christian science-第4章

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grease　in　it；　would　either　knock　my　ailments　out　of　me　in　twenty…four
hours；　or　so　interest　me　in　other　ways　as　to　make　me　forget　they　were　on
the　premises。　　He　administered　my　first　dose　himself；　then　took　his
leave；　saying　I　was　free　to　eat　and　drink　anything　I　pleased　and　in　any
quantity　I　liked。　　But　I　was　not　hungry　any　more；　and　did　not　care　for
food。

I　took　up　the　Christian　Science　book　and　read　half　of　it；　then　took　a
dipperful　of　drench　and　read　the　other　half。　　The　resulting　experiences
were　full　of　interest　and　adventure。　　All　through　the　rumblings　and
grindings　and　quakings　and　effervescings　accompanying　the　evolution　of
the　ache　into　the　botts　and　the　cold　into　the　blind　staggers　I　could　note
the　generous　struggle　for　mastery　going　on　between　the　mash　and　the
drench　and　the　literature；　and　often　I　could　tell　which　was　ahead；　and
could　easily　distinguish　the　literature　from　the　others　when　the　others
were　separate；　though　not　when　they　were　mixed；　for　when　a　bran…mash　and
an　eclectic　drench　are　mixed　together　they　look　just　like　the　Apodictical
Principle　out　on　a　lark；　and　no　one　can　tell　it　from　that。　　The　finish
was　reached　at　last；　the　evolutions　were　complete；　and　a　fine　success；
but　I　think　that　this　result　could　have　been　achieved　with　fewer
materials。　　I　believe　the　mash　was　necessary　to　the　conversion　of　the
stomach…ache　into　the　botts；　but　I　think　one　could　develop　the　blind
staggers　out　of　the　literature　by　itself；　also；　that　blind　staggers
produced　in　this　way　would　be　of　a　better　quality　and　more　lasting　than
any　produced　by　the　artificial　processes　of　the　horse…doctor。

For　of　all　the　strange　and　frantic　and　incomprehensible　and
uninterpretable　books　which　the　imagination　of　man　has　created；　surely
this　one　is　the　prize　sample。　　It　is　written　with　a　limitless　confidence
and　complacency；　and　with　a　dash　and　stir　and　earnestness　which　often
compel　the　effects　of　eloquence；　even　when　the　words　do　not　seem　to　have
any　traceable　meaning。　　There　are　plenty　of　people　who　imagine　they
understand　the　book；　I　know　this；　for　I　have　talked　with　them；　but　in　all
cases　they　were　people　who　also　imagined　that　there　were　no　such　things
as　pain；　sickness；　and　death；　and　no　realities　in　the　world；　nothing
actually　existent　but　Mind。　　It　seems　to　me　to　modify　the　value　of　their
testimony。　　When　these　people　talk　about　Christian　Science　they　do　as
Mrs。　Fuller　did：　they　do　not　use　their　own　language；　but　the　book's；　they
pour　out　the　book's　showy　incoherences；　and　leave　you　to　find　out　later
that　they　were　not　originating；　but　merely　quoting；　they　seem　to　know　the
volume　by　heart；　and　to　revere　it　as　they　would　a　Bible　another　Bible；
perhaps　I　ought　to　say。　　Plainly　the　book　was　written　under　the　mental
desolations　of　the　Third　Degree；　and　I　feel　sure　that　none　but　the
membership　of　that　Degree　can　discover　meanings　in　it。　　When　you　read　it
you　seem　to　be　listening　to　a　lively　and　aggressive　and　oracular　speech
delivered　in　an　unknown　tongue；　a　speech　whose　spirit　you　get　but　not　the
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