The Medical Convention by I. H. Evans

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 6, 1916

The Medical Convention

By I. H. Evans

[Address by Elder I. H. Evans at the opening session of the Convention at Madison, Wis., June 5, 1916.]

Our sanitariums at the present time are playing a very important part in our work. They are not simply dealing with the medical profession, or with sick people alone. That would be important if it were all they were doing; but they are doing far more than that. Our medical institutions are asking the denomination to place in their charge for three years, and sometimes even longer, some of the brightest and best of our young people, and to intrust them with their training and instruction. We have today about fifteen hundred people engaged in medical work throughout the world. Such a vast corps of workers,—so many men and women, and such a large number of our young people under the instruction and care of our sanitariums,—places a great responsibility on the medical men and leaders in this work.

It is very fitting that we meet together to talk over our plans and policies, to interchange ideas and thoughts, to adopt curricula in our training schools, that we may know what we should teach, and what training we should give these young people, so that when we go back to our fields of labor and take up our responsibilities, we shall all follow the same policies, march to the same step, and all strive to reach the same goal.

We have always regarded the medical work as one of the strong factors in carrying this message. I can remember when we had only one institution—in Battle Creek. It was small in size and had a limited influence. We did not then have the breadth of vision as to the scope of the medical work that we have at the present time.

There has been a tremendous growth in medical science since we started our medical work. Everything in medical knowledge and science has enlarged and changed. I remember well when a man who believed in dietetic reform subjected himself to all sorts of ridicule. Once our people stood almost alone for health reform. People used to think we were fanatics, extremists, radicals. Today those things which we then taught are received and believed by many educated people throughout the world. I can remember when it was unpopular to eat Graham bread; but today one can hardly find a restaurant in the country that does not put it on the regular menu. The whole civilized world has come to adopt it as a part of their diet.

I can remember when the public made fun of us because we believed in the restorative power of water. Today who would be so behind the times as to think of ridiculing the idea? Those physicians who are up to date recognize the help they can find in hydrotherapy. Not only so, but drugs are not regarded as essential remedies in the treatment of many diseases. The world is not simply interested in the reforms we once advocated, but has accepted those reforms so generally that they are no longer thought of as reforms.

The theories that used to make us seem odd are now taught in the universities of this country. They are practiced in the best sanitariums and hospitals. We are not leading any more. We are sort of following on in many things we once championed. Yet we had this light long before the world believed in it. God gave it to us that we might lead.

I believe there are many things we ought to discuss here, but I want to emphasize especially one great purpose that we have always had in view in our medical work. The medical work was never started in our denomination from a scientific standpoint. We never started out to be leaders in science, to be great surgeons, to be great doctors or great reformers. Our purpose was to lead people back to the simplicity of nature, to bring them back from the artificial style of living that they had fallen into by their intense civilization, and to bring the sick into touch with nature, that God might do for them what he would do through the laws of nature, if men would only live rationally and simply, and give God a chance to cure and heal.

The object we had was not simply to cure people, but to place our medical work in a position auxiliary to the evangelical. It was to enable the sick to find not only healing of body, but healing of soul through Jesus Christ. That has ever been the prime object of our sanitarium work. It has never been to develop a class of physicians who should be leaders in pathology or in any line of remedial agencies in helping the sick; but to open institutions where both the poor and the rich who were sick and in trouble might come and find help. These institutions are to be places where those in need may find Christian men as physicians. Christian women as physicians and nurses, and Christian helpers in every line who believe in God, who believe in prayer, who believe in definite answers to sincere petitions, so that the sick, in their affliction and sorrow, may find salvation for their souls.

I believe that that is the only reasonable object that we can have in view today. If a sick man wants to find skill, efficiency along the lines of diagnosis, surgery, or anything else, we ought to be up to date, though we can no longer claim to be in the lead; we do not pretend that we are. But if sick men and women want help and rest and peace; if they want a place where God can work for them, where rational remedies are used, where, from the head physician to the helper that does the commonest labor, every worker believes in God and in Christ and in prayer, then we say to them, “Come to our institution. Our doctors are Christians, and you will find a Christian atmosphere, one in which the spirit of the Master rules. If you want God-fearing men who understand what they are doing, who will not take your case simply that they may experiment on you and learn more than they know already, come to our institution. If you want to associate with men who pray and with women who fear God and who believe in Jesus Christ and in the Word of God, then we invite you to come to our place, and we will do everything

that we know how to do for your healing, and commend you to the care of Him who can do what man cannot do.”

Our institutions ought to be of that spiritual type, with such leadership and tutorage, from the head physician down to the most menial laborer, that all who come under their influence will feel that every one connected with them is an earnest Christian, who loves God and man. The workers in our institutions must be men and women who exercise faith and have communion with God, so that when these poor sick ones put themselves in our care and keeping, and surrender their lives as it were into our hands, we can do what we profess to do. This cannot be done from the professional standpoint alone. There is still something more than that needed. When a man is sick or in trouble, he must have somebody to help him find God. There is nothing so valuable to him then as a Christian helper. That helper may be the physician in chief, his assistant, the nurse, the business manager, the bookkeeper—it does not matter so much who the helper is, if only he is a real Christian.

Every person in an institution is of value in proportion as his ability is consecrated to God in prayer and faith, and as his influence and ability lead men and women to Jesus Christ. The chief object of these institutions is to bring men and women to Christ. If this is not the purpose of some who are here, let me say to them in all kindness, You have lost your vision. In the early part of this work our institutions had one main object, and that was to bring sick people under the influence of Christianity as manifested in a godly life, that they might see the life of Christ in the lives of the doctors, nurses, and helpers.

I want to see this medical work grow and increase both in usefulness and as an auxiliary in helping us to finish this great work. I want to see our young people saved to our work. It is our duty to save them. They must be trained for service. I believe in this, doctors and nurses and helpers, and I know full well that many of those whom we send to our medical institutions to be trained for nurses and helpers, would go out as preachers and laborers in this work were they sent to our colleges. Therefore, when we send them to take up work in our medical institutions, I believe that every doctor, business manager, and helper ought to use all possible tact and skill in keeping them and leading them to greater heights in Christian experience. The institution ought to be a place where faith is developed. Young men and women who come to one of these institutions should not lose their faith while there, but should build it up and gain an experience so that when they come out of the institution, they will be praying men and women with a firm belief in this message. They will then say, “Put us anywhere you like in the work. We know there is a God, and that he answers prayer.” They will have had experiences in the sick chamber, at the operating table, in contact with Christian leaders, and can never forget what these Christian men and women have done for them; for they have seen the Christian life lived, and know that God hears and answers prayer. The institution multiplies its usefulness in the world by sending these spiritual-minded helpers and nurses into the work.

Our medical institutions must give more and more attention to the training of our young people; for when we put them in a sanitarium to be trained, we do not want them to come out commercialized. I know of no reason why a nurse who goes through the training given in one of our medical institutions should not remain as loyal as a boy or a girl who goes through one of our training schools. I see no reason why a young person in a sanitarium should not increase his efficiency just as much and grow just as much stronger morally and spiritually during his stay of three years in a sanitarium, as we expect our boys and girls to grow and increase in strength in one of our training schools. But this cannot be unless these institutions are manned by men and women who know what Christian experience is.

You are all the time having to study. You are brought in touch with men and women who know not what Christian experience means, who care nothing for religion; what they want is attention and to be waited on. You are all the time face to face with this situation. You cannot get away from it a day; the only time you can get away from it is when you go aside to pray. There is danger that you will be tempted to work beyond your strength, so that you will lose your taste for prayer; your desires for spiritual communion wane because you are tired. I can see how this is. But that is not the kind of work that God wants us to do. I do not believe you can do satisfactory work that way. I hold that you should never for a day lose sight of the object of our institutions. You must keep that in view if you hold the institution in the place God wants it. Do not be like a preacher who is working so hard that he loses his spiritual power, who neglects his own heart in his work for other souls. A man can work so intensely for others that he loses all spiritual power. Sometimes we have to go aside and get away from our work, to realize its importance. Then, having received a new vision of the importance of the work, we can return to apply ourselves to it with renewed zeal.

During this convention, I think we ought to talk this matter over earnestly, and never for an instant forget the main object. You have the largest investments of any department of our work. You have the largest number of regularly salaried employees. You are among the departments receiving and disbursing large funds. It does seem to me that we should plan how to run this department in order to secure cooperation and confidence. I believe that there has never been such a spirit of willingness in our medical circles as we have today. I expect in the near future to see this department one of the strongest in our denomination. I want to see it so. I am glad to see the cooperation, the desire to help make this department of our work what it ought to be, that is manifested by leading physicians and business managers and those connected with these institutions.

While we who are here have the privilege of this convention, there are many who would like to be here, but have not the privilege. I hope we shall seek the Lord earnestly that his will may be done, and that all may be given a clear vision of the purpose of God. Let us seek the proper ideal, and then all work together to make this department a real success.