It has been my happy experience to witness, these past few months, the healing, through Christian Science treatment, of a serious case of consumption. Early this year, a member of my family received a letter from a young man, an inmate of one of our hospitals, asking for a little financial help, as he was "dying of consumption," and needed a few comforts not supplied by the hospital. I was asked to investigate and see if the condition was as serious as the young man thought, before complying with his request.
Calling at the hospital, I first saw the resident physician, who stated that Mr. T. was certainly seriously ill with consumption, and that he could live but a few months. I was directed to his ward, where I found him dressed, but lying on his bed. He was pale, emaciated, weak. He told me that several doctors had pronounced him incurable; that a prominent physician, and specialist on lung trouble here in San Francisco, had said that his remedies could do him no good; one lung was gone, and there was no help. "It is hard to die so young!" said he. (His age is about twenty-four.)
As I sat looking at him, remembering something of his past life and of the death of his mother a few years ago with the same disease; and as I realized that he was surrounded by doctors and nurses, and that the general verdict had been, "No help," I thought, "Is it worth while to speak of Christian Science to him?" After a moment I said, "Why not fool all these doctors and live?" Then I told him I was a Christian Scientist, and that consumption had been cured by Christian Science treatment.
