The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-27

| those attacked and, by making martyrs
! of them, to render them more obstinate
in their belief. Tor there never has yet
been a belief however unworthy or in.
consistent with struA. but that it's growth
was accelerated ana it's adherents were
strengthened irE theft faith in 1t by perse-
| cution. "a s
1t Is an negotiable fact that many
worthy and reputable citizens believe in
Christian Science and have an unbounded
faith in It's teachers. They have learned
! something thaH has satisfied their minds
that they have hit, upon great truth.
and so long as their belief and the prac-
tice of it do not interfere with the
peace and health of the community In
which they live, they are entitled to hold
it undisturbed
Usually the Christian Scientists are
| harmless, and quite frequently they de-
rive much benefit from the practice OF
their belief. A nervous, irritable person
who succumbs to the calming influence OF
Christian Science is undoubtedly benefit
| ed to a large extent 1t is soporific and
philosophic in Its effects Stiffness and
repOse are among its essentials. The
! hundred petty maladies which owe their
/ existence to the oYereXcited imagInations
OF nervous persons cease to have an ex-
J lstence for the genuine convert. The I'M
! ag1nation which riot in symptoms of
| physical disorders and led the nervous
sufferer to indulge in a rapid succession
! of patent nOstrums, to the great dctri-
ment OF his suffering stomach. IS invert-
! ed, and ceasing to Imagine symptoms it
exerts itself to be convinced that there
are no symptoms and no physical dis
order. The imagination from being posi-
| tive becomes negative In It's action. And
| even in the case Of actual sickness 1t
cannot be denied that the exercise of a
! strong imagination which says, Il am not
sick. but l am well and sound" will aid
very materially in the restoration of
| health; while the imagination which is
persistently seeking to convince the pa
tient that heSis very sick indeed will
create serious sickness out of trivial
rnaladics. i Z
The Influence ofzthe mind In cases Of
| sickness is a familiar phenomenon to ply
! s:cians and to all who have had expe-
! rience with the sick Hence the constant
effort on the part of the physician and
the nurse to inspire The patient with
| hope and confidence and to maintain
his cheerfulness.
If Christian Science can do this for
| some personsS in SO far Is Christian
| Science beneficial. If it stopped there. no
! hostile criticism need be leveled at its
teachers or believers. But, unfortunate
ly. the Christian Scientists go further
Emboldened by their small and natural
| successes In trifiing ailments they are
! led to disdains the material assistance
which medicine and medical practitioners
can render in serious and real cases OF
/ disease. The occasional result is that
! they allow sick person to suffer and,
perhaps. die, when the ordinary attention
| of a competent medical man would have
! afforded relief and perhaps, saved life.
This is the practical side OF Christian
| Science, and it is rendered dark and dan
gerous when Ia such cases the disease
happens to be of infectious character
and the community is endangered by the
! failure to adopt proper measures to pre-
| vent contagion.
If child has diphtheria, or an adult IS
suffering from smallpox, the most vivid
imagination in the world will not charm
away the disease The Christian
| Scientist is Ike those whe cry Peace!
peace!" when there is no peace, when
he undertakes to say in such cases that
the disease is nOn-existent, except in the
mind of the sufferer. Mortal mind" is
a very tangible affair indeed. when it
assumes the form of smallpox or diph-
! iberia, and no amount of Christian
| Science or faith in it can charm away the
fracture of a limb
Summed up, it may be fairly said that
for the thousand and one petty all
ments with which this nervous genera
! ton thinks It is afflicted Christian
| Science in its effect is beneficial, and it
would have an equally beneficial effect #
it was styled fhe PHILOSOPHY of Rest"
and taught mental $omposure ami cheer
fuiness. But inethe1 case of serious phys
ical ailments it is dangerous always and
! sometimes criminal. The belief is not
deserving of ridicule. nor does it call
! for undiscriminating denunciation Some
of its professors are, no doubt very
! worthy individuals, whose greatest ftuIt
is a too ready eredulity, While some Of It's
/ teachers are sordid charlltlns, who have
! introduced much nonsensical kocus-rccus
! into their business for financial reasors
! in it's miider forms Christian Science may
! prove beneficial to many and it but
! lacks common sense application to make
| 1t a useful institution. But when it
! attempts to deal with actual sickness,
such as organic or infectious diseases,
| then it is high time for the active inter-
| ference of the police.
DOES MAN ONLY REASON AND
WOMAN ONLY LOVE.
Tom Smith. of Harlan To-, has achieved
| fame. much to his own surprise, and to
| achieve it he climbed upon the unwilling