Medical Missionary Work for the Colored People in Nashville, Tennessee
By L. A. HANSEN
A LITTLE more than a year ago an effort was begun to open a sanitarium for the colored people. Some means was raised under the auspices of the Southern Missionary Society, a house and lot were secured with part payment, and a few months ago there was opened to the public the first institution of the kind devoted to the colored people. Although there is still much lacking to make it complete in its working, there is now a very creditable establishment, prepared to give various sanitarium treatments, and furnished with beds for house patients. The work of this institution is carried on under the direction of the Nashville Sanitarium Association, which was organized to meet the requirements of the law in order to hold the property. This association is now a part of the Southern Union Conference, the union conference committee being the constituency. Since the beginning of the work the union conference has added to the money expended in equipping the institution and in meeting the running expenses. This new effort among colored people could not be expected to find the financial support that a similar work for the white people would meet with. Lack of means and want of appreciation on the part of the public stand in the way of a large patronage. Two months ago it was a serious question as to the advisability of continuing the work, on account of lack of means to support it. At present it is meeting running expenses only because the workers connected with it are drawing no salaries, which condition cannot, of course, always continue. The workers are Brother and Sister F. M. Young, of Illinois, who are acting as steward and matron, and W. P. Creighton and Miss Susan Willis, sanitarium nurses. A leading object of this work is to afford a training school for colored workers. An effort in this direction is already begun. The facilities for this are excellent. Located in a city that has both the better and the poorer class of people, there is offered a good field. There are leading colored educational institutions located in Nashville, both literary and medical. There is a very large population of the poorer class. The need of medical missionary work18among these people is great. A most practical way to help them is by giving them instruction in their homes, in healthful living, cleanly and practical housekeeping, and in many other things. Students connected with this work could receive practical training in the modern sanitarium and among the people. A number of our young colored people are desirous of obtaining just such a training, and would then make useful workers for their own people. It is quite evident that it is not the best plan to send these people to our institutions in the North, expecting them to return here for work. The training should be done here. Surely, such a work as this ought to prove one of the best things that could be done for the colored field. The plan is by no means impracticable. We already have persons qualified for the work of teaching, and an institution fairly well equipped, and we have the field in which to work. What is needed is some assistance in the way of means to support the work, which cannot reasonably be expected to be self-supporting for a while. The following-named persons are members of the board: C. P. Bollman, President; W. J. Stone, Secretary; L. A. Hansen, Treasurer; Dr. O. M. Hayward and R. M. Kilgore. Money for this work should be sent to the Treasurer, L. A. Hansen, 624 Church St., Nashville, Tenn.