June, 1902 (McClure's Magazine, February, 1908, p. 399), a con- tributor very sensibly writes: "Do not Scientists make a mistake in conveying the impression, or, what is the same thing, letting an impression go uncorrected, that those in Science are never sick, that they never have any ailments or troubles to contend with? There is no Scientist who at all times is wholly exempt from aches and pains or from trials of some kind." The "Scientists, " of course, are between the two horns of a dilemma, for how can they "deny" sickness without "denying" it ! A physician gives this account of an experience of his own with this stoicism of denial (The New Church Review, 1908, vol. XV, p. 419): "I was called to a Christian Scien- tist who was supposed to be sick. I found her hard at work in the kitchen, for she was a boarding-house keeper. I asked her where she felt sick, and she said 'nowhere.' I asked her if she had any pain, and she replied, 'none,' and that she felt as well as usual. I found her carrying a high fever and both lungs becoming solid with pneumonia. I called her husband aside and told him she was probably nearly through, but that she ought to go to bed and be cared for. She insisted upon remaining up and making some bis- cuit for supper, and did so. She soon lapsed into unconsciousness, and passed away. Just before her consciousness left her, she told me she did have pains and did feel sick, but was taught not to say so, and what was more, to persuade herself it was not so, and that her disease was only an illusion." And then this physician adds: "I speak frankly, as the need is, but I have seen those of this belief with heart disease, saying they were well, yet suffering week after week, till death released them. I have seen them with malignant growths becoming steadily worse, but as I inquired about them I was told they were getting better, and the growth was disappearing; but only for the undertaker to inform me a little later of their loathsome condition. I have seen children . . . hurried down to an untimely grave with appendicitis, while being told practically that there was nothing the matter with them."
53. Observe the case of permitting a baby to die, reprinted in McClure's Magazine, October, 1907, pp. 693 ff., from the Christian Science Journal of March, 1889, p. 637; but most people will be satisfied if they will but glance over the sixty-eight cases of Chris- tian Science treatments collected by Stephen Paget in pp. 151-180 of his The Faith and Works of Christian Science. He closes with a scathing arraignment based on what he, as a physician, finds in them (p. 180): "Of course, to see the full iniquity of these cases, the reader should be a doctor, or should go over them with a doc- tor. But everybody, doctor or not, can feel the cruelty, born of
MIND-CURE 323
fear of pain, in some of these Scientists — the downright madness threatening not a few of them — and the appalling self-will. They bully dying women, and let babies die in pain; let cases of paralysis tumble about and hurt themselves; rob the epileptic of their bro- mide, the syphilitic of their iodide, the angina cases of their amyl- nitrate, the heart cases of their digitalis; let appendicitis go on to septic peritonitis, gastric ulcer to perforation of the stomach, ne- phritis to uraemic convulsions, and strangulated hernia to the miserere mei of gangrene; watch day after day, while a man or a woman slowly bleeds to death; compel them who should be kept still to take exercise; and withhold from all cases of cancer all hope of cure. To these works of the devil they bring their one gift, wilful and complete ignorance; and their 'nursing' would be a farce if it were not a tragedy. Such is the way of Christian Science, face to face, as she loves to be, with bad cases of organic disease." For the legal questions involved, see William A. Purrington, Christian Science, an Exposition of Mrs. Eddy's wonderful Discovery, including the Legal Aspects: a Plea for Children and other helpless Sick, 1900.
54. Ed. 1906, p. 12. N
55. Ed. 1899, p. 34.
56. American Journal of Psychology, X, 1 908-1 909, p. 435.
57. See McClure's Magazine, May, 1907, p. 103, cited above, note 41.
58. Ed. 1899, p. 443.
59. Ibid.
60. Ed. 1899, pp. 49-51.
61. P. 70.
62. Marcus Aurelius says: "Do not suppose you are hurt and your complaint ceases. Cease your complaint and you are not hurt."
63. Mesmerism and Christian Science, p. 282.
64. McClure's Magazine, June, 1908, p. 184.
65. Ed. 1899, p. 118.
66. Ed. 1881, I, p. 269.
67. Ed. 1899, p. 411.
68. Ed. 1903, p. 174.
69. McClure's Magazine, June, 1908, p. 184; cf. Science and Health, ed. 1906, pp. 382-383; ed. 1899, p. 381.
70. Miscellaneous Writings, p. 288.
71. P. 289.
72. Science and Health, ed. 1891, p. 529, and subsequent editions up to and including 1906.
73. Ed. 1881, II, p. 152: "Until the spiritual creation is dis-
324 NOTES TO LECTURE VI