In their practice, the physicians should seek more and more to lessen the use of drugs instead of increasing it. When Dr. A came to the health retreat, she laid aside her knowledge and practice of hygiene, and administered the little homeopathic does for almost every aliment. This was against the light God had given. Thus our people who had been taught to avoid drugs in almost every form, were receiving a different education. I was obliged to tell her than this practice of depending upon medicine, whether in large or small doses, was not in accordance with the principles of health reform....If the principles of health reform are carried out, the work will indeed by as closely allied to that of the third angel's message as the hand is to the body. Letter 26A, March 2, 1889, (see also MM 48-9; 2SM 282)
The medical fraternity, represented to me as Free Masonry, with their long unintelligible names, which common people cannot understand, would call the Lord's prescription for Hezekiah quackery. Death was pronounced upon the king, but he prayed for life, and his prayer was heard. Those who had the care of him were told to get a bunch of figs and put them on the sore, and the king was restored. This means was taken by God to teach them that all their preparations were only depriving the king of the power to rally and overcome disease. While they pursued their course of treatment, his life could not be saved. The Lord diverted their minds from their wonderful mysteries to a simple remedy of nature. There are lessons for us all in these directions. Young men who are sent to Ann Arbor to obtain an education which they think will exalt them as supreme in their treatment of disease by drugs, will find that it will result in the loss of life rather than restoration to health and strength. These mixtures place a double taxation upon nature, and in the effort to throw off the poisons they contain, thousands of persons lose their lives. We must leave drugs entirely alone, for in using them we introduce an enemy into the system. I write this because we have to meet this drug medication in the physicians in this country, and we do not want this practice as in Battle Creek to steal into our midst as a thief. We want the door closed against the enemy before the lives of human beings are imperilled.
Dr. Kellogg, I am perplexed to know what to do for means, but I do not ask you to take this burden upon you. God forbid that you should have any unnecessary burdens to bear. One thing I shall do: I shall make appeals to every church, irrespective of any persons in responsible positions. There is a work to be done in this country, and the people who have had the benefit of my husbands's labor and my own in building up the work on the Pacific Coast and in Battle Creek must understand how hard we have labored, and help us. I do not call on the Conference. I come to the people and appeal to them for help. If we can one get established, we shall work without assistance, but we must have help now, we cannot do without it.
God will test every church in our world. Those who know the truth, but are not doers of the word are the worst stumbling blocks we could have in our work of advance. God calls upon his people to arouse and trim their lamps. .....Letter 67, April 8, 1889
