The Medical Convention at Loma Linda, Cal.
According to appointment the medical convention opened at 9 A. M., March 21, holding to the twenty-third, inclusive. The College of Medical Evangelists had declared a vacation of one week, thus giving opportunity to members of the faculty to attend the convention. Several of the senior students were in attendance, as well as workers from the sanitarium. There was also present a number of visiting ministers, the convention being followed by a constituency meeting of the college. Among those present were Drs. W. A. Ruble, N. G. Evans, John Reith, A. W. Truman, W. W. Worster, Julia A. White, T. J. Evans, G. E. Klingerman, W. J. Johnson, A. Winegar Simpson, B. L. Dieffenbacher, S. P. S. Edwards, W. A. George, Lyra George, T. S. Whitelock, E. H. Risley, A. Q. Shryock, D. D. Comstock, Belle Wood Comstock, G. K. Abbott, W. H. Smith, B. E. Fullmer, George Thomason, H. J. Hoare, B. B. Bolton, J. J. Weir, F. E. Herzer, Zenobia E. Nightingale, R. I. Hall, Lavina A. Baxter, H. W. Miller. The following ministers were present: I. H. Evans, W. T. Knox, F. Griggs, E. E. Andross, J. O. Corliss, F. M. Burg, C. McReynolds, J. A. Burden, W. C. White, Clarence Santee, E. W. Farnsworth, J. L. McElhany, N. Z. Town, W. W. Eastman, F. W. Paap, G. B. Starr, V. H. Lucas, Meade MacGuire, F. I. Richardson, B. E. Beddoe, M. E. Cady, R. S. Owen, D. A. Parsons, W. F. Martin, C. F. Folkenberg. The following brethren and sisters were also present: Brethren C. E. Rice, W. D. Salisbury, I. C. Colcord, J. R. Ferren, Claude Conard, Clyde Lowry, Ernest Lloyd, B. M. Emerson, J. J. Ireland, L. M. Bowen, C. M. Everest, C. F. Marvin, E. G. Fulton, F. W. Paterson, J. R. Scott, Harry E. Sanders, L. A. Hansen; and Sisters Helen E. Rice, Myrtle M. Phillips, Josephine Gotzian, Mrs. G. A. Irwin, and the wives of a number of the brethren already named. There were still others present whose names we did not get. Mrs. Hattie Allee, assisted by Clyde Lowry, rendered valuable service throughout the convention in taking stenographic notes and writing out the minutes. The chairman stated that it was not the purpose of the convention to act in executive capacity, going into details regarding particular institutions, but to deal with principles and policies and to make such recommendations as could be passed to the boards of management of our various sanitariums, thus making it a convention of study and suggestion. The following committees were named: On plans, W. T. Knox, L. A. Hansen, H. W. Cottrell, L. M. Bowen, C. E. Rice, D. D. Comstock, John Reith, E. E. Andross, and H. W. Miller; on education, Newton Evans, F. Griggs, Julia A. White, A. Q. Shryock, W. A. Ruble, G. E. Klingerman, I. H. Evans. The following agenda paper was used at this convention, as well as at the conventions held in Takoma Park and Boulder. The discussion of the subjects covered a wide range and elicited many excellent suggestions. Agenda Paper for Medical Conventions
1. The object of Seventh-day Adventists in conducting sanitariums. By what shall we judge the success of a sanitarium? 2. What can be done to strengthen the mutual organization between our sanitariums, and with the Medical Department? 3. How fully ought sanitariums to be equipped with modern scientific apparatus; as, X ray, diathermy, cystoscope, urea calorimeter? 4. Sanitarium Service:—
a. Upkeep and appearance of institution.
b. Receiving of patients.
c. Interesting and satisfying patients.
d. Uniforms.
e. Duties of matron.
f. Duties of head nurse. 5. Advertising:—
a. Direct to the public.
b. Combined advertising of all Seventh-day Adventist institutions.
c. Who shall do it?
d. Field agents. 6. Supplies. A central purchasing bureau for supplies. 7. Blanks:—
a. Histories and records.
b. Advantage of a uniform system for sanitariums. c. Uniform examination blanks for nurse students.
d. Diplomas and calendars. 8. Postgraduate work. To what extent shall these opportunities be granted to the medical faculty? 9. Medical superintendent's duties to medical staff and training school, and his relation to the business manager. Shall institutions be conducted from a medical or a business standpoint, aside from religious influence? 10. The business manager:—
a. His duties.
b. Relation to medical superintendent.
c. How close can he come to patients? 11. Rates and collections:—
a. Ways of making plain the rates and providing for prompt settlement of bills.
b. Should the doctor help?
c. How to collect bad accounts. 12. Charity rates:—
a. To what extent can we grant them?
b. Best plan for providing.
c. How to secure funds for same. 13. Chaplains:—
a. Should they be men or women, and what can they do to promote the institution?
b. How to work. 14. How can sanitariums be evangelistic? How can the individual worker reach the individual patient? City work by nurses. Dispensary and visiting work for the poor. 15. Sanitarium training schools for nurses:—
a. How many?
b. Where?
c. Entrance requirements.
d. Number of years of training men and women.
e. Requirements for graduation.
f. Uniformity of course and studies.
g. Necessary faculty. 16. Our sanitariums' relation to the medical college and postgraduate nurses' course at Loma Linda and Washington. 17. The medical secretary's relation to the sanitariums. 18. Can we as institutions prosper and not protest against every medical fad and the popular short course “pathies”? 19. Field work:—
a. To what extent and how shall we do field educational work for the public? for our own people?
b. How can we interest our own people so that they may secure the benefits of sanitarium principles and we secure their cooperation? 20. Treatment rooms. What affiliation can we secure between treatment rooms and sanitariums to their mutual advantage? 21. Life and Health:—
a. Change of name and policy.
b. How to increase its circulation.
c. How to make it a strong department journal.
d. A health educator for our people. 22. Hygienic cooks:—
a. What can we do to develop them?
b. Shall each institution train cooks in the regular course?
c. Shall certain institutions make a specialty of training cooks? 23. Health food factories:—
a. What can we do to encourage business?
b. Should we offer suggestions on food standards? H. W. MILLER, Chairman;
L. A. HANSEN, Secretary.