Medical Missionary Work in Australia and New Zealand
By O. A. OLSEN
In Australia we have had the services of Drs. D. H. Kress and Lauretta Kress and of Dr. W. H. James in our health work. Dr. James received his medical degree at the medical university at Melbourne, and came into the truth after he had begun the practise of medicine. He has been connected with the sanitarium for a little more than a year. The purpose of his connection with the sanitarium was that he might become better acquainted with our principles and our work so as to be of greater service in connection with our organized work. He has now left the sanitarium, and has gone to South Australia to engage in the health work in that field. The sanitarium at Wahroonga, Australia, is our leading health institution here. We have in our family of workers about forty. The institution has had an excellent patronage, and is doing good work, and the blessing of the Lord is with it. The preparation and sending forth of workers must, of course, be done in the home field here in Australia, so since the departure of the Drs. Kress, we have the Drs. Franklin and Eulala Richards at the sanitarium. In South Australia Brother A. W. Semmens has conducted a city treatment room called the Electro-hydropathic Institute. It has been doing excellent work. For some time they have been on the lookout for a location in which to start a small sanitarium. Just now there are indications that this purpose will soon be realized. There is a property about thirteen miles from Adelaide, at an elevation of ten hundred and nine feet, in a very favorable location. It has been used as a school, and was offered to us some time ago, but we did not feel free to buy it. It has now been purchased by a capitalist, and he offers to put it in shape and make all improvements, and then rent it to us at a cost of five per cent on the actual money invested. This would make the rent about four or five pounds a week. The distance from the city, the location, the surroundings, and the altitude, with everything else combined, is favorable, and there is an excellent train service to the city. The plan of the brethren now is to rent this place, and for Dr. James to take up work there in connection with Brother A. W. Semmens. Thus the prospect is that we shall soon have a small sanitarium located in South Australia in a very favorable position. In New Zealand there are at present Drs. J. S. Reekie, J. Gibson, Martin Keller and wife (Florence Keller), and Dr. Ross. We have what is known as the Christchurch Sanitarium, located at Papanui, a suburb of Christchurch. The altitude and the location of this institution are not the best, as it is too near the city and close to the Papanui railway station. It has been decided now to sell that property, and open up treatment rooms in the city of Christchurch, on about the same plan as those they had in Adelaide, South Australia. Brother Brandstater, a very efficient nurse, will take charge. The sanitarium will then be moved to Cambridge. At the latter place they have located the school farm, and this locality has the reputation of having the best climate to be found in all New Zealand. We have invited Dr. Reekie to connect with the work at Wahroonga, so as to give him an experience that will enable him to carry on the work successfully when it is continued at Cambridge. The Drs. Keller are engaged in individual work, that is, on independent lines. They are located at Hickorangi, some distance north of Auckland. I hope that the time may come when they can be connected with our regular work. We have two young medical students in the Sidney University, Sister Rita Freeman and Brother Thomas Sherwin. Sister Freeman has finished her second year of the medical course, and Brother Sherwin his first. They both seem to be doing well. It is very difficult to get physicians here from other countries. There is no opportunity for any doctor with an American diploma to register in New South Wales, Victoria, or New Zealand. How it is in West Australia, I can not state, but I think they can not register in any of the other States. The only diploma that is recognized is one from Great Britain. The medical laws have been growing in stringency, and are now about as exacting as they can possibly be.