City Treatment-Room Work by L. A. H.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 2, 1912

City Treatment-Room Work

By L. A. H.

A WORK of considerable importance is being developed in connection with our treatment-rooms located in various cities of this country. There are now forty of these enterprises operated by persons of our faith and representing more or less fully our interests. We get very good reports from some of these, indicating that they occupy a field that may be truly a missionary one when the opportunities which they afford are well improved. A few words from some of them will be of interest.

One of the more recent of these enterprises is at Ottawa, Ill., and is operated by Mr. and Mrs. Earnest A. Dunn. Opening in September, the patronage began small, but steadily grew until, in the early part of March, over three hundred treatments had been given, including ninety-two different people. Brother Dunn writes:—

“It gives us courage to see the Lord thus increase our record, and to him we give all the praise. Our particular aim in operating treatment-rooms is to improve the opportunity it affords to give the message, by our own lives, and in conversation when permitted. Our Sabbath-closing notice on the door is a weekly reminder, and causes some inquiry. An interesting case is that of a prominent lawyer here, who is also a stockholder in a large corporation. The gentleman who brought him in told me I would need to be careful in mentioning religion to him, for he was a Catholic. He began to inquire about our belief, and soon told me that he had left the Catholic religion, and that he denounced all others because their adherents did not live what they taught. He is a well-read man, has traveled extensively, and is a deep thinker. My wife asked him if, should he see people who live what they teach, he would consider their belief. After a little thought, he said very decidedly, ‘Yes, I would.’ He very courteously accepted a loan of ‘Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation,’ and stayed and talked with us until 10:30 P. M., an hour and a half after finishing his treatment. The next time he came, he said he read ninety pages in the book after leaving us that night, and was enjoying it very much. He was in last week; and

said he had finished Daniel, and would start on Revelation. He remarked: ‘That book is very interesting. I am reading it slowly, and giving it careful thought; and, if there is anything to this belief of the near end of the world, I want to know it.’ He asks me all kinds of questions about our belief, and talks all through his treatments.”

“Our patrons consist principally of the wealthier class of people. One priest was in. One doctor came for treatment, and is now highly recommending it. During the past three weeks he has sent us forty dollars’ worth of work.”

With a report of work done, R. E. Paton, of Erie, Pa., says:—

“Our institution has the cooperation of the physicians of the county medical society, and we have succeeded in getting the cooperation of the best physicians of this city. Not only do they send us patients, but the physicians themselves and members of their families come for treatment. Our patients are, as a rule, from among the intellectual and cultured; such as, lawyers, teachers, dentists, and representatives of other professions. I consider this evidence that our method of treatment is appreciated by the thinking people. It is encouraging for us to think that we are only a part of a great world-wide work, and that we are not alone in this mission.”

Mr. J. M. Carnahan writes from San Francisco:—

“Our work has been more with the poorer class of people, though we have some very well-to-do patients. We had a very agreeable experience a short time ago with a young Catholic man who had been drinking for some time. He had tried to stop drinking, but could not. He came to us, and we gave him treatment. To-day he is studying the truth, and expects to be baptized in about two weeks. He is a graduate nurse, and we are praying that he may be a useful man to help finish this closing work. We are of good courage.”

Dr. Effie A. Brown, writing from Santa Ana, Cal., says:—

“I have two competent, consecrated nurses assisting in the work. We are endeavoring to please the people, and give them what they need, both spiritually and physically. I am glad to say that the work is growing, and we have a good class of patients. We gave 167 treatments during the month of February.”

Mr. T. A. Shannon, of Atchison, Kans., writes:—

“We are continually dealing with a class of people that probably can never be reached in any other way. The doctors are very friendly toward our work. One comes regularly for his treatments, and many others recommend the treatments very highly. While we are endeavoring to relieve the physical conditions, we also try to drop some word that will give spiritual encouragement. One of my patients said that his wife always enjoys her treatments because she likes to hear my wife talk on Scriptural subjects. On the whole, we have had a very good year of it. It seems the Lord has led in the move to seek better quarters, as it has brought to us a more influential class of patients, thus affording us the privilege of helping to give the message in this city; and, as further evidence that God is with us in our work, we have had a better average number of patients a day. It is our sincere desire that our little institution may stand as a light in this city. We are endeavoring so to unite our efforts with those of the other gospel workers that we may truly occupy the place God intends we should.”

In a letter from Mrs. D. M. Cobb, of Ravenna, Ohio, she tells us at length of interesting experiences in connection with the treatment-room work she and her husband are doing. Although meeting with serious loss by fire within the year, they have succeeded in opening a new place with good equipment and in securing even a better patronage than formerly. Besides meeting with success financially, they are blessed with a good experience in their relations with their patients.

L. A. H.