The Halsted Street (Chicago) Medical Mission
By J. E. Colloran
The Lord has been blessing us in our dispensary work this year. Our dispensary is located at 3558 South Halsted Street. It is in a district that in former years was known as Bridgeport, one of the rough neighborhoods of Chicago. The inhabitants are principally Irish, German, and Polish, with a few Lithuanians. Our family consists of two graduate physicians, two student physicians, and five nurses. Two of the nurses care for the sick who come to the house, and the other three visit in the homes. At the dispensary, we have a well-equipped bath room, with a shower bath, spray, and electric-light baths, besides the different forms of electricity. We have a surgical dressing room, where wounds are dressed, and a class room for the medical students. We also keep on hand a large amount of Pasteurized and modified milk for the sick children of the neighborhood, which we sell at a penny a bottle. We have another room filled with old clothes, which we distribute to the poor of this district. Our nurses have many interesting experiences. The writer was called a few weeks ago to see a lady who was in bed with her mouth wide open, and unable to close it. She had been in this condition for three days. We found that the woman had been in a spasm, and had dislocated her jaw. A physician had been called in; but because the family had no money, he refused to do anything. The woman's mouth and lips were all cracked, and she was in a frightful condition. After the jaw had been set, the woman put her hand up, and could hardly believe that her mouth was closed. Another case to which we were called one night at twelve o'clock, was that of a woman suffering from asthma; she could hardly breathe. We afterward learned that she and her husband were graduates of a European university. They came to this country with a large amount of money, and had squandered it in drink. He had left her, and she was then trying to support her children. After giving the necessary treatment, we placed a nurse in charge of the case, and she held Bible readings with the woman. The woman attended the mission meetings and accepted Christ, and the nurse is now making arrangements to have her go on the farm of one of our brethren. Another case was referred from the dispensary to the sanitarium for treatment. While there, this woman accepted the Sabbath and the whole truth for this time. Her trouble became worse, and when we found that she could not live, we told her. She was still happy, and said she was glad she had come in contact with us. This woman had been a French Roman Catholic. When she sent for her people, they refused to see her unless she would send for the priest. This she refused to do, saying she was willing to die in Christ, although this treatment by her people was hard to bear. Her husband is much interested in our work. She had been able to give him a great deal of the truth which was so precious to her. A few weeks ago, a State senator came in for treatment for a sore hand. He was so well pleased with his treatment that he gave us twice as much in payment as we charged. Another case is that of a young man who has been interested in our work for some time. Upon going to confession, he told the priest that he frequented our institution. The priest told him he should not do so, but when the young man told the priest that he had to choose between our place and the saloons, the priest told him that he would better go to our place than to the saloons. One of our visiting nurses reports the following interesting incident. She was called to the family of a Spiritualist trance medium to give treatment. The lady said, “The devil helps me to help others, but I have to send for you to get the Lord to help me.” This remark opened the way for a good talk on the truth, especially on the subject of the immortality of the soul. I am convinced that the successful medical missionary work is that in which the third angel's message is taught. The success that has attended our Halsted Street work has been due to the fact that we have tried to give the people all the gospel for this generation. We shall be glad to have our brethren and sisters in passing through Chicago make us a call. We are a little out of the ordinary run of travel, yet by taking the Halsted Street car, or any other cross town line, we may be easily reached. J. E. COLLORAN, M. D.