Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, written by Mary Baker Eddy was inspired by studies of the Bible she undertook in 1867 following a healing experience. Although Eddy claimed to have first privately published biblical studies as early as 1862 (Eddy, 1934 : pp. viii:24–32), she wrote that her discovery of Christian Science, which inspired the book, took place in 1866.

Copyright

1875–1934

The first edition was copyrighted in 1875 (Eddy, 1934 : p. ii) and went through more than four hundred revisions (Brosang, 1990 : p. 6) before Eddy's death in 1910. The copyright for Science and Health went through several renewals including a posthumous renewal in 1934 by the Christian Science Board of Directors (Eddy, 1934 : p. ii).

1971 to date

In 1971, at the urging of two Christian Scientists in the Richard Nixon administration, John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman, Congress extended the copyright on Science and Health by 75 years. Following a legal suit brought by Dr. David James Nolan of United Christian Scientists, this was found "offensively" unconstitutional in 1987 (MBE Institute, 2000), and private distributions have subsequently appeared.

In Public Domain

"Science and Health" has been in the public domain since 1987.