Our Medical Work from 1866--1896—No. 10

Sincere and earnest endeavors were put forth by those in charge of the student home, and by the students themselves, to maintain primitive spiritual standards and objectives. These efforts were not without gratifying re­sults, for the record of enthusiastic testimo­nies by the students, and the evidences of missionary work wrought and souls converted, all point to the signal blessing of God upon the students and their efforts. A Christian help band was organized in 1892 and became very active. From one report we glean the following: "During one month the number of visits was- 35; medical or other assistance was given during two months to 26 persons. Bible readings held, 13." The young women or­ganized classes in the poorer section of Chi­cago, and gave instruction in cooking, physical culture, sewing, etc., and conducted Sabbath schools on the Sabbath.

The students reported in the Medical Mis­sionary from time to time, telling of the bless­ings that had attended them personally in their work as they engaged in ministry for others. However, at best, the plan of sending Seventh-day Adventist students away to a State uni­versity left much to be desired, and by the spring of 1895, communications with Mrs. E. G. White indicated that those who were directing the activities of the students were exercised in mind relative to the risks in send­ing them to medical schools for long courses. Already there was considerable evidence that some members of the classes, those not so substantial in character, were being affected by the influences surrounding them in the uni­versity. Referring to the files of manuscript from the pen of Mrs. White, we find this appropriate counsel dated as early as July 27, 1885:

"We are in need of physicians, but the plan of sending young men away from our institutions to a medical college to obtain knowledge of how to treat the sick is a questionable one. It is similar to that of sending our children to the schools of the world for an education, where they will come in contact with every class of minds, and have the companion­ship of skeptics, infidels, and profligates, and where few escape contamination. They do not come forth uncorrupted as did Joseph and Daniel, because they have not purposed in their hearts to remain undefiled by the habits and customs to which they are ex­posed."'

The conviction that we should have a de­nominational medical school apparently be­came impressed rather suddenly upon the mind of a number of the leaders about this time, and early in May, 1895, at a joint meeting of the Battle Creek Sanitarium and Medical Mis­sionary Boards, it was voted to organize a medical missionary college with a curriculum of study equal to that of the best medical schools in the country. Shortly thereafter we find this first public announcement: "We are happy to announce that arrangements are being made for the establishment of a medical missionary college under the supervision of the Medical Missionary and Benevolent Asso­ciation."'

The success that attended the work of the sanitarium and hospital, and its enlarging clinical facilities, the provision of a prelimi­nary year of the Medical course, and the su­pervision given students in their work during the summer vacations and during their univer­sity course, undoubtedly furnished a back­ground of experience, knowledge, and con­fidence that was invaluable to the medical leaders in planning for the launching of a full-fledged, four-year medical course under de­nominational guidance, and largely under Seventh-day Adventist teachers. By June of 1895 the following report was published in the Medical Missionary regarding the establishment of our first medical college, the American Medical Missionary College:

"After mature deliberation, the Medical Mission­ary Board has decided to organize and conduct a school for the education of missionary physicians. Since our last issue, this institution has been incor­porated under the name of the American Medical Missionary College. So far as we know, this is the first missionary medical college actually organized in this country, and we are not sure that in any other country there is a medical school exclusively devoted to the education of missionary physicians."

The chief reasons leading to the founding of this medical college may be summarized as follows:

1. "The importance of giving attention, in the education of the missionary physician, to missionary ideas and methods, as well as to the scientific subjects. The exclusive attention given to medicine and science in the ordinary medical college has a decided tendency to di­vert the attention of the student from the real object of his education, so that by the time his medical course is completed, it often happens that the intended missionary has lost his zeal for either foreign or home missionary work, and sees in the career of the ordinary practic­ing physician a more attractive lifework, and a field of missionary opportunity large enough to meet the demands of his diminished en­thusiasm."'

2. To provide an opportunity for actual mis­sionary activity all during the entire course of study.

3. To assist in providing financial aid to a large number of those undertaking the medi­cal course in preparation for missionary work.

4. To afford an opportunity for practical experience in medical work—"by daily contact with disease in its varied forms and with ra­tional methods of treatment."

It is of interest to note the qualifications required of all students, and some of the regu­lations of the college in its early years. Some of these were: A good moral character ; a genuine and mature religious experience; sound health; sufficient education (equivalent to high-school graduation), including certain required sciences. All students were required to do practical work two hours daily. Respect­ing student fees, we read:

"Tuition is given free to those who enter this school under the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Mis­sionary Board, to the children of missionaries of any denomination who are able to 'comply with the other requirements, and to such other persons as may be considered proper exceptions by the trustees. The regular charge for tuition is $100 a year." ⁵

The college was incorporated by 0. A. Olsen, J. H. Kellogg, and L. McCoy, on July 3, 1895, in Chicago under the laws of the State of Illinois. The course of study covered four years, given partly in Battle Creek and partly in Chicago. Regarding the incorporation of the school, we find this statement: "The course of study will be as thorough as that of the best medical schools in the United States."

Further plans and purposes of the incor­porators of the college read as follows:

"It is not the purpose of this school to give stu­dents a cheap medical education, but to make the education more thorough and more practical than can be done in a medical school where the student spends the most of his time listening, with very little time in actual contact with the sick.

"Young men and women of superior ability, and who give evidence of a sound Christian experience and thorough consecration to missionary work, will receive board and instruction free, but will be ex­pected to give such time as may be required of them to practical work in connection with the care of the sick in the hospital and sanitarium, in visiting nurses' work, in work in connection with the dis­pensaries, free bathhouses, and the gospel work in Chicago. All students will be received on proba­tion. Those who are found, on trial, to be in­competent for the work, or who lack consecration or a true missionary spirit, and who do not make a satisfactory change for the better after being duly admonished and instructed, will be dropped out of the class. A regular tuition will be charged those who do not desire to do the usual amount of prac­tical work."

From an editorial written in July of 1895, we gather this item of interest:

"Matters are progressing rapidly in the perfecting of the necessary arrangements for the medical mis­sionary college. The incorporation has been ratified by the State government of Illinois, and the public has shown considerable interest in the enterprise. One of the most distinguished physicians of Chicago has volunteered his services in connection with the course of instruction. . . .

"Several applications have been received from per­sons who desire simply to acquire medicine as a profession. On this account we wish to make plain the fact that this school is not an ordinary medical school, and will, on no account, receive persons who desire simply to acquire a medical education for the purpose of practicing medicine as a profession. None will be received except those whose sole pur­pose in obtaining medical knowledge is to engage in work as missionary physicians, and who expect to devote their lives to this work."'

In the August issue of the Medical Mission­ary, we find this additional word:

"We are glad to state that everything is prosper­ing in the Medical Missionary College enterprise. . . . The necessary preparations—apparatus, labora­tories, etc.—are rapidly being perfected, and by Oc­tober i everything will be in readiness for work. The Medical Missionary College will start off at the beginning of its course with an equipment for scien­tific work which is surpassed by very few medical schools in the world, and with opportunities for gaining practical experience in the rational treatment of the sick, excelled nowhere in the world.

"On looking back, we can see very clearly that a wise Providence has been preparing the way for this enterprise for many years, and while the time seems to have fully come for the initiation of this new de­parture in educational work, it is equally clear that never before has the time been ripe for such a work."'

A generous gift of $40,000, received from Francis H. and Henry S. P. Wessels, made possible the purchase of the needed apparatus and equipment, and the Battle Creek Sani­tarium had undertaken to bear the running expenses of the medical college. As we view it, to have launched such an important project of large dimensions, outlining the course of study, procuring the necessary apparatus and equipment, arranging for its housing and use, organizing the faculty, and looking after num­berless other details, all between May and October t, seems indeed a remarkable accom­plishment.