In the June number of The Century, appeared an article under the above title, from the pen of Dr. J. M. Buckley, which should be welcomed by every Christian Scientist. Not that it alluded to Christian Science, for the author makes no mention of it or its teachings, and must be in ignorance of them; while he describes definitely the theory of a large majority of charlatans calling themselves mental healers. He gives to the public the results of more than thirty years' investigation of the various magnetic methods, both ancient and modern, for the relief of pain and disease. He seems to have been most faithful in his scrutiny of these methods. He publishes a letter from a gentleman, an eyewitness of some of the experiments and tests which Dr. Buckley gave as exhibitions of his own power in this line. At a sēance, Dr. Buckley succeeded in making a young woman violently ill, and was unable afterwards to overcome her fear and dislike of him. He deluded another young lady into believing herself in the absolute presence of a recently departed and beloved friend, with whom she conversed. The shock on awakening from the hypnotic sleep filled her with horror. The Doctor gives case after case to show how the same magnetizer could make whomsoever he chose sick or well, good or bad, at the beck of his own will. He proves in a most conclusive manner, giving testimony from sources whose reliability is not to be questioned, that if a subject can be sufficiently deluded, he may be relieved of every kind of disease, and even saved from death itself; nor does it appear to be of much account what the delusion has for a foundation. If the invalid can only fix his faith in or upon something which he believes will heal him, the cure can be wrought, says Dr. Buckley. This something may be similar to the famous thermometer of Sir Humphrey Davy, a lock of hair said to be cut from the head of the Virgin Mary, a simple drug, lotion, or a mock prayer. The earnest and faithful followers of Christian Science, so few in number, yet so fervent in their zeal to uplift humanity, may not have looked for an ally from this quarter but Dr. Buckley is an ally, though an unconscious one. His comprehensive and clear statistics are most interesting, since, after so long a search amongst supposed miraculous, supernatural and occult causes and effects, he declares these alleged occurrences, for the most part, to be atrocious frauds, and avers that all that is done in this direction is accomplished simply by a change effected in the patient's imagination or belief. Whatever the mental method of these cures be named, (and the name is legion,) Dr. Buckley finds the one thing neeeful on the part of the operator is "concentrated attention," and on the side of the subject, "confident expectancy," and he furthermore states, that the almost inevitable issue through contagion in this atmosphere is mental derangement.
