President Ruble was known as a very kindly gentleman and a real teacher—the epitome of refinement. Edmund Jaeger, a student physician, used to eat his lunch on a bench on top of the hill. Dr. Ruble would often stop after eating his lunch and talk with the young man. Ruble’s colleagues, John and Eleanor Burden, the business manager and matron of the Loma Linda Sanitarium, were equally respected. They agreed with Ruble’s thinking on hydrotherapy and insisted that it should play a leading role in healing the sick.
In 1911, the College Press published Hydrotherapy for Students and Practitioners of Medicine, a 500-page book written by George K. Abbott, MD, the first dean of the School of Medicine. He wrote the book at the request of physicians and students who wished to have a brief, concise, and yet complete resource on the subject. It was a limited edition, available for $3.00, and preserved today in the Loma Linda University Department of Archives and Special Collections.
Dr. Abbott and Herman Meyer, the institution’s plumber, worked extensively to develop a system of pipes, valves, and faucets to allow the mixing of hot and cold water so that they could successfully regulate the temperature of the water.
A most dramatic incident occurred when a young Riverside boy developed blood poisoning from a bad foot injury. A physician at a Riverside hospital told the boy’s parents that his leg should be amputated. They became frantic. Because they had heard of Loma Linda’s reputation with hydrotherapy techniques they brought the young man to the Loma Linda Sanitarium for treatment. He received hot and cold, hot and cold, hot and cold—as hot as he could stand it and then icy cold. The treatment lasted for hours. The boy eventually had amputated only to the joint of his little toe.
By January 1911, scores of young people studied at the Loma Linda College of Medical Evangelists (CME) and hundreds more focused on future involvement. Because many wanted to maintain contact with the institution, administration started publishing The Medical Evangelist, a monthly periodical. Because administrators obviously envisioned CME as a resource for the entire Seventh-day Adventist denomination, they emphasized its missionary focus. Students quickly noticed CME’s unique curriculum and outlook.
Not surprisingly, infrastructure and concern for personnel became a major focus of the Board of Trustees in the early years of the institution. On January 18, 1911, the Board voted to install a central telephone system in the Sanitarium, "with connections inside and outside the institution as is necessary." They also voted to contract with the Edison Electric Power Company for electricity for three cents per kilowatt-hour. The next day they voted to pay graduate nurses $10 to $12 per week.
Minutes from a major Board meeting held two months later March 30 to April 6, 1911, reflect the need for a "boys dormitory," hospital, and laboratory. The Board had already decided that a “girl’s dormitory" would free up the five cottages on the east crest of the hill for an overflow of Sanitarium patients. Because water costs had increased by about one hundred percent, the Board authorized an investment of $5,750 in water stock. By this time the total investment in Loma Linda had reached $225,000, an increase of $50,000 over the previous year. The institution had $162,200 in liabilities. Income over the previous year included: $11,400 in "legacies," $3,000 in an annuity gift, $5,500 in donations, $4,000 from conference allocations, $1,930 in bakery gains, and $970 in Sanitarium gains. The bakery earned more than twice as much as the Sanitarium.
Administrators reported growth to be “almost phenomenal.” By March, 1911, women students and staff started moving into the unfinished, four-story, steel-reinforced concrete women’s dormitory, just below the chapel on the west shoulder of the hill. Named Kate Lindsay Hall in 1936, each of the 60 rooms would accommodate two residents. Growth of the institution demanded that three additional buildings be constructed within a year.
The Sanitarium itself needed to be enlarged. Its patronage had increased from 25% to 33% each year. One hundred and five patients now crowded it beyond its capacity. CME accommodated some patients in offices or turned them away for lack of facilities.
CME and its unusual curriculum attracted students from around the world. They arrived almost daily. Some had arranged to enter classes late. Others came to prepare for studies the next year. An abundance of construction projects created excellent opportunities for student labor. Some observers identified Loma Linda as the “busiest place” in the San Bernardino Valley. At the same time, Loma Linda had lost none of its attractiveness. C. N. Woodward visited CME on his way to become auditor for the North Pacific Union Conference. He and his family remarked on the beauty of Loma Linda and reported that the descriptions they had heard of it did not equal the reality. The ambiance of Loma Linda caused it to become a destination attraction.
A reputation for good food forced the institution to schedule two sittings in the dining room for Sunday dinner. A case in point: On Sunday, February 12, 1911, the Loma Linda Sanitarium dining room served lunch to 305 people. Diners included friends of the institution from surrounding towns who loved the quiet and beauty of the hill. Some Sundays automobiles filled every vehicle space on the hill. Many guests came from Redlands, including the famous Smiley brothers, who lived in Smiley Heights.
To be continued…