The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-05
The Gas. of Mr.. henry Y Pratt

To the Editor Of the Journal and Courier:
1 would like to say a word about Mr..
Henry E. Pratt. Mr.. Pratt was an ex-
ceptionally fine and successful business
man up 10 within three years ago last
July. On the fourth of said month it
was noticed that his mind was slightly
affected This was imme liately report
ed to his creditors. who became alarm
ed and took proceedings against him
at once. although the papers that they
held against him were not due until
some time after. When Mr.. Pratt saw
that his whole fortune vas being swept
away from him his mind became unbal-
anced and ne soon found himself in the
insane asylum.
1t has been said by some that Chris
tan Science failed in his case, but
when the true facts in the case are
known 1 do not think that any unprej-
udiced person can say that Christian
Science has teen failure in his case.
When Mr.. Pratt began to be treated
in Christian Science he had been doc
tOred for long time in some of the
best sanitariums and insane asyluns in
medical skill that money could secure,
but he grew steadily worse until he be-
came perfectly helpless. For three
months he never spoke a word to any
one, except when special effort was
made to arouse him; then he would &C.
casionally mutter yes" or no" He
was examined by ten of the best rec
ognized specialists in New York city,
as we'll as other physicians. They pro-
nounced his a case of paresis, entirely
hopeless, and said that it would only
be question of short time when he
would have a final stroke of paralysis
which would close his earthly career.
All these doctors and specialists had
failed even to help him physically, and
he had become such a mental and ply
steal wreck under materia medica that
he did not have intelligence enough to
utter a word and had become so help
less that every particle of food and
every drop of water that he partook
Of had to be placed in his mouth with
a spoon, and for ten days he seemed to
lose all sensibility and was more like a
wooden man than a human being.
Now, please remember that it was in
this helpless and hopeless condition
that Christian Science found Mr.. Pratt,
and after few treatments he began to
improve. and year ago the authorities
at the asylum told me that he was we'll
enough to be taken out of the institu-
ton. ! did so Immediately and brought
him to my own home, and until the lat
ter part of last July he remained a
member of my family. He came and
went at his own pleasure and steadily
improved. He was so well that we
could leave him with our maid and
children for days at time. He moved
with us to New Haven the latter part
Of last March. He took trips to New
York, Hartford and Springfield and re-
turned without any trouble whatso-
ever. He never broke or destroyed a
single thing, and restraint was unnec-
essary.
The last part of July he went to Gull
ford and spent more than two months
there with his family. When his fam
lily returned to Brooklyn he took trip
to Massachusetts, visiting relatives and
friends at different places and return
ed the first part of October. He called
on us on his way to Guilford and seemed
well and happy, but during the last
week of his stay in Guilford he did not