Report from Bro. Kellogg.
By M. G. Kellogg
Since April 27th I have been laboring in connection with Bro. J. N. Loughborough, with the California tent, making an occasional visit on the Sabbath to the churches already established. As reported by Bro. L., we had a good congregation, and good interest was manifested, as we lectured in the tent in Bloomfield, until our meetings were broken up by the appearance of the small-pox in the place. Some twenty-five or thirty persons had been exposed before it was known what the disease was. A drug M. D. was called in to treat five cases, and in less than two weeks four of them were in their graves. A terrible state of excitement followed. Nearly one half of the inhabitants fled from the town. Both the ministers in charge here, fled in terror, leaving members of their flocks prostrate with the disease, with none to care for them but unbelievers. Two men were hired, at $4.00 each per day, to care for one who had no family, and who was able to pay the bills. Two other families had the disease, but there were well ones enough to care for the sick. Another family of six persons, three adults and three children, were all down except two girls, eight and eleven years of age. For this family a nurse could not be procured, and the neighbors dare not go in to see them, except one man whose wife had varioloid, and duty seemed to require him to stay at home. Under these circumstances, we felt it to be our duty to preach by works, as well as by words. Therefore we took down the tent, and took our position by the bedside as nurse and physician to those who were smitten by this most loathsome disease. We treated eleven cases, giving no medicine whatever, but using only hygienic agencies—quiet, ventilation, cool, cold, warm, or hot, bathing, as the condition of the patient indicated, with proper attention to diet, and to the temperature of the body. Of these eleven cases, two had the disease quite light; four broke out pretty thoroughly, and were very sick, yet were not considered in danger; four were completely covered with pustules, and their lives were quite despaired of by all who saw them, except myself. These ten cases came immediately under my eye and direction, and my prescriptions were strictly followed; and, with the blessing of God, all recovered. The other case was visited and prescribed for by the writer, but with no hope, from the first, of its recovery, as it was a child but two years old, and its system was quite gross. It died on the ninth day. Our success in treating eleven cases, and losing but one, while the other physician lost four out of the five cases which he treated, is considered, by the friends and neighbors of those we treated, as a perfect triumph for the system of hygienic medication; and we find that the cause has not suffered by our course in standing by the sick. As we watched the progress of disease under our mode of treatment, we became more confirmed in the belief that the health-reform movement among our people is of God. After the small-pox had abated, we resumed our meetings and gave sixteen discourses; but as the disease was still raging a few miles in the country, but few came out to hear. We therefore concluded to postpone further labor in that place until the close of the tent season, as we can have a hall at that time. We gave fifty lectures, all told, in Bloomfield before leaving. Ten adult persons embraced the truth as the result of our labors there, and many others are interested, and are investigating; some of whom we hope to reach in our next effort. We established a Sabbath-meeting, also a Bible-class and Sabbath-school, before leaving. There were sold at these meetings $100.00 worth of our religious publications, five subscribed for the Review, and twenty-four for the Reformer. There were also sold twelve copies of “How to Treat the Sick without Medicine,” and twenty copies of “Physiology and Hygiene.” Of this last work, twelve were sold in one evening at the close of the first lecture on health. I fear our people do not generally know that we have a work on physiology and hygiene. If it be so, I would like the privilege of recommending it to them, as I consider it a very good work on the subject of which it treats, viz., the organization of the body, and how to keep it in health. I also think it well worth the price asked for it by the S. D. A. Publishing Association. I am anxious to see this work sold, for two reasons: first, that the people may have the benefit of what good it contains, and, secondly, that the means now locked up in it may be set free to be used in publishing other works. We have for many months felt the need of cheap works on the Prophecy of Daniel, and the Signs of the Times. There are many here who listen to our lectures on these subjects, and ask for the same in print; and we find that the best way to get the truth before such ones, is, to have a ten, fifteen, or twenty-five cent work to hand to them on each subject that we present, as many will buy a little at a time who will not buy a full set, or a bound volume at once; yet these very ones afterwards have come and bought two or three copies of such works as interested them, to hand to their friends. We have our tent pitched, at present, in the heart of the city of Petaluma. Have given seven lectures to audiences varying from seventy-five to two hundred and fifty. A deep interest is manifested. Pray for us. M. G. KELLOGG, M. D.