"We have been instructed that in our treatment of the sick we should discard the use of drugs. . . . There are simple herbs that can be used for the recovery of the sick, whose effect upon the system is very different from those drugs that poison the blood and endanger life."—Manuscript 73, 1908.

"I have been shown that we should have many more women who can deal especially with the diseases of women, many more lady nurses who will treat the sick in a simple way and without the use of drugs. . . . There are many simple herbs which, if our nurses would learn the value of, they could use in the place of drugs, and find very effective."—Letter 90, 1908.

"By His own working agencies He has created material which will restore the sick to health. If men would use aright the wisdom God has given them, this world would be a place resembling heaven."—Manuscript 63, 1899.

"We should make decided efforts to heed the directions the Lord has given in regard to the care of the sick. They should be given every advantage possible. All the restorative agencies that the Lord has provided should be made use of in our sanitarium work."—Manuscript 19, 1911.

"When the Lord told Hezekiah that He would spare his life for fifteen years, and as a sign that He would fulfill His promise, caused the sun to go back ten degrees, why did He not put His direct, restoring power upon the king? He told him to apply a bunch of figs to his sore, and that natural remedy, blessed by God, healed him. The God of nature directs the human agent to use natural remedies now."—Letter 182 [date unknown].

"Special instruction should be given in the art of treating the sick, without the use of poisonous drugs, and in harmony with the light that God has given. Students should come forth from the school without having sacrificed the principles of health reform."—Letter 90, 1908.

"Those who desire to become missionaries are to hear instruction from competent physicians, who will teach them how to care for the sick, without the use of drugs. Such lessons will be of the highest value to those who go out to labor in foreign countries. And the simple remedies used will save many lives."—Manuscript 83, 1908.

"The Lord will be the Helper of every physician who will work together with Him in the effort to restore suffering humanity to health, not with drugs, but with nature’s remedies. Christ is the great physician, the wonderful Healer. He gives success to those who work in partnership with Him."—Letter 142, 1902.

"While the physician uses nature’s remedies for physical disease, he should point his patients to Him who can relieve the maladies of both the soul and the body."—Ministry of Healing, 111.

"In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained, unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to reestablish right conditions in the system."—Ministry of Healing, 127.

"Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power,—these are the true remedies."—Ministry of Healing, 127.

"There are many ways of practising the healing art; but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are the simple agencies of nature, that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God, are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying. . . . Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean sweet premises, are within the reach of all. . . . The physician needs more than human wisdom and power that he may know how to minister to the many perplexing cases of disease of the mind and heart with which he is called to deal. If he is ignorant of the power of divine grace, he cannot help the afflicted one, but will aggravate the difficulty; but if he has a firm hold upon God, he will be able to help the diseased, distracted mind."—5 Testimonies, 443-444.

"In the winter of 1864, my Willie was suddenly and violently brought down with lung fever. We had just buried our oldest son with this disease, and were very anxious in regard to Willie, fearing that he, too, might die. We decided that we would not send for a physician, but do the best we could with him ourselves by the use of water, and entreat the Lord in behalf of the child. We called in a few, who had faith to unite their prayers with ours. We had a sweet assurance of God’s presence and blessing. . . . The next day Willie was very sick. He was wandering. He did not seem to see or hear me when I spoke to him. His heart had no regular beat, but was in a constant agitated flutter. We continued to look to God in his behalf, and to use water freely upon his head, and a compress constantly upon his lungs, and soon he seemed as rational as ever. He suffered severe pain in his right side, and could not lie upon it for a moment. This pain we subdued with cold water compresses, varying the temperature of the water according to the degree of the fever. We were very careful to keep his hands and feet warm.

"We expected the crisis would come the seventh day. We had but little rest during his sickness, and were obliged to give him up into another’s care the fourth and fifth nights. My husband and myself, the fifth day, felt very anxious. The child raised fresh blood and coughed considerably. My husband spent much time in prayer. We left our child in careful hands that night. Before retiring my husband prayed long and earnestly. Suddenly his burden of prayer left him, and it seemed as though a voice spoke to him, and said, Go lie down, I will take care of the child. . . . I had retired sick, and could not sleep for anxiety for several hours. I felt pressed for breath. Although sleeping in a large chamber, I arose and opened the door into a large hall, and was at once relieved, and soon slept. I dreamed that an experienced physician was standing by my child, watching every breath, with one hand over his heart, and with the other feeling his pulse. He turned to us and said, ‘The crisis has passed. He has seen his worst night. He will now come up speedily, for he has not the injurious influence of drugs to recover from. Nature has nobly done her work to rid the system of impurities.’ I related to him my worn-out condition, my pressure for breath, and the relief obtained by opening the door. "Said he, ‘That which gave you relief will also relieve your child. He needs air. You have kept him too warm. The heated air coming from a stove is injurious, and were it not for the air coming in at the crevices of the windows, it would be poisonous and destroy life. Stove heat destroys the vitality of the air, and weakens the lungs. The child’s lungs have been weakened by the room being kept too warm. Sick persons are debilitated by disease, and need all the invigorating air that they can bear to strengthen the vital organs to resist disease. And yet in most cases, air and light are excluded from the sick room at the very time when most needed, as though dangerous enemies.’ This dream and my husband’s experience were a consolation to us both. We found in the morning that our boy had passed a restless night. He seemed to be in a high fever until noon. Then the fever left him, and he appeared quite well, except weak. He had eaten but one small cracker through his five days’ sickness. He came up rapidly, and has had better health than he has had for several years before. This experience is valuable to us."—Facts of Faith, 151-153.

"A brother was taken sick with inflammation of the bowels and bloody dysentery. The man was not a careful health reformer, but indulged his appetite. We were just preparing to leave Texas, where we had been laboring for several months, and we had carriages prepared to take away this brother and his family, and several others who were suffering from malarial fever. My husband and I thought we could stand this expense rather then have the heads of several families die and leave their wives and children unprovided for. Two or three were taken in a large wagon on spring mattresses. . . . But the man who was suffering from inflammation of the bowels, sent for me to come to him. My husband and I decided that it would not be good to move him. Fears were entertained that mortification had set in. Then the thought came to me like a communication from the Lord, to take pulverized charcoal, put water upon it, and give this water to the sick man to drink, putting bandages of the charcoal over the bowels and stomach. We were about one mile from the city of Dennison, but the sick man’s son went to a blacksmith’s shop, secured the charcoal, and pulverized it, and then used it according to the directions given. The result was that in half an hour there was a change for the better. We had to go on our journey and leave the family behind, but what was our surprise the following day to see their wagon overtake us. The sick man was lying in a bed in the wagon. The blessing of God had worked with the simple means used."—Letter 182, 1899.

"One of the most beneficial remedies is pulverized charcoal in a bag and used in fomentations. This is a most successful remedy. If wet in smartweed, boiled, it is still better. I have ordered this in cases where the sick were suffering great pain, and when it has been confided to me by the physician that he thought it was the last before the close of life. Then I suggested the charcoal, and the patient has slept, the turning point came, and recovery was the result. To students, when injured with bruised hands, and suffering with inflammation, I have prescribed this simple remedy with perfect success. The poison of inflammation is overcome, the pain removed, and healing goes on rapidly. The more severe inflammation of the eyes will be relieved by a poultice of charcoal, put in a bag and dipped in hot or cold water as will best suit the case. This works, like a charm. I expect you will laugh at this; but if I could give this remedy some outlandish name, that no one knew but myself, it would have greater influence."—Letter 82, 1897.

"I will tell you a little about my experience with charcoal as a remedy. For some forms of indigestion, it is more efficacious than drugs. A little olive oil into which some of this powder has been stirred, tends to cleanse and heal. I find it is excellent. . . . Always study and teach the use of the simplest remedies, and the special blessings of the Lord may be expected to follow the use of these means which are within the reach of the common people."—Letter 100, 1903.

"Light was given that there is health in the fragrance of the pine, the cedar, and the fir. And there are several other kinds of trees that have medicinal properties that are health promoting."—Letter 95, June 26, 1902.

"On one occasion a physician came to me in great distress. He had been called to attend a young woman who was dangerously ill. She had contracted fever while on the camp ground and was taken to our school building, near 

Melbourne, Australia. But she became so much worse that it was feared she could not live. The physician, Dr. Merritt Kellogg, came to me and said, ‘Sister White, have you any light for me on this case? If relief cannot be given our sister, she can live but a few hours.’ I replied, ‘Send to a blacksmith’s shop and get some pulverized charcoal; make a poultice of it, and lay it over her stomach and sides.’ The doctor hastened away to follow out my instructions. Soon he returned, saying, ‘Relief came in less than half an hour after the application of the poultices. She is now having the first natural sleep she has had for days.’. . . I have ordered the same treatment for others who were suffering great pain, and it has brought relief, and been the means of saving life. My mother had told me that snake bites and sting of reptiles and poisonous insects could often he rendered harmless by the use of charcoal poultices. When working on the land at Avondale, Australia, the workmen would often bruise their hands and limbs, and this in many cases resulted in such severe inflammation that the worker would have to leave his work for some time. One came to me one day in this condition, with his hand tied in a sling. He was much troubled over the circumstances; for his help was needed in clearing the land. I said to him, ‘Go to the place where you have been burning timber, and get me some charcoal from the eucalyptus tree, and pulverize it, and I will dress your hand.’ This was done, and the next morning he reported that the pain was gone. Soon he was ready to return to his work. . . . I write these things that you may know that the Lord has not left us without the use of simple remedies which, when used, will not leave the system in the weakened condition in which the use of drugs so often leave it. We need well-trained nurses who can understand how to use the simple remedies that nature provides for restorative health, and who can teach those who are ignorant of the laws of health how to use these simple but effective cures."—Letter 90, 1908.