarming proportions. and
more or less loss of life. In that event, it
will be no consolation 10 those who have
lost friends and relatives through the
criminal folly of fanatics TO be tod that
it was the viii of God that their loved ones
should die OF a belief in disease which
does not exist. OF course, this is an ex
treme case, but it is perfectly possible. and
may happen at any time, if one Of these
believers only chance to catch smallpox.
1t is generally understood nowadays that
diphtheria is q contagious disease, and that
under certain atmospheric conditions it
may become epidemic, especially among
children. Some of the ignorant and Hit
crate people in this city may rot know
this, but every Intelligent person knows
that in a case Of diphtheris the physician
insists on quarantine IT once. There is no
excuse for people of ordinary education
who deliberately disregard these facts AMI
send clothing infected with this disease TO
the house Of another person. For all that
they knew, there might have been little
children, or persons predisposed to diph-
theretc troubles. in the house. Perhaps
they felt that their prayers and faith would
ward of all evil consequences, but those
outside the cult are not so confident.
There may possibly be difference Of
opinion regarding the right of persons who
do not believe that anything can be the
matter with them TO die happy in their be-
lief. There is no question that the com
Inunity has right to forbid their expo sing
all their friends and acquaintance. and
the stranger who happens TO have business
relations with them, to contagious and
dangerous disease. They have no more
right to do that than they would have TO
sit al their windows and fire a shotgun at