p. 77 | Hygienic Book Fund by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 20, 1872

Hygienic Book Fund.

By James White

On the occasion of the S. D. A. General Conference, which held its annual session in this city, December 30, 1871, a delegation from the several States of the earnest friends of the cause of health reform were invited to make the Institute their home during the period of their stay in the city, which was from one to two weeks.

Ample provisions were made by the Directors for the accommodation of all, and it seemed to be the highest pleasure of Physicians and Helpers to make all feel at home, and to make the occasion a happy one.

The opportunity for interchange of thought by those who had intelligently and conscientiously adopted the principles of the great health reformation was excellent, and each seemed to be delighted with the important facts in each other's experience. And thus the time happily and profitably passed away.

New Year's, by appointment, the ample Institute Hall was crowded with visitors and citizens, who listened to brief remarks relative to the origin and design of the Health Reform Institute, when the following platform was read, unanimously adopted, and the paper signed by more than one hundred friends of the cause.

“1. God, in the creation of man, established laws pertaining to both his moral and physical natures, which, had he always obeyed them, would have given him immunity from sickness, and would have perpetuated life. Sickness and suffering had their origin in the violation of these laws.

“2. As man cannot have eternal life without strict obedience to moral law, so he cannot have deliverance from the terrible bondage of sickness and premature death in this world without strict observance of physical law.

“3. The moral and physical natures of man are so intimately related that it is impossible to live in violation of either of these laws without doing violence to the other. Physical law, therefore, in its sphere, is as sacred and binding upon man as moral law.

“4. The gospel teaches that man should live healthfully as well as righteously.

“5. We recognize in nature the power to restore to health without the aid of medicines. The true Physician supplies conditions: Nature cures.

“6. Our materia medica: Good food, pure air, pure soft water, light, heat, exercise, proper clothing, rest, sleep, moral and social influences.

“7. Our motto: Temperance in all things. Not only in eating, drinking, and in labor, but in everything that tends to exhaust the vitality of the system.

“8. It has been well said: ‘A contented mind is a continual feast.’ A well-founded trust in God is the best and surest promoter of cheerfulness of mind; and without this all other means may fail.”

With the extremes of those who are capable of taking no other than a narrow view of important subjects on the one hand, and the cry of “radicalism” by those who bend to popular practice, custom, and the indulgence of appetite, on the other hand, the friends and supporters of the HEALTH REFORMER and our Health Institute take their stand upon the above platform.

And while they gratefully acknowledge, and accept, the doctrine of Christian temperance, clearly set forth in the Sacred Scriptures, they recognize the providence of God in the scientific demonstrations of this great subject in the able writings of Graham, Trall, and others who have proved true to the principles they have espoused and taught.

The visiting friends, wishing to give a definite expression of their gratitude and confidence, presented the following paper, which was also signed by more than forty visiting friends who were present at that meeting:

“By the kindness of the Directors and managers of the Health Institute, we have enjoyed its hospitalities for a number of days, which has given us an opportunity of observing the good order, the quiet, and the neatness of this institution; the care manifested on the part of the Superintendent, Physicians, and Helpers, to have everything harmonious and right in every respect, the bountiful supply of purely hygienic food and good water, thorough ventilation of rooms, cheerful and pleasant surroundings, with its marked religious influence, and the entire absence of all frivolous, unseemly deportment, which is so often manifested where so many of all ages and both sexes are congregated.

“We heartily commend this Institution to all those who are in need of the recovery of their health, as a place to which they may safely resort, with the reasonable hope of receiving the best care and most skillful treatment; where they will not be imposed upon by exorbitant prices, or by being treated with neglect; where they will be sure to find all and everything pleasant and cheerful, and where they may expect to meet the blessing of God.

“We shall carry away from this Institute the most pleasant remembrances; and with this expression of our gratitude we leave the assurance that all who labor here in this blessed work shall have our encouragement, our sympathy, and our prayers.”

It was at this meeting that we introduced the matter of Hygienic Book Fund, passed round a paper for pledges, which not only met with success in promises of future payment, but several hundred dollars were then and there paid. And, although no general call has been made for donations to this fund, it has, without any effort of the kind, reached the sum of $1,489.00. With this good beginning we start off with courage and full expectation of raising the Twenty Thousand Dollars.

We here give the names of twelve who have helped make up the $1,489.00. Let others file in:

White & wife, James, — $200.00 Abbey, Ira, — 100.00 Hare, Jacob, — 100.00 Kellogg, H. W., — 100.00 Root, E. H., — 100.00 Palmer, D. R., — 75.00 Abbey, Samuel I., — 50.00 Butler, E. P., — 50.00 Glascock, Eli, — 50.00 Grant, Newel, — 50.00 Landon, Betsey (tea & coffee money), — 50.00 Ward, Bro., — 50.00

We here take pleasure in calling especial attention to the liberal donation of sister Betsey Landon (tea and coffee money), which she wished understood was a sum saved during a certain period by abstaining from the unnecessary and hurtful use of these slow poisons. Should all our people follow her example, and put into this fund only what they save each month in abstaining from tea, coffee, chewing, smoking and snuffing tobacco, with all such appurtenances as pipes, tobacco-boxes, and snuff-boxes, the sum annually that would come pouring into this Book Fund in behalf of health, and reform, would be at least five times the entire sum suggested.

We appeal in the name of reason and religion, and in behalf of besotted humanity, Let us follow sister Landon's example, and let the thank-offerings come pouring in from all directions, as tributes of true gratitude in view of our happy emancipation from the slavery of these poisons.

A large edition of the most important work from the pen of Dr. Trall is in print. His essay on tobacco-using is a work for the time, and as a duty we owe to the chewing, smoking, snuffing thousands in each State of the Union, ten thousand copies of this work should be distributed in our country alone, each quarter.

And then we have a large edition ready of the doctor's most brilliant effort in his scientific exposition of the Hygienic System, in contrast with the iniquitous practices of drugging. We regard his late work, entitled, “The Hygienic System,” peculiarly adapted to the general reading public at this time, and well calculated to shake confidence in the several schools of drug practice, and thus prepare the way for the reception of further light. God has given us as a people the great subject of health reform, not that we should treat it in a manner to disgust the people, but that it may be a sort of John Baptist to prepare the way for the greater light of the last message of mercy.

Among the inferior benefits of change from the common habits of life to those conducive to health and happiness, is money saved. The Health Reformer now (Aug. 1872,) makes its monthly visits to more than six thousand families. And we safely conclude that four thousand of these, at least, are true reformers. These four thousand families have left the use of tobacco, tea, and coffee, the annual expense of which, in cash paid out, would be from ten to sixty dollars a family. But we will put the average cost at twenty-five dollars to each family. The money saved, then, by four thousand families of reformers, in abstaining from tobacco, tea, and coffee alone, would be the handsome sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars.

But this is not all the money saved by those who carry out the principles of health reform. The amount annually paid out to the doctors by those who adhere to old habits, is nearly as large as that paid out for tobacco, tea, and coffee. Then add to this the sum paid out for patent medicines, and the total would not be less than twenty-five dollars to a family. This, too, is saved by true health reformers, amounting, in four thousand families, to not less than a second One Hundred Thousand Dollars.

And, again, this is not all that is saved by the reform. The vegetarian diet, consisting of the grains, vegetables, and fruits, which is indeed the fat of the land, is far less expensive than the food usually eaten of flesh, butter, sweet cake, and pies, lard, saleratus, pepper, vinegar, pickles, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, &c. When we first left these, and purchased for our family only such articles as flour, meal, vegetables, and fruits, we were surprised to see how little it cost to live. The change was so great that we really felt embarrassed over the fact that our grocery bills were almost next to nothing, and we begged of Mrs. W. to make out a memorandum of eatables for us to purchase in town, that we might have the pleasure of paying out some money to live. In our own family, ranging from ten to fifteen persons, we have saved annually, by adopting the reform diet, not less than one hundred and fifty dollars. But we will put the average saving in the four thousand families of health reformers, in consequence of changing to a more healthful diet, at twenty-five dollars to each family, making the third sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars. The total amount saved, in money only, by those subscribers of the Health Reformer who have fully adopted the reform, is the very handsome sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars annually.

But all this talk about money saved is hardly worthy to be put in print compared with physical, mental, moral, and spiritual benefits, derived from correct habits of life. Health is man's capital, the value of which cannot be computed in dollars and cents. And self-denial of hurtful indulgences strengthens and elevates the moral powers while the mental and spiritual become clearer with an improved physical condition.

The real health reformer who is true to the principles he adopts, enjoys a comparative freedom from pain, a clearness of thought, a calmness of nerve and temper, a release from dark forebodings and the horrors of a diseased conscience, which constitute, in a very great degree, the pleasure of existence. His senses are clear and keen, and he enjoys the glories of nature wherever his eye meets them, and the delights of a restored taste in the proper use of healthful food. Such an one finds himself, as it were, in a second Eden, almost in the enjoyment of the natural blessings of the first, when “out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.”

True, we are not really in Paradise restored to its Eden glory; but having it in full prospect, soon to be given to the pure, we really do not see the need of passing an imaginary and self-made purgatory in reaching the heavenly plains. Thousands of our readers know, by happy experience, the things of which we speak. To those who do not, we would say, Change from your gross habits of life; wash up; and cheer up. God lives and reigns, and wills that you may be well and happy, and make the best of the ills of this mortal life; and, if true to God and yourself, he will, ere long, give you life eternal.

Health reform, with the money saved, and all its inestimable blessings, is a Godsend. We appeal especially to our friends who rejoice in the reform: What shall we render to the Lord for these benefits? Shall we covetously invest the money saved, in lands, houses, horses, carriages, furniture, fine clothing, and the like? Or, shall we consecrate it to the cause of health reform as a thank-offering to God for the good we have received? Those who love self supremely will do the former. Those who love God and humanity, the latter.

We are making arrangements to publish largely on the health question. We shall issue tracts, pamphlets, and books, upon the subject in such numbers, and at such prices, as to encourage their active and extensive circulation. We design immediately to raise a fund of twenty thousand dollars, in donations from the friends of the reform, that we and our friends, and the tract societies in different parts of the country, may have health publications to give to those who do not choose to purchase.

Twenty thousand dollars may be regarded as a large sum for this object. But it is only one-fifteenth part of the amount annually saved by the reform, according to the foregoing computations. Does the reader say that our figures are too large? Then we will take off one-third, leaving the amount saved by our people by adopting health reform, only two hundred thousand dollars annually. And if it be regarded by any still too large, we will reduce it to only one hundred thousand dollars saved. This would be a handsome sum to divide between our Health Institute and a Health Tract Fund.

Now shall we come right up to the work, and show to the world that our benevolence can be reached by facts and figures which present a clear duty to our fellow-men, and that we can be moved by principle, and through love to our fellows, instead of through the debased avenue of morbid appetite as in the case of church festivals?

JAMES WHITE.