Sanitarium's Place in the Community

Conclusion of a talk given at Workshop for direc­tors of nursing, Takoma Park, May, 1947.

By J. W. MCFARLAND, M.D., Assistant great a surplus there may be of the other con- Secretary of the Medical Department

I believe that we as physicians should sit down with you as nurses and map out a program of community health. I have some­thing to suggest as a good place to begin. You know everybody is interested in polio, and the Red Cross is very anxious to conduct some of these polio emergency volunteer courses. We conducted one at Glendale Sanitarium some time ago. Some of the finest women in the community came there to learn how to give Kenny packs. They learned not only Kenny packs but also something else. They became better acquainted with this people and the truth.

You can imagine what you could do in a community if you had a course like that at your sanitarium. I have here a guide for nurses on the nursing care of infantile paralysis, and a guide for parents. A motion picture film is also available. The people would think you were doing a wonderful work for their commu­nity, and you would be.

I hold in my hand a program we put on at the White Memorial Hospital. This consisted of a series of talks given at the clinic by hospital personnel for clinic and hospital patients. We announced it this way : "The College of Medi­cal Evangelistic School of Medicine, Los Angeles, presents 'Better Living'—a series of classes and practical instruction to help you to better living." On this program the dietitian is down first. You ask, "Why put the dietitian first ?" Well, I would like to read something to you on that from Medical Ministry: "The lack of knowledge regarding healthful cookery must be remedied before health reform is a success." —Page 270.

Everybody is interested in diet. By an actual survey the National Broadcasting Company has found that of all their programs on health the thing folks want to know more about than anything else is, How and what shall I eat? When patients come to the office, they are not so much interested in the Px. of their saliva or the epidermophytosis on their feet. They say, "Doctor, is there something I ought to eat for this ?" So we consider diet a good place to start. This is not the only way to begin, but it can be the start of a community medical missionary program.

Cooking schools are another excellent proj­ect. The Pacific Press has just published a set of twelve lessons on cooking, and they are as "snappy" as can be. They are now available, to be used as part of correspondence classwork or as the basis for a cooking school in the insti­tution. (See announcement, page 43.—EDITOR.)

You might find it helpful in your cooking schools to use the "Conserving Minerals and Vitamins" chart along with the one on "Our Daily Food Needs." General Mills gave us per­mission to reprint these. You will notice in this picture (holding up chart) that it looks just like a Seventh-day Adventist young woman in the kitchen, and they even have printed that she should not put soda and baking powder in vegetables. This chart is available from the Life and Health office in Takoma Park. The cost is very small, only ten cents each, or less in quantities.

Other Helps on Health Education

Another item that you can obtain is a copy of the School Health Bulletin, issued by the Medical Department of the General Confer­ence. On the inside cover there is a list of material you can get absolutely free. Here is a pamphlet on posture, for instance, that is put out by the Camp Company. It is very good. In the book Education we are told that one of the first things that should be taught is proper pos­ture, both in sitting and standing.

Cancer is always of interest to people too.

You could show the film on cancer put out by the U.S. Public Health Department.

At our Life and Health office we now have a leaflet on tobacco called "Tobacco and Health," at ten cents each, which contains the latest in­formation available. It is written by Dr. Lester Lonergan, of Loma Linda, and is excellent. In fact, this material came to the attention of the Metropolitan Life Insurance ' Company and they asked to see the entire series.

You can also obtain leaflets on "Relaxation," by Clarence W. Dail, M.D., from the Life and Health office, at ten cents each. We are hoping that soon we shall have a leaflet on the most up-to-date information on alcohol.

There are many things you can do if you will just get busy and make a place for a live medical missionary program. But above all things, do something! Don't just sit there wait­ing for someone to get enthifsiastic, and let the sanitarium stagnate, and be simply an ordi­nary commercial hospital. We must remember that the Lord's plan in these institutions is not merely to house sickly people, make money, or to train nurses, important as these are, but we owe something far beyond that to the com­munity.

In introducing the next part of this discus­sion I want to read a sentence from Counsels on Health, page 248: "Our Sanitariums are to be as lights shining in a dark place, because physicians, nurses, and helpers [it doesn't leave anyone out] reflect the sunlight of Christ's righteousness." I am certain that what we need is more radiant Christians in our institutions. Why, I've seen so many long faces in the offices as I go into our institutions that it just pains me. Why not try a smile on your face? It really won't hurt a bit.

You may have heard of the young man who was asked, "What organization do you repre­sent ?" He answered, "Lady, really I don't want to be bragging, but I am a Seventh-day Advent­ist." We need more of that spirit. We have something for people. Get your heads up. Lift up your eyes. The best way to start this pro­gram of medical missionary activity is to start it in your own hearts. It works best in the spirit of a revival.

How much do you really love these prin­ciples? It is time we were leading out in re­viving the spirit that actuated the pioneers—a radiant, happy Christian experience.

Now suppose some overworked girl comes off surgery at midnight, and the next morning she is supposed to go out to help conduct a cooking school or to help with school inspection. Do you think she will be in any condition to? No! We cannot carry on that type of thing and expect to have our nurses come out of this with a burning desire to go into conference or missionary work. You don't do it that way. It is time we were putting this phase of sani­tarium work into the curriculum in such a way that it is not made a burden on the students when it comes time for them to give a Bible study or help in a health series. If there is no place for this in our curriculum, the question is soon raised, "What is this all about? I thought that missionary activity was what this institution was for."

Let us not be deceived, for even with all our scientific skill and training, if we forget that the science of all sciences is the science of soul saving, then we have lost everything that gives meaning to our institutions. We must put the essentials into the curriculum. Let us see if somehow we cannot change the order of things, so that our students will not find medical mis­sionary activity just one more added burden. Could I make bold to suggest setting apart several weeks or even a few days during their training when ,they would do nothing else but go out in field work—it is then that they begin to see more clearly humanity and its need. Send them when they will have time, when there is no examination over their heads, no surgery schedule that has to be met.

We need to pray and ask God to make us radiant Christians, and give us a vision of what can be accomplished by us as physicians and nurses in our institutions. Giving the gospel of healthful living to those who sit in ignorance and darkness has been committed to us. Let us be up and doing.


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By J. W. MCFARLAND, M.D., Assistant great a surplus there may be of the other con- Secretary of the Medical Department

April 1948

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