St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-11-05

hapS, thousands of cases of named
disease, the case being similar in early
manifestations, condition of pulse, res
piraton, digestion, Secretions, etc., 1t
is found that given drug produces a
favorable result in go, 10 OF 50 per cent
of the cases tested, then, by the con-
sensus of medical men the world over,
it becomes a rule, law of material
medicine, that the given drug is Sale
one to prescribe in all cases coming
within the scope of the experiment
made; and the result of such test is alb
solutely the limit of the physician
knowledge upon the question OF the
choice of medicine to be used. l have
stated the rule by which the value of
each drug is tested, and | beg you to
understand that am not complaining OF
the rule, that l find no fault with the
modus employed by the doctors in
reaching their ultimate standard OF
Judgment respecting the choice of the
remedies they use; in fact, it might be
freely conceded that none better could,
or, can be, suggested, and for this ar
gument do concede that the rule the
doctors have adopted is the very climax
of human precaution touching a sub
iect that human reason cannot compass;
and | refer to this rule, not to criticiSe
or lessen it's force, but simply to invite
all who are satisfied with such test Of
the virtues of material medicine to try
by the same rule the medicinal virtues
or healing power of Christian Science.
Some facts respecting the practice of
Christian Science will aid you in reach
ing a conclusion respecting its medlci-
nal virtue. This science has been prac-
ticed in this country for about a third
of century, in very limited way for
while, but for the last two decades
quite extensively, so that now its prac-
titionerS are numbered by tens of thou
sands, and its patients by hundreds of
thousands. Within 25 years, in the
United States alone, quite 1,000,0 in
Guiding both sexes and all ages, in
every variety and condition of climate,
have been treated by Christian Science
methods and cured of all manner of
diseases, named and unnamed, sub
Stantially covering the whole range of
mortal Affections. There are some
failures, it is true, but the percentage
of these failures is many times smaller
than the percentage of failures under
methods of materia medica in any age
of the world. If we add to this state
ment of cases cured the fact that a
large proportion Of the cures effected
by Christian Science were of persons
confessedly beyond the reach of mater
ial remedies, we will have an expert
mental test of mental therapeutics,
Divine healing in every way more sat
isfactory and conclusive than is afforded
of the curative quality of any drug in
the whole history of medicine.
l submit this simple proposition: If,
as intelligent men and women, you may
determine the virtues of material medi-
cine by experiments; if, by human OBJ
Servation and experience you may ascer
tain satisfactorily to your reason the
efficacy of given drug, by percentage
of cures effected by its use, then is it not
clear beyond controversy that the same
test will measure with equal accuracy
the medical virtues of Christian Sciences
And in common fairness, and by the
logic of the axiom that "Things equal tC
the same things are equal to each other,
are you not driven by relentless logic tt
accept the hundreds of thousands Of
closely observed tests of the merit OF
mental medicine in forming your judg
ment of the curative force of Christian
Science? The time has long since pass
ed when any intellectual man, withou
n chonl1 tc bic p,nra1 coDca caD COW tho
Christian Science does not have its vic
tories over disease; that it does not re
store health; that it does not reclaim tn
drunkard; that it does not heal wound
of bone and flesh; that it does not Civ
vision to the eye and hearing to the ear
that it does not minister to the mine
diseased" In almost every city, yillag
and hamlet of our country, examples o
these cures exist, and may easily b
known by reasonable observation; Their
are many persons so healed i
this audience tonight. 1t is cOncede
that the practice of Christian Scienc
has not been an unbroken success; Their
have been some failures; not all treat
ments have resulted in perfect cures
there have been some fatalities, but theS
have been comparatively few, and as a
indication of how very few comparative
ly, let me tell you that in this countr
the states of Colorado, Nebraska, Mi:
souri,, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin
Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Penn
sylvania and New York present TIL
largest growth, organization and pra'
tce of Christian Science in the Unite
States, and comprise more than ont
half of the population of the entiI
country and yet, in the whole life {
Christian Science the aggregate fatal
ties under its practice in these twelv
states, during a period of 80 years, al
not equal to the deaths occurring unde
material medicine in any one week
the last two years, in the cities of Oh
cago and Greater New York. If this
true, is there any possible reason VIII
an intelligent man, having faith in tn
practice of material medicine by reaso
of experimental tests, should scorn t
be influenced by similar tests of Chri.
tian Science healing; and is it sati.
factory explanation for not doing S
for such an one to say to his mind mer
tai healing is unreasonable, becaus
beyond his comprehension, when it
evident that the same person, with a
the aid of medical science, would b
unutterably confused in an effort t
determine why pellet or powder G
lotion has wrought cure in any case
surely, it is the extreme of inconsis
ency for any man to pride himself upo
his wisdom in accepting as a basis {
action the result of an experiment i
the medicine of man, if he rejects lik
tests respecting the medicine of God.
address myself to all thinking peopl