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RE: MBE's said addiction to morphine

Do_Go_Be_Man — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 04:38:40 GMT

I'm somewhat uncomfortable criticizing MBE on the topic of alleged morphine addiction. Maybe she was addicted, however, I haven't yet seen anything definitive on the subject and not sure it would be relevant anyway.

MBE lived in a time when substances such as morphine were not understood or controlled as they are now. Use of morphine and cocaine carried little or no social stigma. Alcohol and coffee were considered bad. Another 19th Century invention, Coca-Cola, began as a tonic containing cocaine that even temperance workers used to refresh themselves as they fought to ban alcohol (at least so says the History Channel).

If she had been addicted to morphine, she may not have seen the need for healing or that it was medicine. It could also explain some of her teaching against material medica knowing the impact it had on her.

From my perspective, the speculative issue of alleged morphine addiction comes a little too close to an ad hominem attack. It's rare for me to defend her, but MBE's writings and denial of Biblical veracity provide sufficient concern regarding CS. Those can be verified and are relevant to understanding the hazards of following her leadership.

Do Go Be Man
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RE: MBE's said addiction to morphine

Linda — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:43:14 GMT

Using amazon.com's "search inside this book" feature, I did some quick looking in three recent books on CS/Mrs. Eddy to see what they say about the morphine.

I searched:

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Baker-Eddy-Radcliffe-Biography/dp/0738202274/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product]Mary Baker Eddy[/url], by Gillian Gill

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Away-Stone-Challenge-Materialism/dp/0253346738/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199062258&sr=8-1]Rolling Away the Stone[/url], by Stephen Gottaschalk

[url=http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Perfect-Child-Christian-Science/dp/0805044310/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199078566&sr=8-2]God's Perfect Child[/url], by Caroline Fraser

From what I saw, it looks like there were some accusations about Mrs. Eddy being addicted to morphine in mid-life, but not much hard evidence. It is clear that she received morphine injections several times very late in life when she was passing kidney stones or suffereing with what Gill says might have been pnemonia or bronchitis. Frye's diary does mention "the old morphine habit," (diary entry May 9, 1910), but Gill says that his other writings do not suggest addiction.

To see what Gill says, click on the link to Gill's book I provide above. Then click on "Search inside this book" under the book's picture, seach on "morphine," and then click on the links to pages 215, 447, and 545-546.)

Gottschalk has good discussion on the subject on pages 349-353 (as above, just click on the link I provide and then do a search on "morphine." )

A similar search for Fraser's book yields reference to her occasional (not habitual) use of morphine.

I'm giving you these references so you can do some reading for yourself rather than just relying on my summary. The topic has been disputed enough that I'd rather you see what the authors say for themselves.

My own feeling is that, however she may have used morphine earlier in life (keeping in mind that morphine was commonly used in her day), she was not addicted later in life. She did use it upon occasion, though.

RE: MBE's said addiction to morphine

Gentle Dove — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:06:27 GMT

Was it in Calvin Frye's writings, which the church refused to publish? I was also taught that she justified it by saying that if the pain was so excruciating that one could not think, it was ok to take them to regain the ability to think clearly.