The Knowlton Sanitarium by R. M. CLARKE, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jan 2, 1908

The Knowlton Sanitarium

By R. M. CLARKE, M. D.

THE Knowlton Sanitarium is located in the southern part of the province of Quebec, Canada, about eighteen miles from the Vermont line, and about seventy miles southeast of Montreal. The surrounding country is most beautiful. Our location is in the Green Mountains that run up from Vermont, and in our little valley lies Brome Lake, a beautiful sheet of water covering about thirty thousand acres. At the head of this lake is situated a little power plant, from which we get our electrical current. The sanitarium is but a few rods from this beautiful lake, and the view from the upper stories of the sanitarium building is one to make a person think of the Creator and his works.

Rising from the shores of this lake on every side are the mountains, which picture nature in her mightiest moods. Mt. Orford, about fifteen miles from the sanitarium, is the highest point in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. Having such fine elevation, the air and drinking water are both excellent, and a more healthful country could hardly be found.

With an hour's drive in almost any direction, one can place himself in a position to view miles and miles of the country rolling into the dim distance. From one elevation in sight of the sanitarium, twenty-three lakes can be counted with the aid of a good glass, and the city of Montreal, seventy miles away, can easily be seen on a clear day with the naked eye. Upon this spot has been built an observatory, which enables one to get above the trees and shrubs immediately surrounding the spot, and in looking north, east, south, and west, one is reminded of the promise made to Abraham, “All this will I give thee,” etc.

One drive out of Knowlton southeast presents a most picturesque scene. This is called the Bolton Pass Road. It has been the theme of poets and writers ever since the French first entered this domain. And well it may be so, for it stirs the soul to look at the bluffs, all gorgeous with color, rising so majestically and abruptly on either side of the road.

The sanitarium was purchased from a man who kept it as a boarding-house, and it is admirably adapted to the needs and uses of a sanitarium. It is a very comfortable three-story building, which can accommodate about twenty-five patients. Not shown in this picture are a nurses' dormitory, and a large, commodious barn. The dormitory contains the chapel and nurses' rooms.

On the first floor of the main building, we have the doctor's office, laboratory, parlor, library, dining-room, kitchen, laundry, and storeroom. On the second floor is our bath-room and patients' rooms. The third floor consists of the operating room, anesthetic room, two large wards, and patients' rooms.

The house is well equipped with appliances and apparatus. We have a large static machine, three X-ray tubes, and a fine new wall case for galvanism, Faradism, and an alternating current.

Our staff consists of twelve or fifteen persons, all being good Christian workers, every one thoroughly consecrated to the cause of Christ. Since we have not yet found a man from our own ranks to qualify in this province, we have a physician not of our faith who is our medical superintendent. He is a fine physician, and we all appreciate very much his efforts in our behalf. He calls on us regularly once a week, and as often as we wish him to at other times.

The personnel of our staff is as follows:—

Physicians: R. McDonald, medical superintendent; R. M. Clarke, house physician.

Management: R. M. Clarke, business manager; Mrs. R. M. Clarke, Treasurer and Secretary; Miss Bertha Arendt, matron.

Nurses: Miss Bertha Arendt, Miss Evalina Mathews, and Miss Nellie Brown (third year); Mr. Wm. Brown, L. J. Borrowdale, Miss May Mathews, and Miss Beatrice Gobiel (second year); Miss Lillie Martin, Mr. Thos. Brown, and Miss Annie Brown (first year).

Cook: Miss Lillie Martin.

R. M. CLARKE, M. D.