The Belfast Sanitarium by A. B. Olsen

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 28, 1903

The Belfast Sanitarium

By A. B. Olsen

IT may not be generally known among the readers of the REVIEW that a small branch sanitarium was started in Ireland early the present year. There has long been a demand for a health institution in the Emerald Isle, and our brethren and sisters in that field were very anxious to begin institutional work. Belfast is the center of our small community of Sabbath-keepers, and naturally was the place selected for the health institution.

About a year ago the first steps were taken toward the realization of a bath and treatment establishment. On returning from the autumn council of the General Conference and Mission Board, I told our friends in Ireland that the brethren in America would contribute one thousand dollars, provided they would furnish an equal amount, toward the establishment of treatment rooms in the city. The brethren eagerly accepted the proposition, and at once took the necessary measures to raise the funds. A committee was appointed last May, and they began at once to solicit donations.

While in this country, Dr. Kellogg twice visited Belfast in the interests of the new institution, giving the friends there his counsel and encouragement. He addressed two large meetings at the Y. M. C. A. hall, which were the means of stirring up a large interest in the enterprise. The Good Health has had a large circulation in Belfast from its very start, and a considerable number of Dr. Kellogg's health books have also been sold in the place. By these means an interest was awakened in health reform, and the citizens were prepared to support the institution when it was started.

The Belfast Sanitarium is located in one of the most beautiful residential parts of Belfast, a city of about three hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. It is on the Antrim Road, a highway to the famous Cave Hill, which is visited by all strangers going to Belfast. The tram lines pass in front of the house, which is set well back from the street, and within two minutes' walk of one of the public parks. Of course the house is rented. The rent, taxes, and water rates amount to about sixty-five pounds, the rent alone is fifty pounds.

The house is a double-fronted one with three floors, and twelve good-sized rooms. The illustration on this page does not do justice to the place, but will perhaps give a fair idea of its size. On the ground floor, the room on the left is a dining-room; the one on the right a drawing- and sitting-room. Back of the drawing-room is the massage and treatment room and back of that, with a glass roof, is the bath room, which also contains the needle spray. Back of the dining-room is a large, well-lighted kitchen, with several ample pantries close at hand; and at the rear of the building is the heating apparatus, which is very simple and efficient. It supplies hot water to the bath rooms, and also steam to two or three radiators. The second floor contains three large bedrooms, a large, well-lighted medical office, a laboratory with one window at the end of the hall, a small bedroom, and a second bath room, which is nicely equipped with bath tub, spray, and massage table. The third floor contains four large, comfortable bedrooms. They are more commodious than one would judge from the photograph.

The place has been equipped from the money raised by donations. The friends in Ireland have already raised in cash about two hundred pounds, with a little more to come in; this is an average of ten dollars for each Sabbath-keeper in Ireland. So far no money has been received from America for this enterprise, but with the consent of the General Conference the International Tract Society of London has very generously advanced one hundred and sixty pounds in behalf of the donation from our American brethren. There are still some items of equipment that have not yet been secured, but like the new institution in Caterham, the Belfast Sanitarium has never incurred any debt, and those in charge of it are determined to avoid debt at all events.

Just as soon as the place was opened, patients came, and according to the last word received, they had six resident patients, which is practically their full capacity, unless they put two in every guest chamber, and that is hardly possible. Besides these, they have a considerable number of non-resident patients, citizens of the town, who come in for the treatment regularly. The success of the Belfast Sanitarium has been most gratifying from the start, and we believe that it will be the means of accomplishing much good for the spread of the work in Ireland.

The board of managers consists of Dr. J. J. Bell; Elder William Hutchinson; G. B. Replogle; J. McAvoy; J. MacCreary. Dr. Bell is the superintendent, and his sister, Miss Isabella Bell, is the matron. Other members of the staff consist of Delmer Baker, of California, and Sister Annie Wright, of London, nurses; with Brother David MacClelland and Sister Pace as assistants. Dr. Bell is a qualified physician and surgeon, both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. He completed his work in Dublin University about a year ago, and since then has been busily engaged in work.

Great care and economy have been used in selecting the outfit for the institution, but everything is substantial and neat, and both the public and private rooms are exceedingly attractive. No matter where one goes in the institution, everything is clean and neat. The bath room, although not very large, is almost ideal in its equipment and arrangement, with a glass, glazed roof, which makes it very light, and gives an air of cheerfulness to everything. At one corner is a Russian bath room, which is provided with a marble slab. There is an excellent white enamel full-bath tub, a sitz bath of the same material, and a steam boiler for the fomentation cloths. The nickel-plate combined needle spray, shower, and douche apparatus was made at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, and is one of the attractions of the place.

Belfast is one of the most enterprising cities of the United Kingdom, and in the

opinion of many, more nearly resembles an American city than any other place. It is nicely located at the head of Belfast Loch, and is noted the world over for its shipyards. Here the famous “Celtic,” “Cedric,” and “Oceanic” were built, and only a few weeks ago the keel for a still larger vessel was laid at the leading shipyard. This vessel, when completed, will be the largest in the world, while the “Cedric,” which was recently put into commission, is now the largest vessel afloat. The surroundings of Belfast are beautiful, especially in the direction of the Cave Hill, an illustration of which is shown on page 19. The road is the one that passes the sanitarium, and leads out directly to the famous caves, of which there are several. The highest part of the hill is called McCarr's Point, and is more than a thousand feet above the sea level.

The Belfast Sanitarium bids fair to become a splendid success, and I trust it will be the means of accomplishing a vast amount of good in the cause of true reform. Similar health institutions ought to be started in some of the other large towns and cities of Ireland. There is no better means of reaching the masses of the people than through genuine medical missionary work. May God bless this work, and bless all the workers who have so nobly given their lives to follow in the footsteps of the Master.

A. B. OLSEN.