The New England Sanitarium by W. A. R.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 26, 1910

_The New England Sanitarium_

By W. A. R.

The sanitarium at Melrose, Mass., is situated seven miles out of Boston, in an extensive park system known as the Fells, reserved for public use and preserved in its natural beauty.

The New England Sanitarium was first opened in South Lancaster, Mass., in 1899. In 1902 it was decided to move the institution nearer the great city of Boston; and the committee in charge of the matter found the present property, which was then used as a hotel, and were successful in securing it for sanitarium purposes.

_Location_

It is doubtful whether a more desirable spot could be found in all New England for sanitarium work than this, situated in the midst of a tract of land of such great natural beauty that thousands of acres have been reserved by the State, in order to preserve it from the marring hand of civilization. Although the sanitarium grounds are only six miles from the heart of Boston, they are surrounded by a veritable wilderness of woodlands, rocks, and rugged fells, and are completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of the business world.

The grounds are about a mile from the city of Melrose, and two miles from Malden, both of which are thriving suburbs of Boston.

_The Buildings_

The buildings belonging to the sanitarium are a commodious main building, an annex, three cottages or dormitories, a large barn, and several other buildings. The new main building, which, on account of the rapid growth of the work, was added to the plant in the spring of 1906, was designed especially for the facility and convenience of sanitarium work. It contains sixty-five guest-rooms, physicians' offices, treatment-rooms, parlors, and a dining-room. Every guest-room in this building is exposed to the sun during at least a part of the day. The building is equipped with a first-class hydraulic elevator, steam heating, electric lights, telephones, call-bells, and other modern conveniences.

In spite of many hardships through which the institution has passed, it has always been fairly prosperous; and on a late visit to the sanitarium, the writer found it enjoying excellent prospects of a good patronage of many of the leading people of Boston. The religious condition was also encouraging. At morning worship the chapel was filled with helpers from every department. The Sabbath services are especially interesting, and helpers and managers are putting forth earnest effort to help in every way possible the guests in the institution. They are also holding health schools, giving lectures, and doing other Christian Help work in Boston. To this effort the Lord is adding his blessing.

A matter of great encouragement to those directly connected with the institution, is the late decision of the court in a suit against the sanitarium for taxes, which has been pending for several years. When organized, the institution was chartered as a benevolent institution, and exempted from taxation. For some reason, certain citizens desired to have this matter changed, and a suit was instituted to recover past taxes. This suit was lost by the sanitarium in the home court; but the decision was reversed in the higher court, and the institution was sustained as a charitable institution on account of its philanthropic work, and for the reason that no individual nor corporation receives any dividends from its operation. This decision saves the institution an expenditure of about seven thousand dollars, and relieves it from taxation in the future.

The last report from this sanitarium states that there are seventy patients in the institution. The workers are not sufficient in numbers to care for the guests properly, without extra hard work and long hours; but all are working to the utmost until others can come to their aid.

The work the sanitarium is doing in adjacent territory by holding schools of health, giving lectures on health topics, etc., is winning many friends. It is only necessary to let intelligent people know of the work done in our sanitariums, in order to win their co-operation. Next week we shall give more in detail the plan on which this institution is working in getting to the people. W. A. R.