The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-15
Christian Science and Medicine.
(By Alfred Farlow.)

(By Alfred Farlow)
So much has been said concerning a
death under Christian Science treatment,
it has occurred to me that general
review of this subject might be inter
esting to the readers of The Times. To
sustain the charge of manslaughter In
any case, it will be necessary to prove
first, that there is little or no efficacy
in Christian Science, and. secondly, that
dependence upon materia medica is II
sure cure or an approximation there
| to. If it can be shown that even one
| in a similar condition and like environ
ments mas died under medical treatment,
the possibility that the one in question
would likewise have died under medical
treatment has been established and there
is left no ground for the assumption that
the patient would have lived if it had
been under tho treatment or NJ. D5
Though some doctors, through prejudice
or want of experience, might make the
reckless assertion that tho life Of i
given child could have been saved by
medicine, tho moro conservative and
broad minded physicians would declare.
Very likely the child would have died
anyway under the care OF an NJ. D..
and possibly it might have died sooner.
Furthermore, the II. D's., urging prosecu-
ton under the plea of philanthropy, would
scarcely be willing to say that the 10 00H
children under the age Of five years that
died in New York city during a period of
six months could have been saved with
proper treatment. They will probably
claim, and truthfully So that they had
the best of care and all possible, from
medical standpoint, was done to save
them. Since Christian Science has saved
many after they had exhausted all hope
in material remedies. ii is possible that
a large per cent of these 10000 chill
dren could have been saved through the
application of Christian Science.
Our friends, the few believers in medi-
cine who seek to prosecute Christian
Scientists, should not forget the old adasc
Charity begins at home" They should
indict the NJ. DIS. and parents CON
&C rned in the 10000 innocent children
who died in greater New York in six
months, and then afterward turn their
attention to the one case which died in
a family in which the same Christian
Scientist healed three cases of diphtheria
and in which four children died form
erly under medical care. There Is moth
proceedings as we have lately witnessed
ere for the purpose of saving the lives
CO children, for while the prosecutors in
the case seek to establish the claim that
one child died of neglect they offer
falliblo substitute. Do they consider
that when they wrest from them their
privilege of depending upon the omnipo-
tence of God as a means of health, and
G., To hot hOI
OF curing under which millions of their
neighbors have died, they are doing a
charitable act toward Christian Scent-
lists? Do they believe that when they
seek to inflame the entire country against
Christian Scientists because they have
lost one case, while at the same, time
the schools which they advocate have
lost LAS cases Of the same character,
fair minded people will for an instant,
consider them working Tor the public
welfare?
1t should be remembered. furthermore,
that when the charge of manslaughter is
made, the burden of proof lies with those
who make the charge, and it Is ror them
to prove that Christian Science is not
effcacious and that a. dependence upon
tho regular medical systems is abso-
lutely safe. IT must be evident to all
thinking people that those waging such
prosecutions have before them n stupen-
dous task and that they have commenced
the battle at very inopportune time.
Instead of choosing n time when the
Christian Scientists have lost one case,
while the systems when they advocate
have lost Las, they should have waited
for that period when the Christian
Scientists have a loss of las and the
VI. DIS. one.
Even now, after having lost one child
under Christian Science treatment. the
testimony in one family is overwhelm-
rgly in favor of Christian Science, since
four have died in the family under medi-
cal treatment and only one under Chris
tian Science None of the family were
healed through material remedies, while
three have been healed of diphtheria I'M
der Christian Science, and the mother
of valvular heart trouble and dropsy.
1t has been said that the Scientists by
their methods are likely to spread con
tGgious diseases. and yet with all the
noise that has been made it has not
been shown in a single instance that
the Christian Scientists are responsible
for the spreading of disease outside of
their own families. In the place above
mentioned the Christian Scientist healed
three eases of diphther;a in the family
and checked the spreading of disease
which evidently was contracted from
those who are not Christian Scientists.