City Treatment Rooms and Missionary Work

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 10, 1916

City Treatment Rooms and Missionary Work

ONE of our oldest men nurses is C. L. Burlingame. He and D. T. Strickler purchased the men’s side of the Whiteis Baths at Columbus, Ohio, July 1, 1914. We have a brief summary report of their work, which shows encouraging figures.

The first six months the two brethren did all the work, giving 1,697 treatments, an average of 283 a month. The next six months there were given an average of 342 treatments a month, and the next six months the average number was 365. December of 1915 was the banner month, with 402 treatments. The total receipts for 1915 were over $5,000. The capacity was increased and facilities were added. Not much advertising is done, about ninety per cent of the business coming from satisfied patrons telling others.

We have several such enterprises, running successfully, affording self-supporting employment to workers and giving much opportunity for doing active missionary work in a personal way and in connection with the local church. Rightly conducted city treatment-room work is to be strongly recommended to those prepared to engage in it.

An encouraging paragraph comes in a letter from the New England Sanitarium at Melrose, Mass., as follows:— “A Mrs. ——, who has been coming to the sanitarium for a number of years, took her stand for the Sabbath truth before leaving a few days ago. She came into the office to say good-by, and told me something of her struggles over the question. She said that as far as she was concerned personally, she would much have preferred to go away quietly and say nothing in a public way, as she is of a rather timid disposition, but she finally decided to announce in morning worship her decision about the Sabbath, and she says the Lord helped her to make a clear statement in regard to the truth. This no doubt made a favorable impression upon the other patients assembled. These are some of the things that give us courage to press onward, believing the sanitarium work is accomplishing some good. There is a very good spirit among the workers, and a great majority are doing their part in bearing the burdens.”

A later letter gives this paragraph:— “It will no doubt be of interest to you to learn that another one of our patients, Mrs. ——, who has been making her home with us for some time, has begun keeping the Sabbath. She is a woman of very fine character and some means, and we know you will rejoice with us when you receive this good news.”