The Visit to Dr. Jackson’s Dansville Institution

Prophetess of Health on pages 88-93 deals with the visit of James and his wife to the James C. Jackson institution at Dansville, New York. The trip was made right after Ellen White had finished her work on Spiritual Gifts, Vol. IV, which contained her basic article on health. As to the reasons for the trip, James White wrote: In the month of September, 1864, Mrs. White and self spent three weeks at the health institution at Dansville, Livingston County, New York, called, “Our Home.” Our object in this visit was not to take treatment, as we were enjoying better health than usual; but to see what we could see, and hear what we could hear, so as to be able to give to many inquiring friends a somewhat definite report—How to Live #1, p. 12.CBPH 55.7

He gave a comprehensive report of what they saw and heard. Ellen White a little later wrote of the care that those must exercise who visit “a popular water cure.” “They have to carry along with them at all times the gospel sieve and sift everything they hear, that they may choose the good and refuse the bad” (Testimonies for the Church 1:490).CBPH 55.8

Two elements stressed in Prophetess of Health in connection with the visits of the Whites to Dansville call for careful study: They are:CBPH 55.9

1. PhrenologyCBPH 55.10

2. Reform DressCBPH 55.11

James White in his report on the Dansville visit referred to above, writes concerning the reform dress, but says nothing about phrenology. Ellen White in a letter to Brother and Sister Lockwood—published as appendix D of this critique—mentions the reform dress and while she does not employ the term phrenology, she does report on Dr. Jackson’s pronouncement on “Willie’s head.”CBPH 55.12