Around Washington by L. A. H.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 9, 1914

Around Washington

By L. A. H.

A LECTURE entitled "The Diet of To-morrow" was given recently by Prof. M. E. Olsen, under the auspices of the Food Reform League, in the lecture room of the Carnegie Library, Washington, D. C. The lecture was a presentation of a rational dietary, especially as related to vegetarianism. It was well received by a fair-sized audience. This was the first meeting of the league held in a public hall. Announcement was made of further publicity effort and of plans looking to the growth of the movement.

In a recent visit to the Washington Sanitarium Branch, we found the institution literally packed with its patronage. Every available space is used in which to care for patients and workers. Outside rooms are also utilized. The superintendent, Dr. Margaret Evans Stewart, finds considerable difficulty in caring for the growing work of the branch in its present limited quarters.

One of our nurses, Miss Nellie Waddell, is doing private nursing in Washington. She finds opportunities with physicians and with patients of giving information concerning our work and truth. In a recent patient's home she was asked many questions about the Sabbath, the second coming of Christ, state of the dead, and other questions. One indication of the religious influence was seen in the family's requesting the nurse to return thanks at each meal. The daughter soon gave up the use of coffee, and other practical reforms were seen.

The young people's societies of our churches in Washington and Takoma Park have shown good interest in health and temperance topics in the arrangement of their programs. The several programs that have been given have shown good use of the excellent material that is available for meetings that may be interesting, entertaining, and profitable, and in which the talent of a number of young people may be nicely utilized.

Dr. H. W. Miller has recently visited churches in some of our neighboring cities, speaking on the Sabbath. A good interest has been shown by the listeners in the subject of Christian temperance and general principles of health. Occasion has been given to make better known the work done in our sanitariums, and in some instances persons have been interested to seek sanitarium help.

The Washington Sanitarium Dispensary is meeting with continued success. Dr. L. E. Elliott is in charge, and reports excellent prospects of making that work largely self-supporting. Already much is being done in this direction, much to the surprise of many, considering the charitable nature of the work. The nurses who have been privileged to spend awhile at the dispensary report interesting and profitable experiences. The neighborhood visiting work has spread over a considerable area, and the report of the work has gone much farther, so that calls for nurses now come from various parts of the city from persons of a better class than it was expected to reach by dispensary work.

The register of the Washington Sanitarium shows the names of some well-known people of Washington. Evidently the institution is maintaining a hold on its local patronage. This is a favorable indication surely. Some rather delicate surgical work has been done the past few months, with unusually good results, the report of which seems to have had a salutary effect. An appreciative interest is being shown by the patients in the parlor lectures given by the physicians. L. A. H.