Chapter VI - Science, Theology, Medicine
Source of contagion
154:1
error in any form, and certainly we should not be error's
error in any form, and certainly we should not be error's
advocate.
Disease arises, like other mental conditions, from as-
sociation. Since it is a law of mortal mind that certain
diseases should be regarded as contagious, this law ob-
tains credit through association, – calling up the fear that
creates the image of disease and its consequent manifes-
tation in the body.
Imaginary cholera
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This fact in metaphysics is illustrated by the following
This fact in metaphysics is illustrated by the following
incident: A man was made to believe that he occupied a
bed where a cholera patient had died. Imme-
diately the symptoms of this disease appeared,
and the man died. The fact was, that he had not caught
the cholera by material contact, because no cholera patient
had been in that bed.
Children's ailments
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If a child is exposed to contagion or infection, the
If a child is exposed to contagion or infection, the
mother is frightened and says, "My child will be sick."
The law of mortal mind and her own fears gov-
ern her child more than the child's mind gov-
erns itself, and they produce the very results which might
have been prevented through the opposite understanding.
Then it is believed that exposure to the contagion wrought
the mischief.
154:24
That mother is not a Christian Scientist, and her affec-
That mother is not a Christian Scientist, and her affec-
tions need better guidance, who says to her child: "You
look sick," "You look tired," "You need rest," or "You
need medicine."
154:28
Such a mother runs to her little one, who thinks she has
Such a mother runs to her little one, who thinks she has
hurt her face by falling on the carpet, and says, moaning
more childishly than her child, "Mamma knows you are
hurt." The better and more successful method for any
mother to adopt is to say: "Oh, never mind! You're not