按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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