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Testimonies for the Church Volume 7
shadow over the earth, God desires His children to find delight in the
works of His hands. To locate our sanitariums amidst the scenes of
nature would be to follow God’s plan; and the more closely this plan
is followed, the more wonderfully will He work to restore suffering
humanity. For our educational and medical institutions, places should
be chosen where, away from the dark clouds of sin that hang over the
great cities, the Sun of Righteousness can arise, “with healing in His
wings.”
Malachi 4:2
.
Let the leaders in our work instruct the people that sanitariums
should be established in the midst of the most pleasant surroundings,
in places not disturbed by the turmoil of the city, places where by
wise instruction the thoughts of the patients can be bound up with the
thoughts of God. Again and again I have described such places; but
it seems that there has been no ear to hear. Recently in a most clear
and convincing manner the advantage of establishing our institutions,
especially our sanitariums and schools, outside the cities was presented
to me.
Why are our physicians so eager to be located in the cities? The
very atmosphere of the cities is polluted. In them, patients who have
unnatural appetites to overcome cannot be properly guarded. To pa-
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tients who are victims of strong drink, the saloons of a city are a
continual temptation. To place our sanitariums where they are sur-
rounded by ungodliness is to counterwork the efforts made to restore
the patients to health.
In the future the condition of things in the cities will grow more
and more objectionable, and the influence of city surroundings will be
acknowledged as unfavorable to the accomplishment of the work that
our sanitariums should do.
From the standpoint of health the smoke and dust of the cities are
very objectionable. And the patients who for a large part of their time
are shut up within four walls often feel that they are prisoners in their
rooms. When they look out of a window they see nothing but houses,
houses, houses. Those who are thus confined to their rooms are liable
to brood over their suffering and sorrow. Sometimes an invalid is
poisoned by his own breath.
Many other evils follow the establishment of great medical institu-
tions in the large cities.