THE SANITARIUM by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · June 3, 1880

FromThe Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 23

THE SANITARIUM.

By James White

THE changes that have taken place in this institution during the past six years are highly gratifying. We have repeated it a hundred times, that it is a discredit to S. D. Adventists to do a second-class job at anything. Our publishing house, from a very small and humble beginning, has grown to great completeness and efficiency. Our College has arisen from a private school to an institution of learning of great importance to our people everywhere. The subject of Christian temperance at an early date worked its way into the minds and hearts of our people, until we became a denomination of health reformers. The need of an institution was felt, where the sick among us could be treated without being brought under the irreligious influences of existing health institutions, and where our feeble and worn ministers could find rest and relief from their arduous toils.

The greatest difficulty under which we have labored, has been to secure men and women of devotion to the work, and of sufficient breadth of character to act as physicians. Those who had charge of the work at the early and unfortunate period of our Health Institute, did better than could really be expected of them, judging by their failures since they have been superseded by those of efficiency and influence. Under their management, the institution suffered in its reputation, consequently it suffered financially.

We soon became satisfied that without thoroughly educated physicians, and men of superior financial ability, to stand at the head of our health institution, it could not arise to a position to meet the mind of God. But in our efforts to bring about these changes, we had to work against the narrow prejudices of those who held positions, and the discouragements of the stockholders and friends of the institution.

With but little sympathy and co-operation from others, we have labored to bring about changes which are very gratifying. J. H. Kellogg, M. D., who now stands at the head of an able, refined and devoted faculty, has proved himself as true as steel, worthy of the confidence and respect of the medical and scientific men of our country, with whom he holds high rank. He has well earned the unwavering confidence and love of all our people.

The future of the Sanitarium is most hopeful. God has blessed the imperfect work of our health institution in the past to the physical and spiritual good of hundreds, and its mission and important work have only begun. If there were good reasons why brethren and sisters should take stock in it in the past, the reasons why all our people should now share in the work are doubly good. The debt should be lifted by our people. When this shall be accomplished, our feeble and weary ministers can share its benefits free of charge.

God has given us, as a people, the great subject of health reform, not that we should treat it in a manner to disgust the people, but that it may be a sort of John the Baptist to prepare the way for the greater light of the last message.

Among the inferior benefits of change from the common habits of life to those conducive to health and happiness, is money saved. The health journal makes its monthly visits to five thousand families. And we safely conclude that four thousand of these, at least, are true reformers. These four thousand families have left the use of tobacco, tea, and coffee, the annual expense of which, in cash paid out, would be from ten to fifty dollars a family. But we will put the average cost at twenty-five dollars to each family. The money saved, then, by four thousand families of reformers, in abstaining from tobacco, tea, and coffee, alone, would be the sum of $100,000 a year.

But this is not all the money saved by those who carry out the principles of health reform. The amount annually paid out to the doctors by those who adhere to old habits, is nearly as large as that paid out for tobacco, tea, and coffee. Then add to this the sum paid out for patent medicines, and the total would not be less than twenty-five dollars to a family. This, too, is saved by true health reformers, amounting, in four thousand families, to not less than a second $100,000 annually.

And, again, this is not all that is saved by the reform. The vegetarian diet, consisting of the grains, vegetables, and fruits, which are indeed the fat of the land, is far less expensive than the food usually eaten, of flesh, butter, sweet-cake, and pies, lard, saleratus, pepper, vinegar, pickles, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. When we first discarded these, and purchased for our family only such articles as flour, meal, vegetables, and fruits, we were surprised to see how little it cost to live. The change was so great that we really felt embarrassed over the fact that our grocery bills were almost next to nothing. In our own family, ranging from ten to fifteen persons, we have saved annually, by adopting the reform diet, not less than one hundred dollars. But we will put the average saving in the four thousand families of health reformers, in consequence of changing to a more healthful diet, at twenty-five dollars to each family, making the third sum of $100,000. The total amount saved, in money alone, by those who have fully adopted the reform among our people, is the very handsome sum of $300,000 a year. But suppose the annual amount saved by discarding hurtful indulgences, and adopting healthful habits of living, is only one-half this sum. What a glorious offering to the Lord $150,000 would be to present before him each year for the benefit of the Battle Creek Sanitarium, which has been established by his hand.

But the money saved by the health reform is not worthy to be compared with the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual benefits derived from correct habits of life. Health is man's capital, the value of which cannot be computed in dollars and cents. And self-denial of hurtful indulgences strengthens and elevates the moral powers, while the mental and spiritual become clearer, with an improved physical condition.

The real health reformer, who is true to the principles he adopts, enjoys a comparative freedom from pain, a clearness of thought, a calmness of nerve and temper, a release from dark forebodings and the horrors of a diseased conscience, which freedom constitutes, in a very great degree, the pleasure of existence. His senses are clear and keen, and he enjoys the glories of nature wherever his eye meets them, and the delights of a restored taste in a proper use of healthful food. Such a one finds himself, as it were, in a second Eden, almost in the enjoyment of the blessings of the first, when “out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.”

True, we are not really in Paradise restored to its Eden glory; but having it in full prospect, soon to be given to the pure, we really do not see the need of passing an imaginary and self-made purgatory in reaching the heavenly plains. Thousands of health reformers know, by happy experience, the things of which we speak. To those who do not, we would say, Change from your gross habits of life, wash up, and cheer up. God lives and reigns, and wills that you be well and happy, and make the best of the ills of this mortal life; and, if true to God and yourselves, he will, ere long, give you life eternal.

Health reform, with the money saved, and all its inestimable blessings, is a godsend. We appeal especially to our friends who rejoice in the reform: What shall we render to the Lord for these benefits? Shall we covetously invest the money saved, in lands, houses, horses, carriages, furniture, fine clothing, and the like? Or, shall we consecrate it to the cause of health reform, as a thank-offering to God for the good we have received? Those who love self supremely will do the former. Those who love God and humanity will sacredly consecrate to the Battle Creek Sanitarium the money saved to them by adopting the health reform. J. W.