Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-05

are those which are declared to be purely
functional enuroses and psychoses. Here
in lies the danger and also an assumption
which may be wrong. The list OF func-
tional diseases, once quite large, is always
diminishing, for We are constantly finding
organic changes formerly overlooked.
Sometimes the symptoms are reflected to a
healthy organ, and even habits remain
ing after the cause is removed. may de-
pend upon nerve changes, which will be
discovered in the future. 1t is not con-
cCivable that a perfect organism works
iniperfectly under normal stimuli. Hence
neurasthenia and psychastenia are now
generally recognized as due to abnormali-
ties in the protoplasm of the nerve cells,
often congcnital though sometimes a mere
matter of excessive expenditure or defec-
tive nutrition. or both. Hypothesis are like
balloons, and II not anchored TO the solid
material of disease they drift away. The
cure Of neurasthenia and the relief of It's
symptoms are two vastly different matters.
These cases constitute the great majority
of the cures" Of Christian science. though
many, being congenital detectives, are
wholly incurable. There has been a relief
of symptoms or even a transfer to some
other form. and though life has temporarily
1NNAA AAAA ~ - ~ ne AA'N
question is being asked as to whether the
ultimate results of the stimulating psychic
treatment will not make the last state
worse than the first and whether some of
those who need rest and food are not made
worse. 1t is claimed that the spiritual
treatment is soothing, but there is nothing
to equal the tremendous mental stimulus
of seeking aid from what has such a mys-
tic atmosphere, Yet 1t is quite possible
that such shocks, as in hysteria, serve to
start a new functioning which in it's turn
leads to better nutrition and restores
health.
The longevity of Inconsistencies is we'll
known. and II Is often said that the disease
prolongs life, though by that is meant
that the miserable sufferers, being unable
to exert themselves, give up the fight,
lessen the strains and avoid the myriad
Universities which carry off the more ro'
bust. In war time the weaklings live long
est because only soldiers are liable TO bullet
wounds. Both Christian Science and the
Emmanuel movement deal with a very
small percentage of invalids, and these
would live long anyway. For such reasons
the results of the Emmanuel clinic are
being keeuly studied Will the forlorn hope
that Worcester has found q means OF
bringing permanent relief 10 a large num-
Der of cases which generally wander from
doctor to doctor through a long complain
ing life,
The danger of a little knowledge is the
fault of Worcester's book, Religion and
Medicine for II contains errors ~ fact
and inference, is interlarded with bsselcss
assumptions. refers to theories discarded
thirty to fifty years ego. and mixes the
spiritual element with purely material mat
tiers. His former work on the Book OF
Genesis was so safe and sane that - was
hoped he would apply his great mental
power to the New Testament stories q
miraculous healing, but the only outcome
is an attempt to fit modern diagnoses To
cases which physicians cannot even recog-
nize as having existed. There is a curious
parallel between the alleged cures at LCur-
des or in a Christian Science church, with
those In the Mediterranean basin, recorded
some fifty to eighty years after the events,
from the traditions of illiterate creduloua
peasants. 1t Is also amazing that one
should reject the idea of demOniac posses
sion and accept the rest. The only thin
to do with these stories of cures is to treal
them in the same reverent way Worceste
has treated the stories of Genesis. thong
to be sure there is a growing body oi
Biblical students convinced Of The histories