AT the end of 1886, the Christian Science movement was represented by a complexity of organizations. There were the Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, and a few churches at other places. There were also the Christian Scientist Association of the Massachusetts Metaphysical College, the National Christian Scientist Association, and minor Christian Scientist Associations composed of teachers and their pupils.
In January, 1887, a group of Christian Scientists, members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, instituted a further organized work named "Free Dispensary of Christian Science Healing." They declared their purpose in these words: "We, the undersigned, hereby associate ourselves for the purpose of promoting the spiritual and physical welfare of the worldly poor; to teach them better health and morals, and to show them by practical methods how to improve their condition and live the truest lives." For this purpose, rooms were engaged at 3 Boylston Place, Boston, just off Boylston Street between Park Square and Tremont Street.
Although the work thus begun in 1887 was carried on by members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, they appear to have acted independently. Their activity was not mentioned in The Christian Science Journal until March, 1889 (Vol. 6, p. 642), not long before it was discontinued because of a similar work organized directly under the auspices of the Church of Christ, Scientist. In June, 1889, the "Free Dispensary of Christian Science Healing" reported in the Journal (Vol. 7, p. 154) that between two hundred and three hundred persons had been treated, that "the results have been most cheering," and that the evening "talks" in the Dispensary's hall had been attended by audiences of from seventy to over one hundred people.
