CHRISTIAN SCIENCE 223 



nounced not dangerous to the neighbors or likely to result fatally to 

 the patient. It is for this reason that there is justification for the 

 movement to restrict the practise of mental medicine, which would 

 otherwise be an unwarrantable interference with individual liberty. It 

 would seem possible to compromise the various warring interests, by 

 requiring all mental healers to pass an examination, before receiving 

 a license, in anatomy, physiology and diagnosis. 



The whole subject is one which calls for tolerance and impartiality. 

 Both sides claim too much. We have reason to believe that a very 

 large proportion of all maladies can be materially assisted by mental 

 healing, either alone or in connection with medical treatment. Even 

 surgical and infectious cases may be benefited by improving the general 

 tone and keeping up the spirits of the patient. In many ailments, 

 however, this system is absolutely useless, while in another class regu- 

 lar treatment is unavailing, and mental methods are likely to succeed. 

 It is a hopeful sign that a few physicians are devoting themselves to 

 mental therapeutics, and that others send their nervous patients to the 

 christian scientists. There is a field for both, and the two schools 

 ought to work in harmony. One great bar to this is the prejudice, not 

 only of the medical profession, but of the more intelligent portion of 

 the community, against the new system, well founded, without doubt, 

 on manifold errors, abuses and unreasonable claims. On the other 

 hand, while there is much in the philosophy of christian science which 

 is satisfactory to many minds, especially the portions resembling the 

 Hindu beliefs as developed by Kant, the rest is illogical and irrational, 

 and can not be accepted by thinking intellects. 



The christian scientists have undoubtedly made many useful ad- 

 vances, mostly by pure empiricism, but these results are not essen- 

 tially bound up with the christian science beliefs, and can be applied 

 fully as well by any of the other christian churches. These methods 

 can be studied, and are at the service of any one who will take the 

 trouble to master them. It is a fact that they will work just as well 

 with a pagan religion as with a christian one, as a doctor can cure a 

 Chinaman of malaria as readily as an American. On the other hand, 

 while the processes of mental healing can be applied by any one, and are 

 being used daily unconsciously by many medical men, yet the essential 

 elements are more easily furnished by the church, and it is most encour- 

 aging that one of the episcopal churches in Boston is adopting mental 

 healing with gratifying success. The emotional nature of man, which 

 controls mental healing, is intimately connected with his higher aspira- 

 tions, and belongs rather to the domain of religion than to that of 

 medicine. 



