A MAN, accompanied by his sixteen year old son and a physician, came to our home one day, and told me they had just returned from a clinic, held at a nearby city.

The young man had been suffering from empyema following pneumonia. After being examined by twenty physicians the diagnosis revealed that the empyema had resolved itself into a chronic absess and that the entire cavity formerly occupied by the right lung was nothing but a pus sac.

The condition had developed to a stage where no cure could be offered. It was suggested that a silver tube be inserted and the absess drained, but that he would probably have to wear this tube as long as he lived and the drainage would be continuous. Later events proved that they did not expect him to live very long.

After the boy had gone to another room, the physician said, “We have brought to you a pile of junk from the scrap heap of life. I don’t believe you can do anything for him, but I know that medical profession cannot, so I turn him over to you as a last resort.” The father said, “I hold you responsible in no way. I fully realize his condition, and I would rather that he die than exist in his present condition or with a chronic draining absess.”

We told them we would take the case and do what we could, on condition that we had full and complete charge, with no other treatment or no interference in any way. As no one else offered any hope this was readily agreed to.

There wasn’t much to work on. He was hollow-chested, bent like an old man, and so emaciated and weak he could hardly stand.

Knowing that all creation begins in consciousness, we knew that appearances must be ignored and the inharmonious state of mental activity that produced this manifestation must be searched for and an opposite state of mind established, or rather another set of mental convictions.

Pneumonia comes on suddenly, therefore there must have been sudden shock to the mental and emotional life of this boy. The nature of the disease indicates the kind of shock this must have been. The lungs and the respiratory tract are symbolic of inspiration