Our Sanitariums in the West by Daniel H. Kress

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 1, 1911

Our Sanitariums in the West

By Daniel H. Kress

“LET us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able.”

When God commands that a thing should be done, it is not presumptuous to say, even in the face of obstacles and apparent hindrances, “We are well able.” Such a faith, however, is usually the product of past experiences in the Lord’s work. When the halting multitude said, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we,” they stated a partial truth. Humanly speaking, this was so. The Canaanites were stronger than the Israelites.

Among the children of Israel were men who many times had been brought into difficult places, where all they could do was to keep the eye of faith fixed upon their invisible Leader, and trust in him for deliverance. In response to their faith, deliverance came again and again. They witnessed God’s power in behalf of his people repeatedly; and as a result, when this experience came, they said: “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able.”

On my recent trip to California and other Western States in the interest of our sanitarium work, I was reminded again and again of this experience on the part of Israel. Comparatively speaking, we are not a strong nor a rich people, and the truths we are carrying to the world are not popular; yet marvelous things have been accomplished. Much more might have been accomplished, however. When in the past we have been called upon to undertake some new thing, requiring an outlay of means, we have often said: “We must act like sensible and sane men, and study the situation carefully as to whether or

not we are able to accomplish this.” This attitude has frequently led to the appointment of committees; and more than once the people’s hands have been weakened as the various obstacles and difficulties in the way were dwelt upon, and, sometimes, unconsciously magnified.

Nearly every sanitarium we thus far have in our large family of institutions is a child of faith. They were born at times and under conditions which savored of the impossible.

Years ago, when the Battle Creek Sanitarium was started, it looked like an impossible task. The difficulties connected with the enterprise were great, but the greatest difficulty, the great hindrance, was the unbelief on the part of a few who said, “We are not able.” This attitude was responsible for the heavy burdens which the faithful ones had to bear. The institution could have been started, no doubt, without debt had the hearts of the people not been made faint by doubt and unbelief. This spirit closed the purses of those who could and would have given liberally.

This experience has since then been repeated in the establishment of other sanitariums. The St. Helena Sanitarium passed through a similar experience. Time was in the history of this institution when some said, “The only sensible thing to do is to close it down. We can not afford to conduct the work at a loss.” But the word came, “Let it live,” and to this it owes its preservation. Many saw little light in opening another sanitarium in California. But instruction had been given that there should be many of these institutions,—that, in fact, we should have them near every large city.

The Glendale Sanitarium was next urged on us. The shoutings of hosanna should have been heard when it was opened; but many doubted the advisability of starting it at all, and this attitude greatly retarded the work.

Then appeared a suitable building for sanitarium purposes near San Diego, now known as the Paradise Valley Sanitarium. The building and a large tract of land were offered for twenty thousand dollars; and finally, owing to drought, the property was offered at four thousand dollars. Although we were urged to secure it, so little faith did we have in the enterprise that even at this low figure we were unwilling to venture its purchase. Sister White, Sister Gotzian, and Brother E. S. Ballenger finally agreed to purchase it on their own responsibility, and to conduct it until the conference expressed a willingness to take it over. The charter was so arranged that it was impossible for the promoters ever to become enriched by the enterprise. They could draw only a six-per-cent dividend on their original investment, and money donated to the institution was turned over, dollar by dollar, in stock to the local conference. The earnings of the institution were also to be turned over in stock to the conference. Should the institution ever become a paying concern, it would in time become a conference institution, with no expense or worry to the conference. It ran behind the first few years, as nearly all institutions do, and during that time no interest was drawn by Sister White or Sister Gotzian on the money they had invested. The land in the meantime increased tenfold in value.

Next the attention of our people was called to the “Hill Beautiful,” or Loma Linda—a beautiful piece of land, with a large building already furnished and ready for occupancy. It was erected and furnished at a cost of over one hundred twenty thousand dollars. We said, “We can not undertake such a proposition, even though the entire property is offered to us for about forty thousand dollars.” The way the property was secured will be explained in the following letter from Sister White:—

“While attending the General Conference of 1905 at Washington, D. C., I received a letter from J. A. Burden, describing a property he had found about four miles from Redlands. As I read this letter, I was impressed that this was one of the places I had seen in vision, and I immediately telegraphed him to secure the property without delay. Later, when I visited the property, I recognized it as one of the places I had seen nearly two years before in vision. How thankful I am to the Lord for this place!”

A Training Center

Still later we were urged to make of Loma Linda a training center for medical missionaries,—physicians and nurses; we were told that we needed such a place for the training of future workers for the cause of God. In this school, things were to be taught that are not taught in worldly schools. The Bible was to be given its proper place as the great lesson-book in the education of students. Special instruction should be given in the “art of treating the sick without the use of poisonous drugs, and in harmony with the light God has given.” Women should be “educated by women physicians to do the best possible work in treating diseases of women,” etc. This school was to do a work which no other school in the land was doing. Some doctors did not see how this could be done. Doubt saw the giants. Finally, almost unwillingly on the part of some, the school was launched.

Has there been wisdom in all this? I feel it a duty and a privilege to relate what my eyes have seen, and the impression made upon my mind on my trip through California and other Western States where we have similar institutions.

Loma Linda was my first stopping-place. Every one who visits this place is impressed with its beauty. “Beautiful for situation,” may be said of this sanitarium. I found it more than filled with patients. It is able to accommodate comfortably about seventy-five or eighty, and it had as many as one hundred five, and twenty were at one time waiting for an opportunity to enter. Patients were willing to have beds made up in offices, and even in the dining-room, in order to be admitted. During the month of March the receipts amounted to ninety-six hundred dollars, and during the year 1910 the managers were able, in addition to ordinary sanitarium expenses, to pay their teaching force in the medical college and sanitarium, consisting of nine physicians, and to bear other running expenses, and show a balance of nearly one thousand dollars. It seemed marvelous to me. Surely this experience should forever hush the voices of those who once said, “We be not able,” and teach one and all a lesson of faith. We ought now to rally around this training center, and hold up the hands of those whom we have placed in positions of responsibility, by encouraging mature young men and women to enter this school,—those who have had a good Christian experience, and are anxious to obtain a fitness to preach the gospel and to heal the sick. We should do more: we should assist it by our prayers and with our means.

From Loma Linda I went to the Glendale Sanitarium. This was also filled, and is doing a good work.

The Paradise Valley Sanitarium was full to overflowing. I could not be accommodated within the building. The conference in which it is located is now prepared to take it over. At a joint meeting of the sanitarium board and the local conference committee, action was taken making this possible. It is no longer a losing enterprise.

During the past few years, the St. Helena Sanitarium has been able to pay off its indebtedness. It is now practically free from debt. The institution was filled when I visited it. About one hundred twenty-seven patients were accommodated.

The Lesson for Us

Suppose we had waited until every obstacle was removed before attempting to go forward in establishing these enterprises—how many of them would now exist? It seems to me as if this ought to teach us a lesson for all time, and give us faith to move forward. Sickness is increasing. There never was a time when there existed a greater demand for Christian doctors, nurses, and sanitariums than the present. This demand will increase as time advances, and plans should be laid accordingly.

D. H. K.