An Explanatory Note

The background of Dr. Clive M. McCay’s articles is an interesting one. Some years ago he came into possession of one of Mrs. White’s books on the subject of health. He was impressed with what he read, particularly because the history of foods and nutrition was a subject to which he had given special study. The question came at once to his mind: How did this woman know so much about nutrition in a day when so many unfounded views were abroad? In time he acquired several more of her books and was increasingly impressed.NADEGW 4.3

Then one evening last year he was invited to give a talk to a men’s club of the local church he attended. He chose for his subject: “An Unusual Nineteenth Century Woman, Mrs. E. G. White.” A copy of his talk reached our desk. On a trip last summer we stopped at Cornell University, in New York State, to visit Dr. McCay. We found him exactly where we might have expected to find him hidden away in an office that was surrounded by countless rats and mice whose contribution to nutritional science was matched by the oppressive odor they gave forth.NADEGW 4.4

Dr. McCay is a classic exhibit of the truly scientific man. He was wholly undisturbed by the malodorous rodents. In fact, he was enthusiastic about them, pointing to this and that small creature that was eating, sleeping, waking, in a small metal cage for the great good of science. He then took us out to one of the nearby university farms. There a large barn with adjoining pens marked “Dr. McCay’s laboratory” contained various animals that spend their days in munching different kinds of food to provide data on the effects of various diets. We might add that Cornell, one of America’s leading universities, has done a great deal of significant research work in nutrition.NADEGW 4.5

We stayed overnight at Dr. McCay’s home, a very livable, rambling, remade farmhouse. We soon discovered to our delight that though he was a specialist in the field of nutrition, his active interest and reading extended over a remarkable range. More than once during the evening he returned to the question: “How do you explain the fact that Mrs. White, with very little formal education and no special training in nutrition, so accurately set forth nutrition principles that are only now scientifically established?” He ruled out as wholly unsatisfactory the answer sometimes casually given: “Mrs. White simply borrowed her ideas from others.” He observed that such an answer simply raises another question: “How would Mrs. White know which ideas to borrow and which to reject out of the bewildering array of theories and health teachings current in the nineteenth century?”NADEGW 4.6

Dr. McCay did not attempt to answer such questions. As a scientist he was interested in the phenomenon of her singular knowledge in advance of scientific discovery and experiment. Nor did we seek during the delightful but all too brief visit to enter into extended discussion of the theological doctrine of inspiration. We simply stated that Adventists accept Mrs. White’s declaration that she was inspired of God, and let the matter stand.NADEGW 4.7

Dr. McCay was ready and happy to respond to our invitation to him to write something for The Review and Herald. The series from his pen, here reprinted, presents the essence of his address to the men’s club, plus additional relevent material.NADEGW 5.1

F. D. Nichol