Recently, when reading the chapter entitled "Fruitage" in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, I was much impressed by the variety of troubles which are there shown to have been overcome simply by the reading of the textbook.
More than twenty years ago, when I was discussing some religious questions with a friend, Christian Science was referred to and I had to admit that I knew nothing of it although holding a university degree in theology. My friend thereupon recommended that I read the textbook and see what it was. As soon as I commenced to read, I realized that the contents were very different from the theology to which I had been accustomed. The chapter on Prayer especially attracted me and gave me a feeling that it had power behind it that I had never experienced before. For several weeks I read and reread the book at every opportunity from early morning until late at night, and although much of it seemed difficult to understand and a little of it aroused my criticism, I grasped some of it, and my thought was thereby influenced.
Several healings quickly followed. The first was of indigestion for which I had, for a long period, carried tablets and taken great care in selection of food. My fear of this trouble left me and with it the physical symptoms. Soon afterwards chronic constipation was overcome and medicines were discontinued. The third healing was of a skin rash, the medical name for which I do not know. For some months previous to obtaining the textbook I had been receiving medical treatment for this trouble. Daily application of lotions and ointments seemed to do no more than move it from one part of the body to another. The doctor then recommended exposure to strong light-ray treatment, but this had no effect. Little by little I ceased to have any confidence in the treatment and, when taking an extended holiday, decided to leave the ointments and lotions at home. Almost from the time that I made that decision the whole trouble vanished, and it has not appeared since.
