SICKNESS AND PRAYER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19328, 15 May 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

SICKNESS AND PRAYER.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS. A SCHOOLGIRL'S DEATH. CASE OF DIPHTHERIA. DELAY 1N T CALLING DOCTOR. The death of a schoolgirl, named Nancy Martin, aged nine, who had resided with her parents at Bromley, England, was inquired into recently by Mr. H. D. Sewell, coroner for West. Kent. The coroner, in opening the case, en id that apparently the child went to a hoarding school associated with Christian Science at Blackheath. While there on the previous Thursday she developed a sore throat. Miss Barnes, the head of the school, called in a medical man, who said he thought it was a little septic, and that she had better be sent home. The mother was a Christian Scientist, but the father did not belong to that order. The child was taken home, and a Christian Science practitioner was summoned. On the Saturday, apparently, another Christian Scientist was called in. On Monday morning the child seemed dangerously ill, and Dr Cogswell was summoned. He formed the opinion that the child was almost dying from diptheiia. He called in the medical officer for Bromley, who confirmed the opinion. Later the child died from diphtheria. The medical officer for Greenwich went to the school and found another girl, who was removed, with diphtheria, to the hospital lie (tho coroner), understood that the medical officer took all steps at once to have the place disinfected and the' scholars examined.

Charles Henry Martin, the father, a retired bank manager, said lie. first heard that his daughter was not well on the Thursday morning by telephone. The child was brought home. She looked flushed, but gave the witness the impression of only wanting her mother His wife telephoned to a Christian Science practitioner. lie did not come, but gave her what they called absent treatment. The witness did not understand it himself. On the Friday evening the practitioner telephoned, and said he was going to America on the Saturday.

A Temporary Improvement. Witness, continuing, said that his wife communicated with another practitioner, who arrived on the Saturday afternoon. He saw the child in bed, and left after having given the treatment. They then continued what they called absent treatment both day and night, so he understood.

The coroner: That is by prayer or some thing like that, is it not ?

Witness: It is and it is not. It is a belief in God the Supreme Being of the Universe. Ido not understand the treatment at all.

Mr. Martin said that on the Sunday the child was so much better that she got out of bed herself and washed her far.® and hands. She begged her mother to give her a hot bath, and she had that bath. She then went back to bed. She was better all clay on Sunday, and in the evening, for the first time since she had the illness, she had a nice sleep for about an hour. His wife, who was in constant attendance on the child, came into his room on Monday morning and said she did not thing the child was so well When ho saw her he was shocked at the change. Dr. Cogswell was sent for and said that she was in extremis. ... The coroner: If you had had any idea the child was so seriously ill would you have called u doctor ? —I should have called a doctor at once and my wife would have upheld me, although she does not believe the same as 1 do. A solicitor: Was this vour onlv child ? Yes.

Up to Sunday night did you think she was getting better?—On the Sunday night I thought she was getting better. 1 don't know whether 1 thought she would recover, but she was better.

Did you think there was the slightest need to have a tiiedical man?-—At. that time I did not, but 1 had my doubts before. I must confess about that.

Mrs. Martin said she telephoned to a Christian Scientist when the child was brought home, and the work was begun the moment she ceased speaking.

The coroner: What is the nature of the treatment?— That is a deep question. When we are healers ourselves we can answer that. After a pause witness answered the word " prayer." Mother's Belief in Prayer. Mrs. Martin said that the name of the first practitioner was Commander Burt. She telephoned to him for immediate prayer. The next day the little girl had improved. Afterwards a Mr. Cousins was called in and saw the child, and he told her to telephone if she wanted more help in the night. In the morning she telephoned him again and told him -hat the child had not had much sleep during the night and she thought it would be nice if she could Lave sleep during the day. lie continued helping her. The coroner: By prayer, you mean?— Yes. Always by prayer. And prayer alone?— Yes. Oh, absolutely—prayer and prayer alone. She was much better on the Sunday. The coroner: If you had known that the child was suffering from diphtheria would you have still persisted in relying on the Christian Science treatment? Mrs. Martin said that she would have had a medical man, but she would have continued with prayer, which no one could gainsay. But she would have telephoned for a doctor at once, as in a former case when the child had whooping cough. A juryman asked witness if she knew that, had she called a medical adviser, the child would probably have been alive to-day.

Mrs. Martin replied: "It is a matter of opinion. I have known cases where friends have had specialists who had given them up and Christian Scientists' prayers have restored them to life. So you "see, one can never tell one way or another." Dr. P. D. Cogswell gave it as his opinion that death was due (o syncope from diphtheria. Replying to the coroner, the witness said the percentages of deaths from diphtheria were very small indeed, when antitoxin was administered early. Remarks by the Coroner.

The coroner, speaking lo the jury, said it, was a very sad case. The mother hold strange views from their point of view, hut yet deep religious views. It seemed to her that the power of prayer could do more than science hy the medical men. She honestly believed that now, but shedid go further and say that if she had known the child was suffering from diphtheria she would have called in a medical man at once, and also gone, on with Christian Science treatment. Was she guilty of such neglect as to make her criminally liable? 11 o did not think there was any suggestion of that. There was no doubt she was very I'ond of the child, but was very misguided. The jury returned a verdict, in accordance with the medical evidence.