Toronto, Dec. 8th, 1895.
Rev. Mary B. Eddy.
Dear Mother:— I thought perhaps it might be interesting to hear just a little of the proceeding in the trial we have just been meeting in the case of the student who was indicted for manslaughter, because a little boy passed away while under her treatment. It was tried at the Assizes Wednesday Dec. 4th. The mother of the boy was first witness for the prosecution, then the father. They told how they had been led to have Christian Science treatment for their family. The father had lain for six weeks with sciatica, under one of the best M. D.'s care. He told him finally if there was any other help he could get to do so, as he could do nothing more. He— Mr. Beck— then sent for Mr. Stewart and after receiving the third treatment he came down stairs. With three more he went back to work in a cold shop. That is over seven years ago and he has never had the slightest return of it, and has never had another treatment. For about three years this student had treated in the family the different members that had required help, always with good success. Some other members of the household then testified. Following these were the Coroner and two medical doctors who had made the post mortem examination. They claimed in their evidence that had a medical doctor been called and given the usual treatment for diphtheria the child's life might have been prolonged. When cross-questioned, they admitted that they had lost many cases of diphtheria after having applied all the remedies they knew of in the medical practise.
