Danish West Indies by F. Hall

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 26, 1915

Danish West Indies

By F. Hall

TORTOLA, VIRGIN ISLANDS.—No medical missionary work can be carried on successfully without the help of Jesus, the Founder of this work, who in his life on earth went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

The medical missionary has a twofold advantage. He is armed with the gospel for the soul as well as for the body. Being able to minister to the physical need, he very often succeeds in disarming prejudice, and so can minister also to the spiritual need. How happy, therefore, the Christian physician or nurse who knows that he is called of God to be a coworker with him in helping suffering humanity.

Healing the sick will bring spiritual as well as temporal blessings. Those who engage in this work should realize that they are called of God to be his coworkers in the vineyard. The world is a great hospital, and wherever we go we see the necessity of doing something to relieve suffering. Good Samaritans are needed everywhere. Those who help to restore the bodies of men and women are doing a work that will never be forgotten. Florence Nightingale is gone, but her work remains to tell the story of her untiring zeal.

It may be interesting to the reader to hear of some of the experiences which I have had in these islands, almost shut off from civilization.

In my visiting from house to house, I met a woman who had been suffering from lupus on her nose for three years, and on consulting a physician it was pronounced incurable. From my study

of advanced hydrotherapy, I saw that light could be used in this disease. Having no arc light, which I had been accustomed to use at Hinsdale, my mind reverted to a microscope which I had. This I used for focusing the light of the sun on the sore spot of the nose, and with the assistance of fomentations, and a little carbolized vaseline, which she procured somewhere, the nose was completely healed.

I met a young man who had been taking hypodermic treatments for rheumatism, from a doctor. I reasoned with him that hot and cold water could cure him. He was surprised, and asked me to go home with him that night. I did so, and gave him a good blanket pack and massage, and left with him some written instructions. These he followed, and when I met him again, on my way from the West Indian Union Conference, he was a well man.

Another person, suffering with partial paralysis, was greatly helped by the use of hydrotherapy, massage, and electricity. Sometimes he walks more than six miles to see me, and is very thankful for what has been done for him.

F. HALL.