Medical Missionary Council of the N. P. Union Conference
By W. A. R.
Held at Portland, Ore., July 21-24, 1907
THE time of the first meeting was taken up in receiving reports from various institutions in the North Pacific Union Conference. Dr. Rossiter first reported from North Yakima. He gave a history of the incorporation of that work. He is not conducting a training-school. He says the work is prospering, and the patronage is good. Dr. Simmons is at the Port Townsend Sanitarium, Washington. A large building has been secured. This house was erected fourteen years ago, and has been standing empty since. There is a family of twenty or twenty-two workers. Patients come from various States. The work accommodates surgical, medical, and obstetrical cases. The workers are Seventh-day Adventists. They have various religious and missionary meetings. It is the endeavor to keep our belief before the patients as much as possible. A small training-school is conducted. The nurses’ course is two years, with the third year optional. Brother W. B. Scott, a medical student, has an institution in Salem, Ore. The building is two stories, full basement and attic, erected for a sanitarium. He has had one hundred and fifty patients in ten months, many coming from town physicians, and has about ten workers, mostly Seventh-day Adventists. The work gives him an opening for other religious work. Dr. I. A. Dunlap, from the Walla Walla Sanitarium, gave a history of the origin of that sanitarium. It was opened first in the young men’s dormitory of the college two years ago. They have bought the old public-school building, and moved it onto the college campus, and are using it for sanitarium purposes. They have ten workers at present. The work is largely surgical. Dr. Yarnell spoke of the work in Spokane, giving an interesting account of its growth. Brother Foster has private treatment rooms in Vancouver. He has a small place of five rooms, and can care for seven patients at a time. He says he has a good opening for sanitarium work. Treatment rooms are being conducted in Seattle, Ashland, and Bellingham, but no representatives were at the council. Dr. Froom gave a report of the Portland Sanitarium. During the past year it has doubled the number of nurses in the training-school. It has put three thousand dollars into improvements around the building. He gave an encouraging report of its outlook. Brother H. H. Haynes spoke on the work of the vegetarian café in Portland. It has a good patronage. An appreciative class of people patronize the place. C. M. Christiansen spoke of the Walla Walla Food Company. He says the work is prospering, and a good financial gain is shown. The work is small, but is doing good. Vegetarian cafés are conducted in Spokane, Seattle, and Tacoma, but no representatives were present at the council. Discussion followed on the influence on the patronage of closing cafés on the Sabbath. Consensus of opinion was that it is good. The program consisted of the following subjects presented in papers or discussions: The Vegetarian Café as a Medical Missionary Enterprise, by S. J. Lashier; Cancer of the Digestive Tract, by Dr. W. R. Simmons; Sanitarium Management, by L. M. Bowen; Graduate Nurses—How Shall They Be Employed? by Dr. W. A. George; Relation of the Medical Missionary Work to the Third Angel’s Message, Elder W. B. White; How Shall We Secure Efficient Help in Our Sanitariums? by Dr. I. A. Dunlap; Commercialism in Our Sanitariums, by Dr. H. F. Rand. The following resolutions were passed:— “Whereas, We recognize the necessity of union and harmony in this branch of the Lord’s work, therefore,— “1. Resolved, That we as a body of representative medical missionaries pledge anew our loyalty to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and to the truths of the third angel’s message, and that we unite to advance all departments of the work. “Whereas, We believe the interests of the Medical Missionary Department of this union conference can be best forwarded by more thorough organization, therefore,— “2. Resolved, That we recommend that the Medical Department Committee be increased to seven members, so that it shall represent the various interests of the medical missionary work, such as sanitariums, treatment rooms, food factories, and vegetarian cafés, to formulate plans to carry on the work of the Medical Missionary Department of this union conference more successfully. “Whereas, There is need of more uniformity in education, employment of help, standard of wages paid, prices charged, etc., therefore,— “3. Resolved, That the above-mentioned committee shall endeavor to correspond with, and otherwise to secure the agreement of, our various institutions and enterprises in these respects. “Looking to the organization of all true medical missionary enterprises in our territory for the purpose of maintaining a consistent standard of work, arranging an organization for mutual help and co-operation, we favor the general movement of the medical missionaries of this denomination toward an organization with definite conditions of membership and a distinguishing name, trade-mark, or badge for identity, therefore,— “Resolved, That we favor the adoption of the name ‘Seventh-day Adventist,’ as a distinguishing part of the individual name of each of our health institutions, and in order to co-operate with the committee recently appointed by our General Conference Medical Missionary Convention in Washington, D. C., we suggest that the committee of the General Conference Medical Department act with the medical department committee of this union conference in passing upon the eligibility of applicants for membership in the Medical Missionary Department of this denomination.”22 The following is a list of the delegates in attendance at the Medical Missionary Council which was held at Portland, Ore., July 21-24, 1907:— Physicians: I. A. Dunlap, W. B. Scott, W. B. Holden, N. C. MacLafferty, S. Yarnell, W. A. Ruble, J. E. Froom, W. R. Simmons, F. M. Rossiter. Nurses: M. H. Froom, Minnie Usher, Mae Johnson, Amelia Roedel, Daisy E. Goodell, Rose George, Letha Miller, R. E. Woodruff, Eva E. Baker, Edith M. Cox, Bessie Nettleton, Mrs. E. Moore, Janet Sullivan, Mrs. R. E. Woodruff, Selma M. Dahl, Bertha A. Nelson, Mabel H. Turner, Ruth A. Lloyd, Helen M. Rosby, Mrs. W. S. Larkin, W. S. Larkin, V. Miller, E. Staley, O. Cunningham, M. Bohall, A. V. Oliver. Ministers: W. B. White, W. W. Stewart, T. H. Starbuck, J. J. Clark, G. E. Langdon, W. L. Black, B. C. Tabor, Daniel Nettleton, A. J. Breed, W. F. Martin, W. W. Sharp, F. M. Burg, R. D. Benham, E. L. Stewart, H. J. Dirksen, H. W. Decker, F. S. Bunch. Business Managers of Institutions: C. M. Christiansen, D. R. Nichols, L. M. Bowen. Café Workers: H. H. Haynes, S. J. Lashier. Others in Attendance: Ethel D. Adams, F. E. Wetham, Josephine Gotzian, Mrs. Fish, Carl E. Weaks, Louis Elwood, Mrs. J. E. Froom, Mrs. Sophia Gebs, Chas. H. Yeager, A. G. Adams, L. E. Froom, Mrs. S. M. Phelps, J. A. Benham, Anna E. Alberts, Coila B. Mitchell, E. Albert, Mrs. R. Rose, G. L. Walker, M. Goodell, M. Leona Jacob, Wm. J. Jacob, James Hardy, Mrs. D. R. Nichols, Mrs. H. W. Decker, Mrs. B. L. Turney, L. A. Hardy, D. J. Sellard, Mrs. Sellard, Mrs. J. C. Scott, E. M. Oberg, Mrs. A. V. Oliver.