The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-15

Firm faith is protested by Christian
Scientists in the efficacy of what they
call absent treatment II 1t is not
! practicable, or, perhaps. agreeable, for
/ the healer TO come to his patient he
sends his thoughts and il does just as
we'll This is both economical and profit
! able-for the healer. II is also quite as
logical as most of the doctrines of the
sect. II A can put healthy molecules in
] the place of diseased ones and cure BIS
/ cancer. when a distance of two or three
; feet separates the two. surely the cure
ought 10 be possible at a much greater
distance - say three miles Thought
| knows no distance
( But there are cases in which absent
treatment does not seem TO be profitable.
/ The people at Concord, y. H., where Mrs.
Mary sIaker Eddy makes her earthly
home. remember case of this sort which
occurred a few months ago. Mrs. Eddy
had a difficulty with one of her neigh
bors. a gentleman who is principal of the.
high school, on the subject of piece Of
ground She wished to have a piece of
her neighbours ground removed, so rs to
improve her view. The neighbor objected.
He did not believe in Christian Science;
he had studied mathematics, and was
convinced that in no possible way could
he be made TO see that piece Of ground
was in a certain place unless it was ac-
tually there. Ii is not definitely known
whether Mrs. Eddy sat down in her front
door yard and decreed that that piece OF
real estate should disappear or not; but
if she, did, the real estate refused TO
bulge. Perhaps it did not have faith
enough. or something 1t also seems that
any efforts she may have made to con-
vince her nelghbor of his duty in the mat
ter were unavailing; for he continued
in the same mind. Perhaps the will OF
the owner OF this real estate that it
should stay where it was counteracted
the will of Mrs Eddy that IL should
be removed and cast into the sea; but
at any rate it is still there. and can be
seen by tourists. Mrs Eddy brought a
lawsuit about it. but the minds of those
concerned in the suit did noteobey her
will any better than the inanimate rock
and dirt OF her Deighbor's ground.
II will also be remembered that Mrs.
Eddy some time ago advertised the fact
that shs-nseded three silk tea-jackets.
Absent treatment seemed not to be pow
crful enough 10 bring them 10 her without
the Intervention of print. There is some
thing mysterious about all this.
The matter now about to be introduced
is a somewhat delicate one. and The Times
diszusses 1t only in the interests of
science--not necessarily Christian. But
another case exists in which absent treat
ment'' has somehow failed TO work. For
some time past periodicals. letters. and
other communications have been unloaded
In the Office OF this paper. with the APP
parent purpose of bringing it into the fold
Christian Science journals pamphlets. and
books communications from members of
the cult, and documents Of many kinds.
intended for the use OF the unconverted,
nave appeared in the mail; and doubtless
the senders OF all this literature have
brought the influence Of their powerful
minds TO bear upon the stan from time to
time it Is only reasonable to suppose that
if people take the trouble 10 write /
to an unconyerted acquaintance, and send f.
literature by the bushel for him TO read, /
and keep this up for a period OF several 4
months. they are thinking about him more (
or less in addition TO this. The natural 4
deduction from the contents OF the mail .
box is, therefore, that considerable absent I
treatment is being used upon The Times
So far as can be ascertained. however,
the staff is collectively and individually in
the same state as the real estate and tea
jackets above referred 10. There is no
evidence that single person in any way
connected with the paper has felt any .
effects of this supposed absent treatment. |
A careful study of the laws by which the |
treatment is alleged TO be governed re-
reals no possible reason why this should .
be SO. AS far as one can discover from
the writings Of Mrs Eddy there Is no
reason. why anything from New Hanp
shire granite TO President Kruger. should
not feel the influence OF her remarkable
mind II absent treatment has failed in
the cases above cited the layman fails
to see why it should. IL II is good for
rheumatism. and broken bones. and can
Ger, it ought TO be good for Objectionable
rocks. and stones, and tea Jackets, and
dissenting newspapers II ii can take a
man blown up in a steamboat explosion
and put him together it ought TO be able
to lift a few tons OF rock from one side
Of the road TO the other. But the fact
that it does not.