christian science-第4节

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particulars；　or；　to　change　the　figure；　you　seem　to　be　listening　to　a
vigorous　instrument　which　is　making　a　noise　which　it　thinks　is　a　tune；
but　which；　to　persons　not　members　of　the　band；　is　only　the　martial
tooting　of　a　trombone；　and　merrily　stirs　the　soul　through　the　noise；　but
does　not　convey　a　meaning。

The　book's　serenities　of　self…satisfaction　do　almost　seem　to　smack　of　a
heavenly　origin　they　have　no　blood…kin　in　the　earth。　　It　is　more　than
human　to　be　so　placidly　certain　about　things；　and　so　finely　superior；　and
so　airily　content　with　one's　performance。　　Without　ever　presenting
anything　which　may　rightfully　be　called　by　the　strong　name　of　Evidence；
and　sometimes　without　even　mentioning　a　reason　for　a　deduction　at　all；　it
thunders　out　the　startling　words；　〃I　have　Proved〃　so　and　so。　　It　takes
the　Pope　and　all　the　great　guns　of　his　Church　in　battery　assembled　to
authoritatively　settle　and　establish　the　meaning　of　a　sole　and　single
unclarified　passage　of　Scripture；　and　this　at　vast　cost　of　time　and　study
and　reflection；　but　the　author　of　this　work　is　superior　to　all　that：　she
finds　the　whole　Bible　in　an　unclarified　audition；　and　at　small　expense　of
time　and　no　expense　of　mental　effort　she　clarifies　it　from　lid　to　lid；
reorganizes　and　improves　the　meanings；　then　authoritatively　settles　and
establishes　them　with　formulas　which　you　cannot　tell　from　〃Let　there　be
light！〃　and　〃Here　you　have　it！〃　It　is　the　first　time　since　the　dawn…days
of　Creation　that　a　Voice　has　gone　crashing　through　space　with　such　placid
and　complacent　confidence　and　command。

＇January；　1903。　　The　first　reading　of　any　book　whose　terminology　is
new　and　strange　is　nearly　sure　to　leave　the　reader　in　a　bewildered　and
sarcastic　state　of　mind。　　But　now　that；　during　the　past　two　months；　I
have；　by　diligence　gained　a　fair　acquaintanceship　with　Science　and　Health
technicalities；　I　no　longer　find　the　bulk　of　that　work　hard　to
understand。M。　　T。＇

P。S。　　The　wisdom　harvested　from　the　foregoing　thoughts　has　already　done
me　a　service　and　saved　me　a　sorrow。　　Nearly　a　month　ago　there　came　to　me
from　one　of　the　universities　a　tract　by　Dr。　　Edward　Anthony　Spitzka　on
the　〃Encephalic　Anatomy　of　the　Races。〃　　I　judged　that　my　opinion　was
desired　by　the　university；　and　I　was　greatly　pleased　with　this　attention
and　wrote　and　said　I　would　furnish　it　as　soon　as　I　could。　　That　night　I
put　my　plodding　and　disheartening　Christian　Science　mining　aside　and　took
hold　of　the　matter。　　I　wrote　an　eager　chapter；　and　was　expecting　to
finish　my　opinion　the　next　day；　but　was　called　away　for　a　week；　and　my
mind　was　soon　charged　with　other　interests。　　It　was　not　until　to…day；
after　the　lapse　of　nearly　a　month；　that　I　happened　upon　my　Encephalic
chapter　again。　　Meantime；　the　new　wisdom　had　come　to　me；　and　I　read　it
with　shame。　　I　recognized　that　I　had　entered　upon　that　work　in　far　from
the　right　temper　far　from　the　respectful　and　judicial　spirit　which　was
its　due　of　reverence。　　I　had　begun　upon　it　with　the　following　paragraph
for　fuel：

〃FISSURES　OF　THE　PARIETAL　AND　OCCIPITAL　LOBES　（LATERAL　SURFACE）。The
Postcentral　Fissural　ComplexIn　this　hemicerebrum；　the　postcentral　and
subcentral　are　combined　to　form　a　continuous　fissure；　attaining　a　length
of　8。5　cm。　　Dorsally；　the　fissure　bifurcates；　embracing　the　gyre　indented
by　the　caudal　limb　of　the　paracentral。　　The　caudal　limb　of　the
postcentral　is　joined　by　a　transparietal　piece。　　In　all；　five　additional
rami　spring　from　the　combined　fissure。　　A　vadum　separates　it　from　the
parietal；　another　from　the　central。〃

It　humiliates　me；　now；　to　see　how　angry　I　got　over　that；　and　how
scornful。　　I　said　that　the　style　was　disgraceful；　that　it　was　labored　and
tumultuous；　and　in　places　violent；　that　the　treatment　was　involved　and
erratic；　and　almost；　as　a　rule；　bewildering；　that　to　lack　of　simplicity
was　added　a　lack　of　vocabulary；　that　there　was　quite　too　much　feeling
shown；　that　if　I　had　a　dog　that　would　get　so　excited　and　incoherent　over
a　tranquil　subject　like　Encephalic　Anatomy　I　would　not　pay　his　tax；　and
at　that　point　I　got　excited　myself　and　spoke　bitterly　of　these　mongrel
insanities；　and　said　a　person　might　as　well　try　to　understand　Science　and
Health。

＇I　know；　now；　where　the　trouble　was；　and　am　glad　of　the　interruption　that
saved　me　from　sending　my　verdict　to　the　university。　　It　makes　me　cold　to
think　what　those　people　might　have　thought　of　me。M。　　T。＇




CHAPTER　IV

No　one　doubtscertainly　not　Ithat　the　mind　exercises　a　powerful
influence　over　the　body。　　From　the　beginning　of　time；　the　sorcerer；　the
interpreter　of　dreams；　the　fortune…teller；　the　charlatan；　the　quack；　the
wild　medicine…man；　the　educated　physician；　the　mesmerist；　and　the
hypnotist　have　made　use　of　the　client's　imagination　to　help　them　in　their
work。　　They　have　all　recognized　the　potency　and　availability　of　that
force。　　Physicians　cure　many　patients　with　a　bread　pill；　they　know　that
where　the　disease　is　only　a　fancy；　the　patient's　confidence　in　the　doctor
will　make　the　bread　pill　effective。

Faith　in　the　doctor。　　Perhaps　that　is　the　entire　thing。　　It　seems　to　look
like　it。　　In　old　times　the　King　cured　the　king's　evil　by　the　touch　of　the
royal　hand。　　He　frequently　made　extraordinary　cures。　　Could　his　footman
have　done　it？　　Nonot　in　his　own　clothes。　　Disguised　as　the　King；　could
he　have　done　it？　　I　think　we　may　not　doubt　it。　　I　think　we　may　feel　sure
that　it　was　not　the　King's　touch　that　made　the　cure　in　any　instance；　but
the　patient's　faith　in　the　efficacy　of　a　King's　touch。　　Genuine　and
remarkable　cures　have　been　achieved　through　contact　with　the　relics　of　a
saint。　　Is　it　not　likely　that　any　other　bones　would　have　done　as　well　if
the　substitution　had　been　concealed　from　the　patient？　　When　I　was　a　boy　a
farmer's　wife　who　lived　five　miles　from　our　village　had　great　fame　as　a
faith…doctorthat　was　what　she　called　herself。　　Sufferers　came　to　her
from　all　around；　and　she　laid　her　hand　upon　them　and　said；　〃Have　faith
it　is　all　that　is　necessary；〃　and　they　went　away　well　of　their　ailments。
She　was　not　a　religious　woman；　and　pretended　to　no　occult　powers。　　She
said　that　the　patient's　faith　in　her　did　the　work。　　Several　times　I　saw
her　make　immediate　cures　of　severe　toothaches。　　My　mother　was　the
patient。　　In　Austria　there　is　a　peasant　who　drives　a　great　trade　in　this
sort　of　industry；　and　has　both　the　high　and　the　low　for　patients。　　He
gets　into　prison　every　now　and　then　for　practising　without　a　diploma；　but
his　business　is　as　brisk　as　ever　when　he　gets　out；　for　his　work　is
unquestionably　successful　and　keeps　his　reputation　high。　　In　Bavaria
there　is　a　man　who　performed　so　many　great　cures　that　he　had　to　retire
from　his　profession　of　stage…carpentering　in　order　to　meet　the　demand　of
his　constantly　increasing　body　of　customers。　　He　goes　on　from　year　to
year　doing　his　miracles；　and　has　become　very　rich。　　He　pretends　to　no
religious　helps；　no　supernatural　aids；　but　thinks　there　is　something　in
his　make…up　which　inspires　the　confidence　of　his　patients；　and　that　it　is
this　confidence　which　does　the　work；　and　not　some　mysterious　power
issuing　from　himself。

Within　the　last　quarter　of　a　century；　in　America；　several　sects　of　curers
have　appeared　under　various　names　and　have　done　notable　things　in　the　way
of　healing　ailments　without　the　use　of　medicines。　　There　are　the　Mind
Cure　the　Faith　Cure；　the　Prayer　Cure；　the　Mental　Science　Cure；　and　the
Christian…Science　Cure；　and　apparently　they　all　do　their　miracles　with
the　same　old；　powerful　instrumentthe　patient's　imagination。　　Differing
names；　but　no　difference　in　the　process。　　But　they　do　not　give　that
instrument　the　credit；　each　sect　claims　that　its　way　differs　from　the
ways　of　the　others。

They　all　achieve　some　cures；　there　is　no　question　about　it；　and　the　Faith
Cure　and　the　Prayer　Cure　probably　do　no　harm　when　they　do　no　good；　since
they　do　not　forbid　the　patient　to　help　out　the　cure　with　medicines　if　he
wants　to；　but　the　others　bar　medicines；　and　claim　ability　to　cure　every
conceivable　human　ailment　through　the　application　of　their　mental　forces
alone。　　There　would　seem　to　be　an　element　of　danger　here。　　It　has　the
look　of　claiming　too　much；　I　think。　　Public　confidence　would　probably　be
increased　if　less　were　claimed。

The　Christian　Scientist　was　not　able　to　cure　my　stomach…ache　and　my　cold；
but　the　horse…doctor　did　it。　　This　convinces　me　that　Christian　Science
claims　too　much。　　In　my　opinion　it　ought　to　let　diseases　alone　and
confine　itself　to　surgery。　　There　it　would　have　everything　its　own　way。

The　horse…doctor　charged　me　thirty　kreutzers；　and　I　paid　him；　in　fact；　I
doubled　it　and　gave　him　a　shilling。　　Mrs。　Fuller　brought　in　an　itemized
bill　for　a　crate　of　broken　bones　mended　in　two　hundred　and　thirty…four
placesone　dollar　per　fracture。

〃Nothing　exists　but　Mind？〃

〃Nothing；〃　she　answered。　　〃All　else　is　substanceless；　all　else　is
imaginary。〃

I　gave　her　an　imaginary　check；　and　now　she　is　suing　me　for　substantial
dollars。　　It　looks　inconsistent。




CHAPTER　V

Let　us　consider　that　we　are　all　partially　insane。　　It　will　explain　us　to
each　other；　it　will　unriddle　many　riddles；　it　will　make　clear　and　simple
many　thi