christian science-第4部分

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！


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　things　which　are　involved　in　haunting　and　harassing　difficulties　and
obscurities　now。

Those　of　us　who　are　not　in　the　asylum；　and　not　demonstrably　due　there；
are　nevertheless；　no　doubt；　insane　in　one　or　two　particulars。　　I　think　we
must　admit　this；　but　I　think　that　we　are　otherwise　healthy…minded。　　I
think　that　when　we　all　see　one　thing　alike；　it　is　evidence　that；　as
regards　that　one　thing；　our　minds　are　perfectly　sound。　　Now　there　are
really　several　things　which　we　do　all　see　alike；　things　which　we　all
accept；　and　about　which　we　do　not　dispute。　　For　instance；　we　who　are
outside　of　the　asylum　all　agree　that　water　seeks　its　level；　that　the　sun
gives　light　and　heat；　that　fire　consumes；　that　fog　is　damp；　that　six
times　six　are　thirty…six；　that　two　from　ten　leaves　eight；　that　eight　and
seven　are　fifteen。　　These　are；　perhaps；　the　only　things　we　are　agreed
about；　but；　although　they　are　so　few；　they　are　of　inestimable　value；
because　they　make　an　infallible　standard　of　sanity。　　Whosoever　accepts
them　him　we　know　to　be　substantially　sane；　sufficiently　sane；　in　the
working　essentials；　sane。　　Whoever　disputes　a　single　one　of　them　him　we
know　to　be　wholly　insane；　and　qualified　for　the　asylum。

Very　well；　the　man　who　disputes　none　of　them　we　concede　to　be　entitled　to
go　at　large。　　But　that　is　concession　enough。　　We　cannot　go　any　further
than　that；　for　we　know　that　in　all　matters　of　mere　opinion　that　same　man
is　insanejust　as　insane　as　we　are；　just　as　insane　as　Shakespeare　was。
We　know　exactly　where　to　put　our　finger　upon　his　insanity：　it　is　where
his　opinion　differs　from　ours。

That　is　a　simple　rule；　and　easy　to　remember。　　When　I；　a　thoughtful　and
unblessed　Presbyterian；　examine　the　Koran；　I　know　that　beyond　any
question　every　Mohammedan　is　insane；　not　in　all　things；　but　in　religious
matters。　　When　a　thoughtful　and　unblessed　Mohammedan　examines　the
Westminster　Catechism；　he　knows　that　beyond　any　question　I　am　spiritually
insane。　　I　cannot　prove　to　him　that　he　is　insane；　because　you　never　can
prove　anything　to　a　lunaticfor　that　is　a　part　of　his　insanity　and　the
evidence　of　it。　　He　cannot　prove　to　me　that　I　am　insane；　for　my　mind　has
the　same　defect　that　afflicts　his。　　All　Democrats　are　insane；　but　not　one
of　them　knows　it；　none　but　the　Republicans　and　Mugwumps　know　it。　　All　the
Republicans　are　insane；　but　only　the　Democrats　and　Mugwumps　can　perceive
it。　　The　rule　is　perfect：　in　all　matters　of　opinion　our　adversaries　are
insane。　　When　I　look　around　me；　I　am　often　troubled　to　see　how　many
people　are　mad。　　To　mention　only　a　few：

The　Atheist；　The　Theosophists；　The　Infidel；　The　Swedenborgians；　The
Agnostic；　The　Shakers；　The　Baptist；　The　Millerites；　The　Methodist；　The
Mormons；　The　Christian　Scientist；　The　Laurence　Oliphant　Harrisites；　The
Catholic；　and　the　115　Christian　sects；　the　Presbyterian　excepted；　The
Grand　Lama's　people；　The　Monarchists；　The　Imperialists；　The　72　Mohammedan
sects；　The　Democrats；　The　Republicans　（but　not　the　Mugwumps）；　The
Buddhist；　The　Blavatsky…Buddhist；　The　Mind…Curists；　The　Faith…Curists；
The　Nationalist；　The　Mental　Scientists；　The　Confucian；　The　Spiritualist；
The　Allopaths；　The　2000　East　Indian　sects；　The　Homeopaths；　The
Electropaths；　The　Peculiar　People；　The

But　there's　no　end　to　the　list；　there　are　millions　of　them！　　And　all
insane；　each　in　his　own　way；　insane　as　to　his　pet　fad　or　opinion；　but
otherwise　sane　and　rational。　　This　should　move　us　to　be　charitable
towards　one　another's　lunacies。　　I　recognize　that　in　his　special　belief
the　Christian　Scientist　is　insane；　because　he　does　not　believe　as　I　do；
but　I　hail　him　as　my　mate　and　fellow；　because　I　am　as　insane　as　he　insane
from　his　point　of　view；　and　his　point　of　view　is　as　authoritative　as　mine
and　worth　as　much。　　That　is　to　say；　worth　a　brass　farthing。　　Upon　a　great
religious　or　political　question；　the　opinion　of　the　dullest　head　in　the
world　is　worth　the　same　as　the　opinion　of　the　brightest　head　in　the
worlda　brass　farthing。　　How　do　we　arrive　at　this？　　It　is　simple。　　The
affirma