The Work of the Nurse

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 9, 1911

The Work of the Nurse

THE following report from Brother and Sister H. R. Judge, of Napier, New Zealand, who are both graduate nurses from the Sydney (Australia) Sanitarium, will be read with interest, especially by nurses and physicians. A love of souls for whom Christ died, combined with the work of the consecrated nurse, will be blessed of God to the physical and spiritual help of the patient.

“We greatly appreciate the training we received in the sanitarium at Wahroonga, which has enabled us to gain an entrance to many homes where otherwise we would not have obtained access. We can say from experience that a training of this kind enables us to enter the homes of the people to sow the precious seeds of the third angel's message.

“Our experience since leaving the training-school one year ago has been a very precious one, and has filled us with a deeper love for souls, many of whom are dying through lack of the knowledge which the Lord has so graciously given to us. On every hand, people are languishing on beds of pain, not knowing how to relieve their suffering, and the physicians, many of them, are at a loss to know what to do. We are continually meeting cases where the physician has failed, and given up hope, as the drugs administered have proved ineffective. We also find that a large majority of people are losing faith in drugs, as they can see by the results obtained that they can not be relied on to heal disease. It seems that the world is not only perplexed in regard to national life, but also in regard to the physical life. How true is the statement that the world is one vast hospital! We find very few homes that are free from sickness.

“We have been in Napier nine months. The first day we arrived, we secured a patient, and have been busy ever since. One woman who had been a sufferer for four years, after trying many things, tried our treatments, and in one month was completely restored to health. She is continually trying to induce others to come to us instead of making use of drugs. A number of our patients are working for us in this way. This shows their appreciation of the help received. This woman, her family, and a friend have adopted the health reform in their home.

“A man we were called to see in Hastings, fourteen miles away, had been in bed for three months, under drug medication; and in a short time, under our treatments, he was up and about and putting on flesh. This seemed to him almost a miracle. By his advice a chemist consulted us concerning his twelve-year-old daughter, who had been suffering from ill health for five years. Now, after four weeks’ treatment, the girl has improved so much that the parents think it wonderful, and are working to get us more patients.

“We could cite many other cases. The number of treatments given during the last nine months was 671. Of these we received pay for 505, and 166 were given free. We have not kept an account of the Bible talks, Bible readings given, and cottage meetings held; but we have had some very interesting times with the people as we have sought to help them.

“One man who had us treat his little son for pneumonia was so pleased with his rapid recovery that he was willing to listen to anything we had to say. From health talks we gradually passed to Bible topics. His interest was awakened, and both he and his wife have greatly enjoyed the studies, and look forward to them. He holds the position of secretary of the court.

“A young man next door to the case just mentioned, with whom I have been working for some months, is now gathering several families together in his home for Bible studies. It is good to see the interest manifested among these people. They are also calling for cooking lessons, which we are planning to give them.

“We are of good courage. How could we be otherwise, when the Lord is working so wonderfully for us?”