General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1
THE MEDICAL WORK
J. H. KELLOGG
This Association has charge of all the medical work which is done in the name of the denomination. All of our sanitariums, those established and those in prospect, are under the supervision of this Association. Our medical institutions have a larger scope than any other such institutions in the world. Should you visit the largest medical institutions elsewhere, you would find that our institutions present a larger variety of medical work than are given in others. I do not give this upon my own study of the question, but upon the testimony of medical men who have visited here. Neither do I say it in any boasting way. It is simply the outgrowth of the principles which the Lord has given us. I mention it only to present the scope of the work considered from the medical standpoint. GCB February 4, 1895, page 3.10
As I was going to Chicago the other day, a gentleman who was on board the train said to me, “I believe you live at Battle Creek; at least I see you got on there. Do you know anything of the Sanitarium there?” I told him I was acquainted there; and if he would wait a little he could see the Sanitarium buildings from the window. As we rode along, he inquired particularly in regard to the institution. I told him it was an institution “for the cure of incurables.” He was very much interested, and decided to stop here on his way back. What interested him most was that we cure “incurables.” GCB February 4, 1895, page 3.11
And I can say we cure them; for we proceed upon principles which the Lord has pointed out for the restoration of health. We train the sick to do things that make them well, — train them out of disease into health. We can see the wisdom of the Lord in the system he has given us. He did not give us “Shaker bitters” or anything of that kind, but principles by which we may not only be freed from disease, but by which we need not be sick. That is the only way to cure a sick man, — to lift him out of the place where he is exposed to disease to where he will not be subject to it. GCB February 4, 1895, page 4.1
I believe that in the time of trouble, when the plagues come upon the earth, we will not be altogether dependent upon an instantaneous deliverance, but that the Lord has been training us to prepare us for it, as he did the children of Israel. We endeavor to train every one who comes to the Sanitarium into health by teaching him correct habits of life. Some of you wonder why it costs so much. It is because we have to have so many people there to help those who come. It needs about two to teach and train and care for one that comes. It requires ten hours work to make an examination of each chronic case that comes to the institution. The history of the case is taken by a physician; the fluids of the stomach are examined, requiring nearly sixty operations to complete the examinations; and the excretions of the body are examined; and the entire time devoted to the examination of each case is an average of ten hours. Then we can tell the patients just what is the matter with them. GCB February 4, 1895, page 4.2
Another branch is the Medical Missionary work. We have medical missions in Chicago, and in Mexico; and the work has also been started in Polynesia. GCB February 4, 1895, page 4.3
Then there is the GCB February 4, 1895, page 4.4