Sanitarium Work in Australia by Franklin C. Richards, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 7, 1908

Sanitarium Work in Australia

By Franklin C. Richards, M. D.

SANITARIUM work was begun in Australia in August, 1896, by Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Semmens, who returned to the Australian field after having spent several years in America, training for, and getting an experience in, medical missionary work. The first institution was a seven-room cottage, situated in a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The work prospered and grew until in January, 1897, it was necessary to move into more commodious quarters, and increase the staff by the addition of a physician and other workers. Soon three additional buildings were being used, and treatment rooms in an adjacent city had been opened. The publication of a health paper, known as the “Herald of Health,” was begun in 1898. The first meeting of the Australian Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association was held in Melbourne the latter part of the year.

Next the work was begun in South Australia. The Nurses Semmens went to Adelaide in 1899, and opened the Hydropathic Institute. Several other treatment rooms were also opened in other parts of Australia, and a small sanitarium was established in Christchurch, New Zealand. The latter part of 1900, Drs. D. H. and Lauretta Kress arrived in Australia; the work was then reorganized; and the Health Retreat was opened in connection with the Avondale School. At this time the building for the Sydney Sanitarium was in process of construction. In December, 1902, the Health Retreat family, numbering twenty-six nurses and workers, moved into the Sydney Sanitarium. Thus the year 1907 is the fifth in the history of this institution.

The Lord has blessed the work of the Sydney Sanitarium from the beginning. The past year has been no exception in this respect. In the care of critical cases, both physicians and nurses have realized the presence and help of the Great Physician, and throughout the institution the influence of the Comforter has been manifest. As a result, patients suffering from diseases considered incurable have been restored to health and usefulness.

Of more than ordinary interest is the case of a well-known physician, who came to the sanitarium suffering from pernicious anemia. He had spent several months in other institutions, and had been under the care of leading physicians. While this sick physician was at the sanitarium, other physicians who were friends, called to see him. All agreed that the sick man could not possibly recover, and urged his wife to wind up his affairs. So his practise, which brought him an income of ten thousand dollars a year, was sold, and other business matters were settled. At that time this patient’s blood was so impoverished that the lips were practically colorless.

The blood examination revealed the fact that he had lost fully eighty per cent of the life-carrying constituents of the body. At one time he drew so near to the gates of death, that his physician and nurses spent several hours stimulating him with hot and cold applications, friction, artificial respiration, and hot normal saline solution internally. Nor did patient and attendants forget to call upon the Lord in their extremity. The Lord heard these petitions, and honored the faith exercised in him and his appointed remedies. After accepting of the Saviour, this physician was speedily restored to health. This is the second apparently hopeless case of pernicious anemia in which restoration has been brought about at the sanitarium. Another desperate case now under treatment bids fair to add a third to the list.

The surgical cases have been very satisfactory, and the amount of surgical work is increasing. The fees received during the year for this class of work aggregate over thirteen hundred dollars. By far the larger part of the cases were for those able to pay but small fees. Quite a number of major operations, for which the usual fee in this country is fifty pounds or more, have been performed without any remuneration. Among the surgical patients for the year was our first case of hydatids of the liver—a disease quite common in Australia. The patient, who was one of our own people, had suffered for over fifteen years, during which time several operations had been performed. The case was a critical one, but the Lord blessed our efforts, and with careful nursing and after-treatment, the patient made a very rapid recovery, and has gained over twenty pounds in weight, with corresponding increase in health and strength.

Quite a number of changes have been made in our family during the year 1907. Early in February the Drs. Franklin and Eulalia Richards arrived from England. Five weeks later the Drs. Kress sailed for America. About the same time a change was made in the business management. Notwithstanding these changes, the patronage has continued good, the average number of resident patients during the year being thirty-two a week. The number of ordinary day treatments given during the year is, in round numbers, ten thousand. A number of improvements are being made in our equipment, the most important of which is the installation of an electric-light plant.

A medical missionary training-school is carried on in connection with the institution. There are at present twenty-four nurses in training; nine third-year, ten second-year, and five first-year. Calls for trained missionary nurses are continually coming in, and several workers have been sent out into the island fields during the year. Others will go as soon as they can be spared. There are at present eight graduate nurses in the institution. The orchard and other outside work require the services of other workers; eight are at present employed.

The sanitarium staff is as follows: Medical superintendent, Dr. F. C. Richards; ladies’ department, Dr. E. S. Richards; manager, Mr. A. W. Semmens; medical matron, Mrs. A. W. Semmens; domestic matron, Mrs. E. Anderson; accountant. Mr. J. R. Fletcher.

FRANKLIN C. RICHARDS, M. D.