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The Directors of the Edinburgh Medical 
 Missionary Society have great pleasure in pre- 
 senting to the friends of the Society the accom- 
 panying Volume, illustrative of Medical Missions. 
 The book is not sold, but is printed for private 
 circulation only ; and as the cost of printing has 
 been considerable, some of those to whom the book 
 has been sent have contributed 5s. each towards 
 defraying this expense, and it has been suggested 
 that others might be willing to do so. The book 
 is presented, however, as a gift to the friends of 
 the Society, in the hope of its being helpful in 
 deepening and extending their interest in the great 
 work ol Medical Missions. 
 
 J. L. 
 
 56 George Square, 
 
 Edinburgh. 
 
 Errata in the accompanying Volume, which please 
 correct with the pen. 
 
 Page 216, last line, for Leones read leones, and for Ashe 
 read Indite. 
 
 Page 217, second line, for Boyle’s read Royle’s. 
 
 Page 219, ninth line, for 1871 read 1872. 
 
 R 722 . E4 7 1874 
 Elmslie, William Jackson, 
 1832-1871. 
 
 Medical missions 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 https://archive.org/details/medicalmissionsaOOelms 
 

 
 
 
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MEDICAL MISSIONS; 
 
 AS ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 SOME LETTERS AND NOTICES OF THE LATE 
 
 DR. ELMSLIE* 
 
 for tljc 
 
 EDINBURGH MEDICAL MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 
 
 1 874 . 
 
MURRAY AND GIBB, EDINBURGH, 
 PRINTERS TO HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE. 
 
CONTENTS, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I. EARLY LIFE AND PREPARATION FOR MISSIONARY WORK, 1 
 
 II. KASHMIR, 13 
 
 III. FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA, 23 
 
 IV. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE, . . 41 
 
 V. SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS, 55 
 
 VI. SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE MEDICAL MISSIONARY 
 
 EVANGELISTS, 73 
 
 VII. WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA, .... 95 
 
 VIII. THIRD year’s LABOURS, Ill 
 
 IX. RETURN TO UMRITSUR, AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA, . .129 
 
 X. FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS, 141 
 
 XI. FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS, 161 
 
 XII. ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS, 177 
 
 xiii. visit home, 1870-71, 207 
 
 XIV. RETURN TO INDIA, AND CLOSE OF LABOURS, . . 221 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 In the year 1841, the Rev. Peter Parker, M.D., a 
 medical missionary from America, who had laboured 
 in China, and was returning on a visit to the United 
 States, passed through Edinburgh, and was the guest 
 of the late Dr. Abercrombie. Dr. Abercrombie 
 was so greatly interested in the intelligence lie thus 
 received, that he called together a few Christian 
 friends to hear Dr. Parker’s account of the work in 
 China, and to consider the possibility of forming 
 an auxiliary association in Edinburgh to promote 
 Medical Missions. 
 
 The writer of this paragraph was one of this 
 small company, and well remembers the scene in 
 a parlour of the Waterloo Hotel. On that occasion 
 he was accompanied by the Rev. William Swan, 
 who had just then returned from Siberia, the mis- 
 sion in which he had served for many years having 
 been suddenly broken up by the Russian Govern- 
 ment, through the hostile influence of the Holy 
 Synod of the Greek Church. When Dr. Parker 
 heard the name of Mr. Swan, he eagerly inquired 
 if he were the author of Letters on Missions, and 
 was delighted to be introduced, explaining it was 
 that book that had made him a missionary. 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 It was soon agreed to form an association. Dr. 
 John Coldstream, who was not present, having been 
 proposed as Secretary, it was resolved to apply to 
 him to take the responsible charge. He consented, 
 and that was the first formation of the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society. 
 
 It was some time, however, before the project 
 obtained general recognition. Several distinguished 
 members of the medical profession, one after an- 
 other, gave it their countenance ; and gradually the 
 Society at its annual meeting took a more promi- 
 nent place. But for several years it did little more 
 than expound the principle from the platform or by 
 the press. Sir Culling Eardley Smith had early 
 recommended a mission to Syria ; but it was long 
 found impossible to secure the services of any man 
 sufficiently qualified for the work, and it was not 
 till a much later period in the history of the Society 
 that their mission at Nazareth was commenced. 
 
 Thus the attention of the Committee of Manage- 
 ment was more fully turned to the training of such 
 students as manifested capacity and Christian zeal, 
 and to the special provision required in preparing 
 them for this department of the missionary enter- 
 prise. They succeeded slowly in carefully selecting 
 and bringing forward a goodly number of qualified 
 agents, who have since distinguished themselves in 
 the foreign field. 
 
 Meanwhile the Society had annexed and incor- 
 porated with itself a medical dispensary in Cowgate, 
 which had been established previously in a missionary 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Vll 
 
 spirit ; and this institution has been greatly blessed, 
 at once as a local charity, affording relief, medical 
 and evangelistic, to masses of the poorest of the 
 poor, and as an admirable school for the education 
 of the students as medical missionaries, where they 
 have excellent opportunities both of learning prac- 
 tice as surgeons, and of teaching and seeking the 
 profit of many souls that they may be saved. 
 
 At this moment a great effort is about to be 
 made to raise funds to enable the Society to build, 
 on the site which they have thus occupied for many 
 years, premises of their own — more extensive, more 
 suitable and commodious — for the greatly extended 
 work they have in hand. They are strongly urged 
 to attempt the training of missionary nurses, and 
 they have many new applications from students for 
 admission. The accommodation for the numerous 
 daily patients is quite insufficient; and it is desirable 
 that, without attempting to set up an hospital, there 
 should be some beds provided for instructive cases. 
 All this will require a considerable outlay; and 
 all who read these lines are therefore earnestly 
 requested to support the special subscription for 
 the Livingstone Medical Missionary Memorial, in 
 connection with the Edinburgh Medical Missionary 
 Society. 
 
 The Society is happily and thoroughly unde- 
 nominational. It aspires to the high office of pre- 
 paring and supplying medical missionaries to the 
 great Missionary Societies connected with different 
 Churches, and it receives without distinction members 
 
Vlll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 of these various Churches to the advantages of medi- 
 cal education, for which Edinburgh is famous, and to 
 the comforts and society of a Home, which Christian 
 young men w T ho are strangers will appreciate. 
 
 A very good illustration of the training provided 
 by this institution, and its results, is given in the 
 little work now presented for circulation among the 
 friends of Medical Missions. In the case of the 
 lamented Elmslie, as it is here brought out, we 
 have a most encouraging example of the good 
 service the Society is rendering in bringing on their 
 way, after a godly sort, the devoted young men of 
 manifest ability who are first prepared of God for 
 the service of the Gospel in this high and noble 
 walk of Christian mercy and evangelization. 
 
 It has been thought by the Directors of the Edin- 
 burgh Medical Missionary Society, who issue this 
 book, compiled by their Superintendent, the Eev. John 
 Lowe, that the value and importance of Medical Mis- 
 sions eould not be better enforced than by a small 
 volume like the present, illustrated by some letters 
 and notices of the late Dr. Elmslie, the devoted and 
 excellent missionary of Kashmir, whose death is so 
 widely deplored, and "whose memory is so warmly 
 cherished by them, and by all who knew him and 
 his work. The Directors believe and desire that 
 this volume may prepare the way for a Memoir of 
 Dr. Elmslie which they are glad to know is in pre- 
 paration by Mrs. Elmslie, and which cannot fail to 
 prove a work of the deepest interest. 
 
I. 
 
 l^ile arth ^t^nxniian for 
 glissiflttarg Iteft. 
 
 * Chosen, not for good in me, 
 
 Wakened up from wrath to flee, 
 
 Hidden in the Saviour’s side, 
 
 By the Spirit sanctified, 
 
 Teach me, Lord, on earth to show, 
 
 By my love, how much I owe. ’ 
 
 A 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY LIFE AND PREPARATION FOR MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 ‘A vessel meet for the Master’s use, and prepared 
 unto every good work.’ A poor guilty sinner, chosen 
 of God, saved by grace, justified by faith, sanctified 
 by the Spirit, called to be a fellow-worker with God ! 
 What an honour ! ‘Not of works, lest any man 
 should boast ; for we are His workmanship, created 
 in Christ Jesus unto good works.’ ‘ 0 house of 
 Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter ? saith 
 the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, 
 so are ye in mine hand.’ 1 By the grace of God, I 
 am what I am.’ 
 
 The following is a brief record of useful service 
 done for Christ, in Christ’s name, under the con- 
 straining influence of the love of Christ, by a poor 
 sinner saved by grace; and therefore, however well 
 fitted for the work, whatever gifts and graces he 
 possessed, and however zealous and successful he 
 proved in the service of the Master, we would give 
 God the glory, and ascribe all to the riches of His 
 grace. 
 
 All that need be said about Dr. Elmslie’s early 
 3 
 
4 
 
 EARLY LIFE AND 
 
 life may be summed up in a few sentences. Born 
 in Aberdeen, June 29, 1832, and brought up there 
 in humble circumstances, while yet a boy, he had 
 to work hard for his living. Being of a studious 
 turn of mind, he spent his leisure hours in acquir- 
 ing useful knowledge ; and thus, like many of his 
 distinguished fellow - countrymen, such as Hugh 
 Miller, Kobert Moffat, and Dr. Livingstone, while 
 working with his hands, he was cultivating his 
 mind, and laying the foundation of after success, 
 both as a student at the University, and as a medi- 
 cal missionary in India. 
 
 Dr. Elmslie, under the teaching and influence of 
 a pious mother, was early brought to the know- 
 ledge of the truth. When between seventeen and 
 eighteen years of age, he gained a small bursary, 
 and matriculated at the University of Aberdeen, 
 where he prosecuted classical studies with distinc- 
 tion, and graduated in Arts in 1852. He subse- 
 quently went to Leghorn as tutor in a gentleman’s 
 family, and, on returning to his native city, accepted 
 an engagement in Mr. Michie’s Academy. Having 
 resolved to study for the ministry, he was soon 
 after enrolled as a student in the Free Church 
 College, Aberdeen. In 1858, circumstances led him 
 to change his plans, and to commence the study of 
 medicine. He prosecuted his medical studies at 
 the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and 
 graduated at the latter in 1864, after gaining high 
 honours in some of his classes. 
 
PREPARATION FOR MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 5 
 
 Before leaving Aberdeen lie applied to tbe Edin- 
 burgh Medical Missionary Society to be received as 
 a student, and was cordially accepted. After’ com- 
 pleting bis studies, be received the appointment of 
 Resident Physician at the Mission Dispensary in 
 the Cowgate, which he held for nearly a year. 
 
 About this time, renewed efforts were being made 
 by the Church Missionary Society to establish a 
 mission in Kashmir. Owing, however, to the diffi- 
 culties and opposition which two missionaries, the 
 Eev. Messrs. Clark and Smith, had to encounter, 
 the effort seemed almost hopeless. In these circum- 
 stances, it was thought that, with God’s blessing, a 
 medical missionary might gain readier access, and 
 meet with greater acceptance. Accordingly, the 
 late Sir D. F. Macleod, Rev. R. Clark, Dr. Cleghorn, 
 Dr. Farcjuhar, and other friends, urged the Lahore 
 Missionary Conference of 1862 to solicit the Church 
 Missionary Society to make a trial of this agency. 
 An application was made to that Society through 
 the Conference, but, at first, without success. Sir 
 D. F. Macleod then wrote, strongly representing 
 the peculiar difficulties in the way of establishing 
 a mission in Kashmir, urging every possible argu- 
 ment to induce the Society to send a medical mis- 
 sionary there. 
 
 The Lahore Chronicle of February 11, 1863, thus 
 refers to the movement, which resulted in the 
 formation of the Kashmir Medical Mission : — 
 
 ‘ A few members of the medical profession and 
 
6 
 
 EARLY LIFE AND 
 
 other laymen having had in consideration the bene- 
 fit which would arise from an auxiliary Medical 
 Mission Association in the Punjab, the subject was 
 brought prominently before the Lahore Missionary 
 Conference ; and it was resolved that a Committee 
 be formed for considering the advisability of em- 
 ploying medical missionaries to a greater extent, 
 and more systematically. 
 
 ‘ The objects in view are, first, to make known in 
 the Punjab the existence of a Society in Edinburgh 
 with this great aim ; and, secondly, to co-operate 
 and associate with that Society by collecting funds 
 on its behalf, and by seeking to derive benefit, in 
 this province and neighbourhood, from its operations. 
 
 ‘ It appears that in no place is there a greater 
 opening, or prospect of advantage to the mission 
 cause, than in the valley of Kashmir, and, for several 
 reasons, it is believed, that a medical missionary 
 would be peculiarly eligible for that province. No 
 regular medical advice is to be obtained, there is 
 no fixed station of Europeans, the population is very 
 numerous, and the country is governed by an inde- 
 pendent prince, whose religious prejudices would be 
 in some degree disarmed, if the efforts of mission- 
 aries were united with those of a medical agency, 
 whose labours would be directed to the relief of 
 sickness and disease. 
 
 C A proposal is at this time going up from the 
 Punjab to the Church Missionary Society, urging 
 on them to extend their operations to Kashmir. It 
 
PREPARATION FOR MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 7 
 
 seems that the appointment of a medical man in 
 connection with the Mission, would do more than 
 anything else to conciliate prejudice, disarm opposi- 
 tion, and obtain a permanent entrance for the gospel. 
 It would greatly add to the power and comfort of 
 the medical missionary if he were associated with 
 an experienced minister of the gospel, whose hands 
 he would likewise strengthen. If his efforts w r ere 
 blessed wdth success, there would, humanly speak- 
 ing, be a great effect produced on this part of India x 
 where Kashmir is a household word. Circum- 
 stanced as the people are, they feel the value of 
 European influence, and would see in the conduct, 
 and hear from the lips of the missionary physician, 
 the gospel law of love, which elevates his character, 
 and makes him to differ from themselves. 
 
 ' It is the opinion of all travellers that the people 
 would hail his arrival with the utmost gladness, 
 and would repose confidence in his skill. For the 
 value which the mountain tribes attach to Euro- 
 pean medicine, the Committee would refer, amongst 
 others, to the wonderful results of the labours of 
 Dr. Asahel Grant, the father of the Kestorians, 
 to the statements contained in Dr. Hoffmeister’s 
 journey in Kunawur, to other works of Eastern 
 travel, and to the experience of every European 
 traveller in the hill territory of India.’ 
 
 The Church Missionary Society, moved by the 
 representations of the Lahore Missionary Confer- 
 
8 
 
 EARLY LIFE AND 
 
 ence, and by Sir Donald F. Macleod ? s appeal, at 
 length resolved to establish a Medical Mission in 
 the Kashmir valley, and, with this in view, applied 
 to the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society for a 
 suitable agent. At this time there was no Church 
 of England student in the Society’s Training Insti- 
 tution in course of preparation for missionary ser- 
 vice. With that true catholicity of spirit, however, 
 which characterizes the Church Missionary Society, 
 the Directors, on the recommendation of the Edin- 
 burgh Medical Missionary Society, cordially ac- 
 cepted Dr. Elmslie, although a Presbyterian, as their 
 agent to Kashmir. 
 
 The following letter, addressed to the wife of Dr. 
 Coldstream, late co-secretary with Mr. Bell of the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, shows the 
 spirit in which Dr. Elmslie entertained the proposal 
 then made to him : — 
 
 ‘Edinburgh, 39 Cowgate, August 8, 1863. 
 
 ‘ Dear Mrs. Coldstream, — Your very kind letter 
 came safely to hand. I have had the good fortune 
 to meet with Dr. Cowan, whom I have found 
 very kind. I received from him much valuable 
 information respecting the country and people of 
 Kashmir. 
 
 ‘ From all that I have learned from Dr. Cowan, I 
 am led to believe that Kashmir is a very suitable 
 sphere for the employment of medical mission 
 agency. There is, however, one great drawback, 
 
PEEP AH ATI ON POR MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 9 
 
 of which you are doubtless already aware, that all 
 Europeans are compelled by the Maharajah to quit 
 Kashmir for six mouths every year. His reason for 
 this capricious and tyrannical act is said to be, that 
 he employs great cruelty towards his miserable and 
 enslaved subjects, whilst collecting his annual taxes. 
 Be this as it may, there the law stands, and it ap- 
 pears to be rigidly enforced. It would only be the 
 hope that, by prayer to God, who is King of kings 
 and Lord of lords, the Maharajah might be led to 
 see the manifest advantages to be gained by the 
 continuous operation of a Christian mission of the 
 nature contemplated, and might be induced to can- 
 cel this obnoxious law, that would lead me to think 
 of labouring in a country where such a law exists, 
 seeing that there are other regions as needy, and 
 where the same hindrances do not exist. 
 
 ‘ It is only three weeks since Kashmir was brought 
 before me by Mr. Bell as a missionary field in 
 which to labour. 
 
 ‘ I took a fortnight to consider the matter, and to 
 ask God’s guidance ; and my decision is, that I view 
 the proposal favourably, and am prepared to go to 
 Kashmir, should the details of the arrangements to 
 be drawn up by the Punjab Committee, prove satis- 
 factory ; and, above all, should I, by further prayer 
 and thought about this important undertaking, be 
 led to the conviction, that it is the will of my 
 heavenly Father that I should labour as His ser- 
 vant there. I have written to Mr. Bell to this effect, 
 
10 
 
 EARLY LIFE AND 
 
 and I now leave the matter entirely in God’s hands. 
 If it be His will that I should go to Kashmir, I will 
 go. I feel very grateful, both to you and to Dr. 
 Coldstream, for your many acts of kindness to me 
 last winter, and for your united prayers and good 
 wishes on the present occasion. I much need your 
 prayers for strength and wisdom. — Yours, etc., 
 
 ‘ W. J. Elmslie.’ 
 
 The following letter from Dr. Coldstream, that 
 warm friend and promoter of medical missions, 
 written within three weeks of his death, expresses 
 the high opinion of Dr. Elmslie’s qualifications for 
 the work, which frequent intercourse with him had 
 led that ‘ beloved physician ’ to entertain. It was 
 addressed to Dr. Cleghorn, one of the Punjab Com- 
 mittee appointed by the Lahore Conference, to 
 arrange for the organization of a mission to Kash- 
 mir. The letter is dated August 25, 1863 : — 
 
 ‘ . . . The lively interest you have taken in 
 
 the proposed mission to Kashmir has especially 
 interested me. Although, from the first, I thought 
 of Elmslie (our most advanced student) as a most 
 suitable person to send as medical missionary, yet, 
 from the conviction I entertained of the little like- 
 lihood there was of the Church Missionary Society 
 consenting to accept of a Presbyterian agent, I did 
 not speak either to him or to others. 
 
 ‘Now I am glad to learn that, during my illness, 
 the Directors of the Church Missionary Society have 
 
PREPARATION FOR MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 11 
 
 encouraged our Directors to believe that, if in other 
 respects Elmslie proves suitable, and is approved of 
 on our report to the Punjab Committee, they will 
 not object to his appointment. But, on this subject 
 at present, I write (as you must understand) un- 
 officially; for, although gradually recovering health 
 and strength, I am still without portfolio, and am 
 not at headquarters. You must depend upon Dr. 
 Farquhar for the exact state of matters ; my co- 
 secretary, Mr. Bell, is in correspondence with him. 
 I know, however, from letters received from Elmslie 
 himself, that he has prayerfully and deliberately 
 considered the proposal that he should go to Kash- 
 mir, and that he is prepared to accept of the ap- 
 pointment should he be thought suitably qualified. 
 
 ‘ He seems to be somewhat staggered by the 
 Bajah’s law of exclusion from his possessions for six 
 months of each year; but I have encouraged him to 
 believe, that it may be quite possible for him to find 
 abundance of occupation during that period of ex- 
 clusion, in territory under British rule or protection. 
 In writing, Dr. Farquhar had better explain to 
 what extent, and in what place, this may be done, 
 if at all. 
 
 ‘how I can bear testimony, very fully and with 
 confidence, in favour of Mr. Elmslie, as having ap- 
 parently all the gifts and graces which one desires 
 to see conjoined in a medical missionary. I regard 
 him as one of the most promising men who have 
 passed through our hands, and he is of more mature 
 
12 
 
 EARLY LIFE. 
 
 age than young graduates in medicine generally are. 
 While aiming at the study of divinity, he resided 
 in Italy, for some time, as tutor to some young 
 gentlemen, and, even then, he appeared in the pulpit 
 of the Free Church at Florence. He is generally 
 well educated, has studied medicine and surgery 
 with great zeal, and has been a most diligent pupil 
 and assistant at our Cowgate Mission Dispensary. 
 Let me, therefore, commend Mr. Elmslie to your 
 favourable regards. Should he go to Kashmir, he 
 will have the prayers and sympathies of many 
 friends here.’ 
 
 With an ardent desire to be fully equipped for 
 the great work to which the Lord had called him, 
 Dr. Elmslie set himself to employ to the best ad- 
 vantage the few months that intervened before his 
 leaving for India. 
 
 He became House Physician in the Eoyal Infir- 
 mary under Sir J. Y. Simpson, and devoted his 
 spare time to the special study of such subjects as 
 were likely to prove of future usefulness to him, 
 specially eye and skin diseases. He availed him- 
 self of every opportunity of acquiring medical and 
 surgical experience, and his letters testify that he 
 looked back upon the privileges he then enjoyed, 
 and to his connection as a student with the Edin- 
 burgh Medical Missionary Society, with peculiar 
 satisfaction and gratitude to God. 
 
II. 
 
 ftasjrmir. 
 
 ‘ O’er the gloomy hills of darkness 
 Look, my soul ; he still, and gaze ! 
 
 All the promises do travail 
 With a glorious day of grace ; 
 
 Blessed jubilee ! 
 
 Let thy glorious morning dawn ! 
 
 Kingdoms wide that sit in darkness, 
 Grant them, Lord, the glorious light ; 
 And, from eastern coast to western, 
 
 May the morning chase the night ; — 
 And redemption, 
 
 Freely purchased, win the day ! ’ 
 
 13 
 

 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 KASHMIR. 
 
 Kashmir, the scene of Dr. Elmslie’s labours, is an 
 extensive and beautiful district, lying to the north 
 of the Punjab. The following account of the country 
 is gathered from Dr. Elmslie’s Kashmiri Vocabulary, 
 from an anonymous pamphlet on Kashmir, and 
 from a review, in the Friend of India, of Dr. J. 
 Ince’s Kashmir Handbook. 
 
 The name of the country is derived from Ilashaf, 
 the drainer of the valley, and mar, a place. The 
 following story regarding the Kashmir valley is 
 current in the country: — Long, long ago, the country 
 called Kashmir, was an extensive lake, the name of 
 which was Sahtisar. A numerous population dwelt 
 on the surrounding mountains. In process of time, 
 the beautiful waters of Lake Sahtisar became infested 
 by a terrible monster, called Zaldeo, which first 
 destroyed all the fish in the lake, and then, emerging 
 from its placid waters, began to attack and devour 
 the inhabitants of the mountains. In great conster- 
 nation, they fled from their happy homes, and sought 
 safety among the fastnesses of the mountains. In 
 
 15 
 
1G 
 
 KASHMIR. 
 
 their retreat, they came upon the abode of a Eishi, 
 or holy man, whose name was Kashaf. They told 
 him their sad story. He heard their doleful account 
 of the awful monster and his murderous doings. So 
 great was the sanctity of this Eishi, that God had 
 given him power to work miracles. Accompanied 
 by a great crowd of fugitives, the Eishi directed his 
 steps to the north-west end of the Wulur lake, and 
 here he struck the ground violently with his trident. 
 The earth opened, and, in course of time, the whole 
 waters of the Lake Sahtisar disappeared, and again 
 reappeared near to the Krishan Ganga. In con- 
 sequence of the draining of the lake, the monster 
 Zaldeo perished, to the great joy and safety of the 
 terrified mountaineers, and the valley was hence- 
 forth called Kashafmar, the place or country of 
 Kashaf, in honour of the Eishi. 
 
 It has been roughly calculated that the plains of 
 Kashmir, including the Karewahs, or elevated allu- 
 vial plains, comprise an area of at least 650 square 
 miles, while, on the surrounding mountains, there is 
 another area of 150 of pasture land; the population 
 is estimated at 425,000. The main valley is the far- 
 famed Vale of Kashmir, where are laid the princi- 
 pal scenes in Lalla Ilookh. This portion has been 
 compared to a gem, with the surrounding Himalayas 
 as a casket, and is regarded as a Holy Land, alike 
 by Hindoo and Mohammedan. The Hindoo considers 
 it to have been the first paradise in the Maha Yogu, 
 or golden age, and the Moslem has a similar belief. 
 
KASHMIR. 
 
 IT 
 
 Here the luxurious Mogul Emperors had their 
 summer retreat, and here they built the palaces 
 and planned the gardens that combine, with other 
 attractions, to make Kashmir the ‘ most delicious 
 spot in Asia or in the world.’ ‘ It is,’ says the 
 anonymous w r riter of the pamphlet on Kashmir, 
 
 ‘ a land flowing with milk and honey, like the land 
 of Canaan, a good land, a land of brooks and of 
 water, of fountains and depths that spring out of 
 valleys and hills ; a land of wheat and barley, and 
 vines and fig-trees and pomegranates ; a land where 
 bread may be eaten without scarceness, and men 
 may not lack anything in it ; a land of mountains 
 and lakes, of broad forests and fertile plains ; a land 
 of fruits and minerals, of temperate climate, and 
 delicious water and air, of large cities and populous 
 villages ; but a land of ignorance and wickedness, 
 where Satan reigns and “ works in the children of 
 disobedience,” where “ every prospect pleases, and 
 only man is vile.” ’ 
 
 Till 1840 few Europeans had ever penetrated the 
 valley. St. Xavier, together with Goez, attended 
 Akbar to Kashmir about 1594, as Bernier, a French 
 physician, did Aurungzebe, nearly a century later. 
 About one-seventh of the whole population are 
 Hindoos, the rest are chiefly Mohammedans. 
 
 Among the many interesting topographical fea- 
 tures of the valley may be classed the Karewahs — 
 elevated alluvial plains, varying in height from one 
 to two hundred feet, and in length from two to 
 
 B 
 
18 
 
 KASHMIR. 
 
 five miles. They are separated by wide and deep 
 ravines, cut by the streams from the adjacent 
 mountains, and, with the great mass of shingle 
 everywhere observable, tend to confirm the truth 
 of the local legend that, in bygone ages, the valley 
 formed a vast mountain lake. These Karewahs are 
 formed of lacustrine clay, and, when watered and 
 cultivated, yield abundant crops of wheat and 
 barley. 
 
 Kashmir is richly wooded, especially on its 
 northern slopes. The pine, fir, cedar, willow, 
 poplar, apple, pear, apricot, walnut, chestnut, and 
 pomegranate flourish luxuriantly, while the rhodo- 
 dendron reaches a height of from forty to fifty 
 feet. The vine may be seen in some parts of the 
 valley in a wild state, hanging in beautiful festoons 
 about the trees of the forests. No species of palm 
 grows in Kashmir. When, therefore, Moore in his 
 Lalla Eookh speaks of the palms of Baramula, his 
 botanical topography is at fault. The famous 
 saffron fields of Kashmir cover an area of ten or 
 twelve miles. When the season is dry and warm, 
 about 18,000 pounds weight of saffron is produced, 
 in value about £30,000 sterling. Kice is the staple 
 grain cultivated in the valley, and the inhabitants 
 live chiefly upon it. Bice-land is regarded as the 
 most valuable, the saffron fields alone excepted. 
 
 Kashmir is everywhere famous for its shawls. It 
 is reckoned that there are 23,000 shawl-weavers in 
 the valley, who are all Mussulmans, and are, both 
 
KASHMIR. 
 
 10 
 
 physically and morally, the most miserable portion 
 of the population. The native Government has a 
 monopoly of the trade. A first-rate sliawl-weaver 
 does not earn more than from fourpence to five- 
 pence of our money a day. 
 
 The Kashmiris are physically a fine race, tall, 
 strong, and well developed. Their features are 
 Jewish in character; and it is very remarkable, Dr. 
 Elmslie remarks, that the old temples of Kashmir 
 bear a strong resemblance in plan to the temple of 
 Jerusalem. Moorcroft thus describes the Kas hm iri : 
 ‘ Selfish, superstitious, ignorant, supple, intriguing, 
 dishonest, and false, he has great ingenuity as a 
 mechanic, and a decided genius for manufactures 
 and commerce ; but liis transactions are always con- 
 ducted in a fraudulent spirit, equalled only by the 
 effrontery with which he faces detection.’ This 
 description agrees with Dr. Elmslie’s estimate. He 
 says : ‘ The chief features of the Kashmiri character 
 are timidity, cowardice, laziness, gaiety, mendacity, 
 faithlessness, dexterity, inventiveness, and good 
 mental powers.’ 
 
 Kashmir, at one time, was celebrated for its 
 learning. In it was held one of the three great 
 Indian Buddhist councils, which sent forth five 
 hundred Buddhist missionaries to convert Thibet. 
 In the valley there are several very fine temple- 
 ruins, which indicate ‘ a degree of greatness, resource, 
 and prosperity which contrasts painfully with the 
 present condition of meanness and wretchedness 
 
20 
 
 KASHMIR. 
 
 which is observable throughout the greater part of 
 the province.’ 
 
 The Church Missionary Society made an effort to 
 introduce Christianity into Kashmir in 1854. During 
 that year, an exploratory journey was undertaken 
 by Colonel Martin, who, after thirty years of service 
 in the Indian Army, not only gave most liberally of 
 his substance for the work of missions, but went 
 forth himself as a missionary. Col. Martin, in com- 
 pany with the Kev. R. Clark, travelled throughout 
 the length and breadth of Kashmir, and in their 
 evangelistic efforts they met with less opposition 
 than might have been expected. The great obstacle 
 they had to contend with was the irreligious and 
 immoral lives of many of their own countrymen 
 who visited the valley. The Society, however, was 
 unable to establish a mission in Kashmir at that 
 time. The Punjab Mission had been but lately 
 commenced at Umritsur and Kangra. Peshawur, 
 Mooltan, Dehra Ishmael Khan, and Lahore, were 
 as yet unoccupied. 
 
 In 1862, after these Punjab missions had been 
 established, attention was again directed to Kash- 
 mir. In the autumn of that year, the Rev. W. W. 
 Phelps, Chaplain, visited the valley, accompanied by 
 a missionary. In the spring of 1863, the Rev. W. 
 Smith of Benares was appointed to Kashmir. It 
 was in the autumn of that year that the effort was 
 first made to remain in the valley the whole year 
 round, but the time had not yet come for the 
 
KASHMIR. 
 
 21 
 
 establishment of a permanent mission in Kashmir. 
 On the return of the missionary and his family in 
 the spring of 1864, his residence in the city was 
 objected to by an excited mob. Through God’s 
 mercy, the disturbance was soon quelled, and the 
 missionary remained in the city, with the full con- 
 sent of the English Resident. At the close of the 
 season, however, as in former years, he was obliged 
 to leave the valley. During 1864, there was a 
 hopeful movement in favour of Christianity in 
 Srinagar; whole families came forward and asked 
 for baptism. On this becoming known, bitter per- 
 secution followed, and false charges were brought 
 against inquirers ; some were beaten, others were 
 imprisoned, others had logs of wood tied to their 
 legs, or were otherwise cruelly treated. 
 
 In 1865, under such apparently unfavourable cir- 
 cumstances, Dr. Elmslie commenced his work in 
 Kashmir. His journey from Lahore to Srinagar, 
 his medico-evangelistic labours by the way, his 
 reception by the people, his hopes and fears, his 
 joys and sorrows, are all graphically related by the 
 Doctor himself in the following chapter. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
III. 
 
 Jfirst guar's M0rk in Jfnbia, 
 
 ‘ Yonder, where I must go, the earth and heaven 
 Another aspect will appear to wear ; 
 
 A fiercer sun will shine in noonday splendour, 
 
 And stars unknown light up the darkness there. 
 
 Remain, remain ! I hear my dear ones calling ; 
 
 Remain among us, loved and loving, still ! 
 
 Tempt not the wild waves of the stormy ocean. 
 
 Tempt not the blinded heathen’s wilder will ! 
 
 Yes, I would stay, did not I hear another, 
 
 A heavenly call, which tells me to depart ; 
 
 His voice, who lingered not, when love and pity 
 For helpless, hopeless sinners filled His heart. 
 
 His voice I hear, — and theirs, the lost, the dying, — 
 The wail of heathen anguish o’er the sea ! 
 
 They must not perish thus, unheard, unheeded ; 
 
 The slaves of Satan must he yet set free ! ’ 
 
 Hymns from the Land of Luther. 
 
 23 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 In September 1864, Dr. Elmslie sailed for India, 
 and was received at Calcutta by the Rev. E. C. 
 Stuart. After spending a few months in visiting 
 the Medical Colleges of Calcutta, Agra, and Lahore, 
 and acquiring considerable experience in some of 
 the larger towns of the Punjab, he reached Srinagar, 
 where it was resolved his mission should be located, 
 on the 4th of May, 1865. 
 
 We shall follow him in his missionary career, 
 from year to year, and from place to place, by means 
 of those 
 
 ‘ Fallen leaves that keep their green — 
 
 The noble letters of the dead. ’ 
 
 ‘ Srinagar, 21, si June 1865. 
 
 ‘ My dear Mr. Bell, — As, through the kind 
 providence of God, I have safely reached this, my 
 far-off destination, and have got my work in Kash- 
 mir initiated, I have a desire to inform you how 
 greatly the Lord has smoothed my way hitherto. 
 
 ‘ I, my two native assistants, and Kashmir cate- 
 chist, left Lahore about the middle of April. Our 
 25 
 
26 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 route lay by Eawul Pindee and Murree, which, as 
 you know, are situated in the north of the Punjab. 
 Nothing of great interest befell us till we entered 
 the territories of the Maharajah of Jummoo and 
 Kashmir. So bitter had been the opposition of the 
 native authorities to the praiseworthy efforts of 
 Messrs. Smith and Clark, ordained missionaries of 
 the Church Missionary Society, on two previous 
 occasions, that I fully expected to meet with similar 
 treatment in my medical missionary operations. 
 But I w T as most agreeably disappointed. With one 
 exception, the people heard us gladly ; and not the 
 people only, but the public functionaries also. 
 When I say we were listened to gladly, I mean 
 that the people were most attentive, and appeared 
 to relish what we said and did. One here and 
 another there, in the swarthy company, would ex- 
 claim, “ Durust, durust, Thik, thik ,” — expressions 
 which signify, “ correct, right.” 
 
 ‘ Before setting out, I had formed a plan which I 
 found to work admirably, the violation of which 
 on one occasion was the cause of our being deprived 
 of the opportunity of speaking to the natives about 
 Jesus, and His unutterable love to men. 
 
 ‘ My plan was the following — As soon as we 
 arrived at a village where we were to rest for a 
 short time, or to pass the night, I had the Tekeedar, 
 or principal man of the place, brought to me. He 
 was then informed how many coolies we should 
 require for our next march (all our luggage was 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 27 
 
 carried by coolies or porters) ; and that, as I was a 
 Hakim (physician), I would be very glad to see and 
 prescribe for all the sick folk in the village and 
 neighbourhood, if he would bring them to my tent 
 at such and such an hour. This latter piece of 
 intelligence was invariably received with manifest 
 pleasure. You will observe, that before I attempted 
 any regular missionary work, I took good care to 
 let my character of Hakim be well known both to 
 people and magistrates. 
 
 ‘ The only place where we were prohibited from 
 speaking to the people about the “ Injil ” (the 
 gospel) and “Isa Masili” (Jesus Christ) was a 
 village where my catechist, rashly and hastily, 
 began addressing a group of natives whom we 
 passed as we entered, and one of whom, unfortu- 
 nately, happened to be the Sirdar, or chief man. 
 With that single exception, we were allowed to 
 address the people on divine things, and to give, to 
 those whom we found able to read, religious books. 
 
 ‘ At the hour I had fixed, and long before it very 
 often, the sick were brought to the door of my tent. 
 The coolies who had carried our baggage from the 
 last halting-place, being still with us waiting to be 
 paid for their day’s work, were placed near the sick ; 
 a portion of Scripture was then read to the interest- 
 ing company by the catechist, who can do that work 
 excellently, being a good Christian, and a Kashmiri 
 by birth, so that he is able to speak to the people 
 in their own tongue of the wonderful works of God. 
 
28 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 I always saw that the passage of Scripture read and 
 commented on was one that contained the thick 
 cream of the gospel, — man’s lost condition by 
 nature, and redemption only through faith in Christ 
 Jesus, God’s own Son. After the address I paid 
 my coolies, and let them return to their own homes. 
 By adhering to this plan, no fewer than four hundred 
 coolies, besides the sick, heard the gospel during our 
 march from Murree to Srinagar. Many of them, 
 doubtless, had never heard of the sweet name of 
 Jesus ; and, it is sad to think, many of them in 
 this life will never hear of it again. 
 
 ‘ The coolies away, I then proceeded to treat the 
 sick who were present, as well as the shortness of 
 my time and the scantiness of my resources by the 
 way would permit. Sometimes there were as many 
 as forty sick persons at my tent door, both men and 
 women. Their ailments consisted chiefly of febrile, 
 ophthalmic, and cutaneous disorders. At one rest- 
 ing-place I was surprised by the large proportion 
 of fever cases, and the presence of large goitres in 
 the patients. The fever was of the intermittent 
 type. 
 
 ‘ The march from Murree to Srinagar I greatly 
 enjoyed, the scenery being in some parts beautiful, 
 and in others grand, the climate being all that 
 could be desired. The Jhelum, which is the princi- 
 pal river of Kashmir, is navigable from Baramula 
 to Srinagar, and eastward as far as Islamabad. On 
 arriving at the first-mentioned place, which is a 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 29 
 
 town of some 6000 inhabitants according to hearsay, 
 we hired two large boats to convey ns and our be- 
 longings to the capital of Kashmir. We were about 
 three days in sailing from Baramula to Srinagar, 
 and the whole expense, for the whole company, was 
 six rupees, or about twelve shillings ; not a very 
 large sum, certainly. I forgot to tell you that a 
 coolie’s pay is about sixpence a day, and with that 
 he considers himself well paid. 
 
 ‘From Baramula westward, the bed of the river 
 Jhelum is exceedingly rough, and the current very 
 rapid, owing to the great fall or incline. If my 
 memory serves me rightly, according to Cunning- 
 ham, it is as much as thirty feet a mile. From 
 Islamabad in the east to Baramula in the west, 
 the whole length of the vale of Kashmir, the incline 
 is very very small indeed — only three feet a mile ; 
 so that the great body of water flows along very 
 gently, and thus the river is navigable. 
 
 ‘We landed at Srinagar on the 4th of May, nine- 
 teen days after the valley is open to foreigners. 
 You are, I daresay, already aware that no English- 
 man or European is allowed to remain throughout 
 the year in Kashmir. Two reasons are assigned for 
 this prohibition. One is, that as great cruelty is 
 exercised towards the natives during the months 
 when the taxes are levied, the Maharajah is de- 
 sirous that the eye of no stranger should look on 
 his cruelty and tyranny. The other reason assigned 
 is, that the Maharajah has issued this prohibition 
 
30 
 
 FIKST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 lor fear of Englishmen acquiring a permanent loot- 
 ing in his country. Whatever may be the real 
 reason, there the veto stands, and it will very 
 materially interfere with our medical missionary 
 operations, as you can easily see. 
 
 ‘ My first work on landing was to look out for a 
 conveniently situated bungalow, or house. You 
 must know that the Maharajah partially treats 
 every foreigner as if he were his guest. A house, 
 such as it is, is provided for the stranger as long as 
 he remains in Srinagar. These houses, or bunga- 
 lows, of the Maharajah’s are rickety, tumble-down 
 affairs ; but, as the climate is propitious, they are 
 habitable. It was absolutely necessary for the 
 success of my work, that I should either live in the 
 city itself, or in its immediate vicinity. In the 
 city no European is permitted to reside, so that I 
 had to look about for a house as near to it as pos- 
 sible. The Maharajah’s bungalows most con- 
 veniently situated were either already occupied or 
 were reserved. Between the bungalows of which I 
 speak and the city, there was a portion of a bungalow 
 belonging to a native merchant, which I could rent 
 if I chose. The accommodation was both scanty 
 and inferior ; but it being the best I could find for 
 my work, I struck a bargain with the man to let 
 me have it at the rate of £2 a month. There is 
 one large room, which serves me as drawing-room, 
 dining-room, bed-room, sitting-room, and consulting- 
 room. Round this large room there are three 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 31 
 
 verandahs, one on each of the three sides; and 
 connected with the three verandahs are four very 
 small closets. One of the verandahs has been fitted 
 up as a dispensary, where all the medicines and 
 instruments are kept; another has been converted 
 into a small hospital, for I resolved that, if I should 
 have but two rooms at my command, one of them 
 should be an hospital, or at least form the nucleus 
 of one. I daresay you are smiling at the idea of 
 converting a verandah into an hospital ; but this is 
 Asia, and people, I have already seen, are obliged 
 to work with very inferior tools here, if they wish 
 to accomplish something, which, otherwise, would 
 remain for ever, or for a long time, uneffected. I 
 resolved, therefore, to have, from the very outset, a 
 room capable of accommodating one or two patients, 
 and which I might dignify with the imposing name 
 of hospital. I must confess, however, that the 
 propinquity of my bed-room to the verandah 
 hospital is very far from being desirable, as my 
 sleep is very apt to be broken by. the expression of 
 pain on the part of the patients. Last Friday 
 night this very thing happened. A poor coolie, 
 who had been accidentally shot in the thigh, and 
 who was brought to me only in time to rob me of 
 a night’s sleep, and to die in my verandah hospital, 
 passed a very noisy night. The remaining ver- 
 andah is allotted to the servants as a sleeping-room. 
 Of the four small closets, one is the catechist’s 
 bed-room, another a bath-room, another a store- 
 
32 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 room, and the fourth I have reserved for the 
 accommodation of such eye-cases as require to be 
 constantly under the charge of the Surgeon. As 
 you ascend to my dwelling, you pass a long ver- 
 andah on your right hand, and this I have had 
 fitted up as the patients’ waiting-room. It is 
 capable of affording accommodation to a hundred 
 patients. In this verandah, every morning at 
 seven o’clock precisely, the patients having all 
 assembled, a portion of God’s word is first read, 
 either by myself or the catechist, and then 
 expounded by him, for I am not sufficiently 
 acquainted with the language to enable me to 
 undertake that part of the work. After reading 
 and exposition a brief prayer is offered up, after 
 which the work of the doctor begins. 
 
 £ From the very first, the average daily attendance 
 of patients has been gradually increasing, until, 
 from being only five the first day, they reached this 
 morning the large number of eighty-seven ; and 
 what is very encouraging is, that the women come 
 to me in ' great numbers ; indeed, there are now 
 about as many w T omen present as men. Having, I 
 may say, to do everything myself in the way of 
 treatment, and compounding and dispensing the 
 medicines, and being, besides, as yet very imper- 
 fectly acquainted with the language, I find it im- 
 possible to treat eighty patients at one time, without 
 completely exhausting myself. I have therefore 
 resolved to take the women one day, and the men 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 33 
 
 the next. Some patients I shall have to see daily 
 in addition. 
 
 £ On account of the dirty habits of the people, 
 skin diseases meet you at every corner, and for the 
 same reason eye diseases are very rife. Cataract is 
 exceedingly common ; up to this time, however, only 
 one case suitable for operation at present has pre- 
 sented itself, and I purpose extracting the lens to- 
 morrow. The patient is the wife of a goldsmith in 
 the city, who saw me one day in his neighbourhood 
 distributing tracts and copies of the Gospel, and 
 telling the people I was a Hakim, and would be 
 happy to see them at my bungalow if they were 
 sick. The man desired us to go to his house, which 
 he permitted us to enter. There I saw his wife, 
 and made arrangements for the operation. I have 
 removed successfully two large cystic tumours, one 
 from the thigh, the other from the cheek. Iridec- 
 tomy for opacity of cornea I have once done, and the 
 day before yesterday I performed resection of the 
 wrist-joint. To-day the patient is doing well. For 
 nothing am I so grateful to Mr. Syme, that great 
 Surgeon, as for his excellent remarks on the diag- 
 nosis and treatment of joint diseases. It is an 
 interesting fact in the history of chloroform, that 
 although this is, so far as I know, the first time that 
 that invaluable anaesthetic has been employed in 
 the valley, the natives are taking to it very kindly. 
 They manifest great surprise at its wonderful effects. 
 Whenever I have had occasion to administer it, not 
 
34 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 the least objection has been offered. I ask the 
 patient or his friends, if he or they would like me 
 to give something which will effectually prevent the 
 feeling of any pain during the operation ; and the 
 invariable reply is, that he or she, as the case may 
 be, wishes to have such a medicine. In all the cases 
 in which I have administered chloroform, nothing 
 the least untoward has occurred, thanks to what I 
 learned in Professor Simpson’s class, and saw while 
 his House Surgeon. 
 
 ‘ 23 d June . — I have just received a supply of 
 vaccine matter from Dr. Dallas, Inspector of Prisons 
 in the Punjab. One of the leading Moonshees, or 
 clerks of the Maharajah, sent his two children to me 
 to be vaccinated some time ago ; but as the lymph 
 was from the plains, it failed, and I was obliged to 
 send to one of the hill stations for a fresh supply. It 
 would be a great matter were vaccination to become 
 general in Kashmir, as, according to current report, 
 thousands are carried off annually by small-pox 
 alone. 
 
 ‘ I was much interested by your last year’s report 
 of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society. The 
 good work is steadily though slowly progressing. 
 Of late I have been very much impressed with the 
 thought of the absolute necessity of God’s blessing 
 on our work as medical missionaries, if our labours 
 are to be followed with the conversion of souls ; and 
 I believe God has put it into my mind to suggest to 
 you that our Society at home, all friends of medical 
 
FIRST YEAR S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 35 
 
 missions, and all medical missionaries themselves, 
 should set apart some week, or portion of a week, 
 towards the close of this year or the beginning of 
 the next, for special prayer on behalf of the parent 
 Society and all its schemes, and of the foreign work 
 and all its interests. I feel persuaded, that if 
 such a season of united special prayer were spent 
 by us, we should individually reap a rich spiritual 
 blessing, and our work would greatly flourish in con- 
 sequence. From the sure promises of God, we know 
 right well that such certainly would be the result. 
 I merely throw out the suggestion, and leave it with 
 you. 
 
 ‘ I desire to be remembered to those of the 
 Directors of your Society with whom it was my 
 privilege, while in Edinburgh, to be acquainted ; 
 and with very kind regards to yourself, yours, etc., 
 
 ‘ W. J. Elmslie. 
 
 ‘ P.S . — The Lord Bishop of Calcutta (the Right 
 Rev. Dr. Cotton), while in Kashmir, twice visited 
 my dispensary, and saw my operations. The follow- 
 ing is a copy of the opinion he expressed respecting 
 the work : — 
 
 ‘“During my present stay in Kashmir, I have 
 twice been present at Dr. Elmslie’s reception of 
 patients, and bear willing testimony to the great 
 interest and practical usefulness, as well as to the 
 wise and Christian character, of his proceedings. He 
 presents Christianity to the people in its most ob- 
 viously beneficent aspect ; and for this union of care 
 
36 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 for men’s souls with, the healing of their bodies, the 
 Gospel narrative furnishes us with the very highest 
 justification and precedent. It is hut little that 
 we can at present do to make known to the people of 
 this country the blessings of Christ’s salvation ; but 
 I quite believe that Dr. Elmslie is knocking at the 
 one door which may, through God’s help, be opened 
 for the truth to enter in. I heard two Hindustani 
 sermons from his catechist, addressed to the sufferers 
 from various maladies, who were gathered in the 
 verandah ; one on the Lord’s Prayer, and the other 
 on the parable of the sower. Both were excellent, 
 simple, unpretending, suited to the hearers, placing 
 before them plain Christian truth, and without any 
 offensive remarks on their own religions, or the very 
 slightest political allusion. 
 
 ‘ “ The fact that there are not (and, under present 
 circumstances, apparently cannot be) any properly 
 educated doctors in Kashmir, makes Dr. Elmslie’s 
 presence here an act of Christian benevolence, quite 
 apart from its missionary character ; and I cannot 
 but hope that this, joined to the quiet efforts of the 
 chaplain to keep alive in English travellers a feeling 
 of Christian faith and responsibility, will, at least, 
 remove from the minds of the people any prejudice 
 against the Gospel, which may, I fear, have been 
 excited by the too frequent misconduct of English- 
 men visiting the valley. 
 
 ‘ “ On all accoimts, I heartily commend Dr. 
 Elmslie’s efforts to the sympathy of all thoughtful 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 37 
 
 persons, and I feel sure that he will lie guided by 
 prudence as well as by zeal, and will not forget what 
 is due to the wishes of the Government of the 
 country, while, at the same time, he will, of course, 
 maintain the directly Christian character of his 
 work. (Signed) ‘ “ G. E. L. Calcutta. 
 
 1 “Srinagar, Kashmir, May 29, 1865.” ’ 
 
 Referring to the political hindrances which beset 
 mission work in Kashmir, the late excellent Bishop 
 remarked in his diary : — 
 
 ‘ The people nearly all seemed in a state of dirt 
 and squalor ; and, certainly, the work of christianiz- 
 ing such a population seems at present, humanly 
 speaking, impossible, no European being allowed 
 to stay in the valley during the winter, so that 
 any little good which might be done is annually 
 suspended for some months. The case seems one 
 in which we can only say, “ Oh that Thou wouldst 
 rend the heavens, and come down,” and leave in 
 God’s hands the means of rescuing these crowds 
 from their miserable condition.’ 
 
 Again, after witnessing Dr. Elmslie’s reception of 
 patients, the following entry appears in the late 
 lamented Bishop’s diary : — 
 
 ‘ Altogether, considering the ignorance and 
 wretchedness of his patients, and the entirely 
 disinterested character of the Mission, the scene 
 appeared to me most interesting and edifying, and 
 could not fail to remind me of Him who went 
 
38 
 
 FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 about all Galilee preaching the gospel of the king- 
 dom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all 
 manner of disease, among the people.’ 
 
 In accordance with the suggestion made by Dr. 
 Elmslie in the foregoing letter, the Directors of the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society issued an 
 invitation to the friends at home and abroad, to join 
 them in observing Wednesday, the 31st of January 
 1866, as a day for special prayer on behalf of all 
 medical missions. The invitation was extensively 
 circulated, both in this country and in the foreign 
 field. In Edinburgh, three large and deeply interest- 
 ing meetings were held, at the Society’s Dispensary, 
 Cowgate, in the forenoon, in the Religious Institu- 
 tion Rooms in the afternoon, and in Queen Street 
 Hall in the evening. The writer well remembers 
 that day of prayer, as it was observed in Travancore : 
 how his little band of eight native medical mis- 
 sionary students met him that morning, not for 
 study, but for prayer ; how, one after another, we 
 afresh dedicated ourselves to God ; and, after spend- 
 ing an hour and a half together in earnest prayer 
 for a blessing upon the parent Society, upon our 
 fellow-labourers, and upon ourselves, we went forth 
 strengthened for our work, and greatly refreshed in 
 spirit; and then, on the evening of that day, the 
 congregation met in the large chapel at Neyoor, and 
 there we mingled our prayers and praises with 
 those of fellow-Christians everywhere throughout 
 
FIRST YEAR’S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 39 
 
 the world, for a rich outpouring of God’s Holy 
 Spirit upon the Medical Missionary enterprise. 
 These occasions were truly ‘ times of refreshing from 
 the presence of the Lord,’ and their mighty far- 
 reaching results it is impossible to estimate. 
 
 As indicating the spirit in which the Indian press 
 regarded Dr. Elmslie’s work, the following extract 
 from the Pioneer of June 15, 1866, is interesting: — 
 
 ‘ Many of your readers will doubtless be glad to 
 know of the good work which is being carried on 
 here by Dr. Elmslie, of the Medical Mission in con- 
 nection with the Church Missionary Society. He 
 arrived about a month ago, and established himself 
 in a bungalow, just above the first bridge of the 
 city. Every morning he receives there, all the 
 maimed, the halt, and the blind, who choose to come 
 to him for advice and treatment, gratis. Though 
 so recently arrived, his reputation is already great. 
 He has had over fifty patients on some mornings, 
 from all parts of Srinagar, and has been consulted 
 by several of the principal natives of the place. 
 
 ‘ His mode of proceeding is as follows : — The poor 
 patients assemble about seven a.m. in the verandah 
 of his house, and are all made to sit down in long 
 rows. A catechist, a native of Kashmir, then comes 
 in, and reads to them a short passage from one of 
 the Gospels, accompanying it with comments in 
 the simplest language, and most familiar style of 
 address. The Doctor forms one of the audience at 
 
40 
 
 FIRST YEAR S WORK IN INDIA. 
 
 present ; but he hopes, of course, to take this part of 
 the work himself, so soon as his knowledge of the 
 language will enable him to do so. After the read- 
 ing and exhortation, the catechist invites all present 
 to join him in prayer for God’s blessing on what has 
 been read and spoken, and on his master’s treatment 
 of the various cases entrusted to his care. This 
 service occupies about twenty minutes, during which 
 the silence of the audience is broken only by ex- 
 clamations of approval and astonishment. The 
 majority of those present may, at least, be said to 
 pay great attention to what they hear. After prayer 
 the Doctor retires to his surgery, and the patients 
 follow one by one to be examined. 
 
 ‘ Most of the cases for which he prescribes are the 
 result, more or less, of dirty habits and poor living. 
 Dr. Elmslie is assisted by two native Christian 
 students ; but his work is increasing so rapidly, that 
 he will have to add an apothecary to his establish- 
 ment before long.’ 
 
IY. 
 
 Jfirst JjUjjort anb Corasponbma. 
 
 ‘ Sow with a generous hand ; 
 
 Pause not for toil or pain ; 
 
 Weary not through the heat of summer, 
 
 Weary not through the cold spring rain ; 
 
 But wait till the autumn comes 
 For the sheaves of golden grain. 
 
 Sow ; — while the seeds are lying 
 In the warm earth’s bosom deep, 
 
 And your warm tears fall upon it — 
 
 They will stir in their quiet sleep ; 
 
 And the green blades rise the quicker, 
 
 Perchance, for the tears you weep. 
 
 Sow ; — and look onward, upward, 
 
 Where the starry light appears — 
 
 Where, in spite of the cowards doubting, 
 
 Or your own heart’s trembling fears, 
 
 You shall reap in joy the harvest 
 You have sown to-day in tears.’ 
 
 Adelaide Anne Procter. 
 
 41 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 A FEW extracts from Dr. Elmslie’s report of his first 
 year’s labours, along with his letters, will enable the 
 reader to form some idea of his abundant labours, 
 trials, and discouragements : — 
 
 c May 1 3. — Felt very anxious this morning, as I had 
 received intelligence that some of the Maharajah’s 
 sepoys intended visiting me. Those in authority 
 would thus become acquainted with my proceed- 
 ings, and I feared the result. We made it a 
 matter of prayer to God, and felt the burden 
 greatly lightened. 
 
 ‘ May 1 4. — Began my Saturday itinerations to-day. 
 We hired a boat, and sailed to a small village, where 
 we had a meeting with the natives, and gave advice 
 and medicine to four of them. I purpose to devote 
 the Saturday afternoons to these itinerations to the 
 neighbouring villages, that the people may hear the 
 gospel in their own tongue, and may know of our 
 dispensary. 
 
 ‘ May 1 6. — This morning the number of patients 
 was thirty, the majority of whom were sepoys. I 
 
 43 
 
44 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 begin to suspect that this is the result of some plan 
 to prevent the Kashmiris coming to the dispensary. 
 
 ‘ May 20. — After this morning’s reception of pa- 
 tients, we hired a boat, and set out for a pretty large 
 village, called Hazrat Bal, which is situated on the 
 shore of the large lake, near Srinagar. On landing, a 
 shady tree was selected, near to a Mussulman temple, 
 and there my chair and medicines were placed. 
 While the catechist was giving notice of our arrival, 
 and the object of our visit, I went to see the temple, 
 where I met the principal Mullah or priest, and a 
 few of his subordinates, with whom I had some 
 conversation. On leaving the priests, I found my 
 catechist standing under a shady tree, addressing a 
 numerous company of pale, sick folk, who were 
 quietly seated on the ground around him, listening 
 most attentively to his words. The Mullahs had 
 leisurely followed me ; and as soon as they heard 
 what the catechist was saying, they rushed amongst 
 the people, shouting out that they must go away 
 immediately. Their efforts were successful. All 
 left, except one poor woman, who happened to be 
 imbecile. She would not move for them. One 
 priest applied very freely a rope which he carried 
 with him, to those whose movements were slower 
 than he thought they should be ; and the only 
 antidote I could think of, for my feelings of sorrow 
 and indignation, was prayer to that God who was 
 seeing all that was taking place against His blessed 
 Gospel. The catechist and assistants knelt with me, 
 
AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 45 
 
 under the shady walnut tree, and we prayed the 
 Lord to forgive these enemies of His truth. Only 
 three sick people received treatment here, after 
 which we made for home, much depressed, but not 
 altogether cast down. 
 
 ‘ June, 29. — To-day laid up with fever, and obliged 
 to send away the patients who had assembled. 
 
 ‘ July 11. — Still feel so weak that I deem a change 
 to another part of the valley necessary, and intend 
 to go as far as Islamabad. I purpose halting at the 
 towns and villages on the way, for the purpose of 
 healing the sick, distributing tracts and Gospels, and 
 spreading the glad news of salvation through Christ.’ 
 
 Dr. Elmslie derived much benefit from the change, 
 and returned to his work at Srinagar greatly 
 strengthened and refreshed. 
 
 ‘ August 26. — Present to-day at the reception; 
 forty-four women and thirty-two men. A native 
 gentleman called in the afternoon to tell me that he 
 had spoken to the Governor of Kashmir about my 
 being allowed to remain in the valley during the 
 winter. I had operated on this man before, and he 
 took this way of showing his gratitude. The Gover- 
 nor informed my friend, that I could not be per- 
 mitted to remain in the country during the winter, 
 for the following reasons : 1st, Because it is contrary 
 to the treaty between Kashmir and the Government 
 of India ; 2d, Because there is a famine in the 
 country, and I might not be able to get provisions 
 in the winter ; 3d, Because more than one had lost 
 
46 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 his life by remaining in Kashmir in winter ; 4 th, 
 Because it is entirely contrary to the will of the 
 Maharajah, that Europeans should stay in the 
 country during the winter. Sepoys and others, 
 however, who have received benefit from the dis- 
 pensary, speak about petitioning the Government 
 that the Padre Doctor, as they call me, may be 
 allowed to remain. 
 
 ‘ September 23. — I heard good news to-day from 
 my catechist. He tells me that my pundit had ex- 
 pressed to him his firm belief in the authority of the 
 Gospels, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, 
 the Saviour of men. He said he was afraid to make 
 a public profession of his faith in Jesus, as it would 
 involve liis family in difficulties. I was not unpre- 
 pared for this admission on the part of my pundit. 
 May the Lord strengthen him to give up all for 
 Christ ! He is at present engaged at home by him- 
 self, in translating the Gospel of John into Kashmiri. 
 
 ‘ October 6. — Was called to-day to see the Maha- 
 rajah’s chief military officer. He confirmed the 
 report already referred to, that the sepoys were pro- 
 hibited from attending the dispensary. I could not 
 help remarking, jocularly, that, according to our 
 European notions, the Maharajah’s army must be in 
 a state of insubordination from the Colonel down- 
 wards. 
 
 \ 
 
 ‘ October 16. — Was requested by the Brahmin who 
 is at the head of financial affairs in Kashmir, and on 
 whom I had operated a short time before, to go with 
 
AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 47 
 
 him and see one of the female members of his 
 family, which I was very glad to do. 
 
 ‘October 17. — To-day left Srinagar. The Brah- 
 min who called yesterday accompanied me out of 
 the town, and expressed himself as very grateful for 
 the benefits he had received from the dispensary. 
 I purpose following the same plan as when entering 
 the valley, — having receptions and addresses at each 
 of the halting-places.’ 
 
 During Dr. Elmslie’s first season in Kashmir, he 
 treated 2295 patients, 1502 of whom were males, 
 and 793 females. 
 
 Umritsur was fixed upon as Dr. Elmslie’s head- 
 quarters during his enforced absence from Kashmir, 
 and there he carried on his work, perfecting plans 
 for his missionary campaign in Kashmir next season, 
 co-operating with his brethren in evangelistic work, 
 and healing the sick, till, in April 1866, he was 
 permitted to return to Srinagar. Umritsur, with its 
 population of upwards of 135,000, is one of the 
 most important central missionary stations in North 
 India, and a better locality for a permanent medical 
 mission could hardly be desired. In No. 25 of the 
 Church Missionary Tracts, the following description 
 of Umritsur is given : — 
 
 ‘ As a missionary station, it is, of all others, 
 situated most advantageously for labours amongst 
 the people. The Sikhs, as a body, live either in it, 
 or in the towns and villages around. Umritsur 
 
48 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 is their holy city, as Benares is that of the Hindus. 
 Their sacred tank, and their marble temple, with 
 its golden roof, are situated in its midst. The 
 Sikhs always resort to Umritsur on their great 
 holidays, when crowds assemble to pay reverence at 
 their shrine, and to bathe in the supposed holy 
 water of the tank. The very name of their city, 
 Umritsur, “the fountain of immortality’’ shows the 
 importance they attach to it. 
 
 ‘But besides being a sacred spot, it is also the 
 largest commercial city of North India. Its com- 
 merce extends to most parts of the world. It is 
 visited even from England and France, on account 
 of the Kashmir shawls, which are made both there 
 and in its neighbourhood. The merchants of Persia, 
 Affghanistan, and Turkistan, meet there, with the 
 merchants of Thibet, and of very many parts of 
 India. Large caravans, laden with rich goods from 
 every part, assemble there, in great numbers, every 
 year. It is therefore a locality peculiarly favour- 
 able for the work of missions ; for the Gospel, heard 
 or distributed in the streets of that city, finds its 
 way from thence into many distant countries.’ 
 
 In Umritsur, and in the surrounding district, the 
 Church Missionary Society has a flourishing mission. 
 In the city there is a large native congregation, an 
 important collegiate school, and five branch schools 
 in different parts of the town ; in like manner, for the 
 benefit of the female sex, eight girls’ schools have 
 been established in various quarters of the city, and 
 
AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 49 
 
 three normal schools, supported partly by funds 
 raised as a memorial of Lady Henry Lawrence, and 
 known as ‘ The Lady Henry Lawrence Memorial 
 Schools.’ 
 
 There are two European missionaries and two 
 native ordained ministers at Umritsur. One of the 
 latter, the Eev. Daoud Sing, a Sikh, was baptized at 
 Cawnpore before the annexation of the Punjab, and 
 ordained to the ministry in 1854. The other, the 
 Rev. Imad-ud-din, a Mohammedan, ordained to the 
 ministry in 1868, has done good service to the cause 
 of the Gospel by his literary labours, and by his 
 controversial writings, which expose the errors of 
 the Mohammedan faith, of which, at one time, he 
 was a bigoted adherent. 
 
 To this interesting and important missionary 
 station, Dr. Elmslie returned at the close of each 
 season’s labours in Kashmir ; and from thence he 
 wrote the following letter, addressed to Dr. Cleg- 
 horn, in which he reviews his first six months of 
 missionary service at Srinagar. The letter is dated 
 Umritsur, January 23, 1866: — 
 
 ‘ It would have afforded me unbounded pleasure 
 to have met you, and talked over with you the con- 
 cerns and prospects of the mission, of which you 
 have the honour of being the father, and I that of 
 being the agent. Doubtless you have seen all, or 
 most, of what I have written of the interesting work 
 in which I was engaged last season ; and I daresay 
 
 D 
 
50 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 you, along with others, have thought that I might, 
 and ought to have written a great deal more than I 
 have done respecting that work, in which I know 
 you take such a lively and prayerful interest. But 
 the truth is, that things are so uncertain in Kashmir, 
 that I did not wish to write hastily about a country 
 of which, necessarily, I knew so little last season. 
 
 ‘ I need hardly tell you that my labours last year 
 were legion ; for, in the first place, I knew almost 
 nothing of the dialects spoken in India, and had to 
 initiate everything. It is unnecessary to tell you 
 about native assistants, how stupid they are, and 
 how their stupidity would be increased by my 
 ignorance of the language and of the native cha- 
 racter. But I am extremely happy and thankful to 
 be able to say, that the season passed by without 
 our committing any grave mistake in a medical 
 point of view. 
 
 ‘ As was to be expected, our work last season 
 was chiefly initiatory and pacificatory. ... I had 
 to act with the greatest caution and circumspection, 
 looking to God for that wisdom which cometh down 
 from above. At the outset of the work, I had one 
 or two difficulties to surmount ; but, with God’s help, 
 these were overcome, and then the work progressed 
 quietly, steadily, and unopposed, so far as outward 
 and determined opposition on the part of the Go- 
 vernment was concerned. ... As to the people of 
 the valley, they are fearfully degraded in every 
 respect. Their poverty and physical wretchedness 
 
AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 51 
 
 are something indescribable, but their moral and 
 religious condition is not only almost inconceivable, 
 but well fitted to make even the hardest heart bleed 
 for them. The great mass of the people are not 
 much raised above the beasts that perish, while 
 nothing is done to elevate them from this degraded 
 state. The greatest severity is exercised by the 
 native Government towards the people. The natives, 
 who are chiefly Mussulmans, pretend to be com- 
 paratively friendly towards the Christian religion ; 
 but this we know, from the spirit and genius of 
 Islamism, is a mere pretence. The truth is, that the 
 natives long to be under British rule, and make no 
 secret of their heartfelt longing ; and they take this 
 way of ingratiating themselves with the Sahib Log. 
 I found the people, in general, exceedingly willing to 
 listen to us whenever we read to them, or addressed 
 them on the doctrines of Christianity. Still, we 
 must not be deceived by this remarkable and unex- 
 pected readiness of theirs to listen to divine truth, 
 and we must not take it all for genuine. 
 
 ‘ As to spiritual fruit from last season’s labours, 
 I have very little certain to tell you. Many 
 manifested great interest in the Gospel, and used 
 frequently to come to read and converse with us 
 on the sublime and gracious truths of our blessed 
 religion ; but, with the single exception of my 
 Kashmiri pundit, a Brahmin, I have very little to 
 say. Of my pundit, I am really very hopeful. I do 
 think the Spirit of God is dealing with him. He 
 
52 
 
 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 
 
 has confessed his belief in Jesus as the Son of God, 
 the Saviour of the world, and his Saviour. But he 
 says he is afraid to make a public confession to 
 this effect, as it would certainly expose his family 
 to great persecutions, as matters now stand in 
 Kashmir. I earnestly solicit your prayers for 
 Kashmir and the Medical Mission, that its labours 
 may be blessed with spiritual fruit, to the praise 
 and glory of God. . . . 
 
 ‘ We had a most delightful week of prayer the 
 week before last. We felt indeed, that the Lord 
 was in our midst. We shall expect great blessings 
 after such united supplications on the part of God’s 
 people, according to His own gracious promise. On 
 the 31st inst. we are to have another day for prayer 
 on behalf of medical missions, according to the 
 appointment of the home Society. Would that God 
 would pour out His Holy Spirit on our Universities, 
 that men may come and offer themselves for this 
 glorious work !’ 
 
 We shall close our review of Dr. Elmslie’s first 
 year of missionary service in India, with another 
 letter, written from the same place as the foregoing 
 one, and addressed to the same warmly attached 
 friend. It is dated April 2, 1866, on the eve of his 
 departure for Kashmir: — 
 
 ‘ Many many thanks for your most welcome letter 
 of the 13th February. It was “good news from a 
 far country.” The various items of news were full 
 
AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 53 
 
 of interest to me, and, had time permitted, I should 
 have commented on the details seriatim ; but, as I 
 leave to-morrow morning, God willing, for Lahore, 
 on my way to Kashmir, and as I have one or two 
 additional particulars to communicate to you re- 
 specting my work here, I shall forego this pleasure 
 at present, hoping that I may find a spare moment 
 soon. 
 
 1 1 brought my operations here to a close a short 
 time ago, just immediately before we had our last 
 meeting of Committee. One day, while I was 
 engaged in giving my lecture on Chemistry, which 
 I continued to do till the last, two of the Honorary 
 Magistrates of Umritsur waited on me, as a deputa- 
 tion from (what we should call) the Town Council, 
 to request me to prolong my stay in Umritsur. I 
 need not say that this was exceedingly gratifying 
 to me, as a doctor and as a Christian ; and my heart 
 was filled with gratitude to our heavenly Father, 
 who had graciously granted me such favour with 
 the very people whose temporal and spiritual 
 welfare are so dear to my heart. Thinking that 
 I was connected with the Government, and that 
 I was about to leave Umritsur on account of a 
 Government order, the deputation said that they 
 were prepared to draw up a petition to Mr. Egerton, 
 the Commissioner, and to have it signed, soliciting 
 him to use his influence in getting the order for my 
 departure cancelled. I explained all to them, and 
 expressed my sorrow at not being able to be in two 
 
54 
 
 FIRST REPORT AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
 
 places at the same time, but that I felt it to be my 
 duty to go to Kashmir, where my proper work lay. 
 The time may be near when we shall see a large 
 Medical Mission Hospital in Umritsur. There is 
 room and need for it. . . . Just another item of 
 news about our pet, and I must have done. Sir 
 John Lawrence has sent a message to Mr. Macleod, 
 the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, to request 
 the Eesident, this year, to inform the Maharajah 
 of Kashmir, that his hostility to Christianity is not 
 neutrality, and that his policy towards missions is 
 unworthy of a prince of his enlightened views. 
 This is the spirit of the message, but not the very 
 words. “ The Lord reigneth ! ” ’ 
 
Y. 
 
 itfr jtar’s ^ab0wrs. 
 
 ‘ God’s world is bathed in beauty, 
 
 God’s world is steeped in light ; 
 
 It is the self-same glory 
 
 That makes the day so bright, 
 
 Which thrills the earth with music, 
 
 Or hangs the stars in night. 
 
 Man’s world is hleak and bitter ; 
 
 Wherever he has trod, 
 
 He spoils the tender beauty 
 That blossoms on the sod, 
 
 And blasts the loving Heaven 
 Of the great, good world of God. 
 
 And yet God’s world is speaking ; 
 
 Man will not hear it call, 
 
 But listens where the echoes 
 Of his own discords fall : 
 
 Then clamours back to Heaven 
 That God has done it all. ’ 
 
 Adelaide Anne Procter. 
 
 55 
 

 V 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTEE V. 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 The following letter, addressed to Mrs. Cleghorn, 
 dated Srinagar, Kashmir, 5th September 1866, intro- 
 duces us to the second year of Dr. Elmslie’s labours 
 in Kashmir : — 
 
 ‘Your letter of the 13th June last, was a very 
 great treat to me ; hut, let me say this, that I did not 
 need your letter to remind me of you : for there, in 
 the corner, are the two pillows which you kindly 
 made for me with your own hands, before I left 
 Calcutta ; and yonder, in that other corner, is my 
 silk umbrella, which you also very kindly covered 
 for me. So you see, whether I am moving about, 
 umbrella in hand, or resting on my cot, I have 
 remembrances of you. Then, besides these, there is 
 the ever-green memory of those delightful meetings 
 we had for prayer and praise, on the Sunday and 
 other evenings, in your house, in the upper room. 
 Has not God heard the prayers we then offered up 
 to Him with our hearts ? We know He has, and 
 always will Of that we may rest fully assured. Let 
 57 
 
58 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 me solicit your earnest prayers on behalf of poor 
 degraded Kashmir. It makes my heart bleed to 
 think of her political, moral, and spiritual degrada- 
 tion. She is as low as she can get. She lies at the 
 bottom of the pit, and the powerful arm of a loving 
 and Almighty Saviour can alone drag her out of that 
 pit, and place her on “ The Kock.” 
 
 ‘ I returned to Kashmir towards the end of April, 
 and began operations in Srinagar early in May. On 
 the line of march, I followed the same plan as last 
 year, — namely, that of having small receptions for 
 the sick, and for the proclamation of a free and full 
 salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. We do 
 not engage much in discussion, because I believe, 
 and that firmly, that the majority of bazaar discus- 
 sions are productive of little or no good. I am of 
 opinion, that the marvellous suitableness of the 
 Gospel scheme of salvation to fallen man’s every 
 want, and the stupendous love of God, as manifested 
 in the gift of His only begotten Son, are far more 
 likely to touch the heart, and, through the heart, the 
 head, of these poor perishing heathen. Not that I 
 don’t approve of discussion — I hold that it is indis- 
 pensable ; but I think that the bazaar, in the midst 
 of a crowd, is not the place for it. The inquirer 
 needs to be in earnest in his search after the truth, to 
 appreciate the arguments you bring forward. All 
 our meetings, therefore, are of the quietest nature. 
 We say our say, and the people hear us quietly 
 and attentively. What is more, they hear us from 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 59 
 
 beginning to end, which the majority of those who 
 listen to the missionary in the crowded and noisy 
 bazaar do not. 
 
 ‘ A good many more sick attended these wayside 
 receptions this year than last, and it is to be hoped 
 that the seed sown may spring up and bring forth 
 fruit. Philosophers have come to the conclusion, 
 that there is no such thing in the world as the 
 death of force. A force, once created, either remains 
 the same force, or gives rise to some new force. It 
 cannot be that the power of the Gospel, when pro- 
 claimed in these dark regions, goes for nothing, and 
 is for ever lost. No, no ! it lives and quickens, 
 it may be secretly, slowly, silently, but nevertheless 
 surely. 
 
 ‘ I have had my own difficulties since arriving in 
 Srinagar in carrying on my work. They would 
 not let the bungalow I occupied last year. I was 
 obliged, in consequence, to go to a distance from 
 the city, and was very much afraid that this 
 would materially interfere with the poor sick 
 people coming to me. But no, I expect there will 
 be but few short of double the number of patients 
 we had last year. We have had more quiet discus- 
 sion this year than last. Many copies of the Gospels 
 have been sought, and gladly received. As to my 
 pundit, he is still with me. His spirit is like that 
 of a Christian, but he has not yet had the courage 
 to declare himself on the Lord’s side. It is only 
 the fear of the consequences of such a decided step 
 
GO 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 that deters him from making a public profession of 
 Christianity. I am, just now, busy reviewing the 
 Gospel according to John with him, a work which 
 I pray the Lord may bless to his soul. Pray for 
 the poor Kashmiri pundit. I am going to try to 
 take him with me to the plains. . . . You must 
 have heard of the failure of the Agra and Master- 
 man’s Bank. The poor Kashmir Medical Mission 
 has lost its little all in the crash. This heavy loss 
 came to the knowledge of our good Viceroy, who, 
 just at the time we were needing money, sent the 
 handsome donation of 200 rupees to me in Kash- 
 mir, through the Resident. When sending me the 
 donation from the Viceroy, the Resident asked if he 
 could help me in any way. I could not allow such 
 a good opportunity to pass unimproved ; so I asked 
 him, if he would kindly use his great influence 
 with his Highness the Maharajah, to get a rude 
 shed put up for me, to serve as a dispensary, and 
 another as a little hospital. They are both now 
 nearly ready. So you see, verily, that the Lord 
 reigneth. 
 
 ‘ The Rajah of Chumba has just made the hand- 
 some offer of 200 rupees a month, a free house, 
 dispensary and hospital buildings, with current ex- 
 penses, to the Punjab Medical Mission Committee, 
 to induce them to begin a medical mission in his 
 Highness’s territory, similar to that in Kashmir. 
 This offer ought to make our hearts rejoice. The 
 Committee are thinking of sending me to Chumba 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 61 
 
 during the ensuing cold season, and during my 
 compulsory absence from Kashmir, to initiate the 
 work while the Kajah is favourable. Let us, with 
 all our hearts, return thanks to God for this great 
 opening.’ 
 
 In his Report for 1866, Dr. Elmslie writes more 
 fully regarding his journey to Kashmir : — 
 
 ‘ To see a strange route, to spread the news of the 
 existence of the Medical Mission Dispensary, and 
 to scatter on fresh ground a few wayside seeds, 
 which, with the blessing of God, may hereafter 
 spring up and bear fruit to His eternal praise and 
 glory, induced me, this season, to prefer and fix upon 
 the route by Abbottabad. Medical mission opera- 
 tions on the march were commenced at Mozuffera- 
 bad, which is the first town arrived at, in the ter- 
 ritories of his Highness the Maharajah of Kashmir, 
 by this route. During our short stay in this town, 
 as many as sixty-seven patients were treated, as 
 well as our temporary wayfaring circumstances 
 would permit. To carry on medical mission opera- 
 tions satisfactorily and efficiently, a fixed habitation 
 is indispensable. Itinerant medical missions, there- 
 fore, other things being equal, are inferior, and not 
 for a moment to be preferred to those which are 
 stationary, and carried on in a populous and con- 
 venient centre. 
 
 ‘At each of the following halting-places on the 
 line of march, from Abbottabad to Baramula, 
 
G2 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 receptions were held for the sick: Mozufferahad, 
 Dopatta, Khanda, Kathai Shahdera, and Gingal. 
 185 patients, of both sexes and of all ages, received 
 advice and medicine at these different stations. 
 Moreover, several of the minor operations in surgery 
 were also performed. Not a few of these 185 
 patients who received medical aid, had been brought 
 to our camp from considerable distances, there being 
 a remarkable scarcity of even the common native 
 Hakims in those regions. In the various villages 
 where we halted and rested, we were invariably 
 welcomed and kindly treated by the inhabitants. 
 Doubtless, the high value which these rude and 
 simple people set on English skill and medicine, 
 sufficiently accounts for our kind reception. 
 
 ‘ The Eev. T. E. Wade, of the Church Mission, 
 Pesliawur, myself, and the native catechist, enjoyed 
 the privilege of holding several interesting conversa- 
 tions with natives on the subject of Christianity; 
 and those whom we found able to read, received, 
 gratuitously, copies of the Gospels, religious books, or 
 tracts. On all occasions, before any medicines were 
 dispensed or advice given, a suitable passage of 
 Holy Scripture was selected, read, and briefly and 
 simply explained, in the hearing of the sick and 
 their friends and relatives ; after which, a short 
 prayer was offered up for the divine blessing on 
 the people, the Word read and expounded, and on 
 the advice and medicine about to be dispensed. 
 This was our invariable practice, and, on all occa- 
 
SECOND YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 63 
 
 sions, without a single exception, the people listened 
 quietly, reverently, and attentively. 
 
 ‘ When we instituted a comparison between the 
 dwellers on the right bank, and those on the left 
 bank of the river Jhelum, we came to the con- 
 clusion, that the former were the ruder and more 
 illiterate of the two, fewer of the former being able 
 to read. 
 
 ‘ On arriving at Baramula, boats were hired to 
 convey the mission party and baggage to Srinagar, 
 where we landed on the 28th of April, after a very 
 pleasant journey from Abbottabad. 
 
 ‘It is observable with respect to the route by 
 Abbottabad, when compared with that via Murree, 
 that the scenery is less picturesque, the road is more 
 exposed to the sun’s rays, and the marches are con- 
 siderably longer, but fewer in number. On the 
 other hand, the route by Abbottabad is decidedly 
 easier. 
 
 ‘ Our first concern, on landing in Srinagar, was 
 about a suitable and convenient house in which to 
 carry on our medical mission operations. As the 
 house occupied by the mission during the previous 
 year had been in several respects convenient for 
 our work, an effort was made to re-rent it from its 
 owner, a native merchant. Accordingly, an offer was 
 immediately made to this man for his house, which 
 he, however, declined, stating that the local Govern- 
 ment had, some time before, condemned his house 
 as being unsafe to live in, and that, consequently, 
 
64 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 it was forthwith to be taken down. It may be 
 mentioned that, passing six months afterwards, this 
 same house was still standing, and inhabited. I 
 afterwards learned, that the true story respecting 
 this house was as follows : — As soon as the mission 
 party had quitted the valley at the close of the 
 previous season, the Maharajah’s viceroy in Kash- 
 mir had given the owner of the house in question 
 to understand, that he was on no account to re-let 
 his bungalow to the Padre Doctor, should he return 
 to Kashmir next year. Failing to procure our old 
 quarters, we directed our steps elsewhere, and at 
 last selected one of the Maharajah’s bungalows, set 
 apart for visitors, which appeared to be as suitable 
 for our purpose as any we could see. The house 
 was so situated, that our medical missionary labours 
 could not reasonably annoy or incommode any one. 
 The British Kesident, however, on Iris arrival in 
 Srinagar, raised some objections to our occupying 
 one of his Highness’s bungalows for medical mission 
 work. It is gratifying to be able to state that, 
 through the influence of the British Resident, two 
 rude wooden buildings were erected in the im- 
 mediate vicinity of the city of Srinagar, one to serve 
 as a dispensary, the other as a small hospital. Both 
 erections are extremely rude, and were not quite 
 finished at the end of the season. It is to be hoped 
 that they are but the forerunners of more suitable 
 accommodation, which is a great desideratum, and 
 quite indispensable for the efficient carrying on 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 65 
 
 both, of the medical and missionary part of the 
 work. 
 
 ‘The bungalow which we selected and occupied 
 possessed no room capacious enough to hold all the 
 sick, whom it was our custom to assemble in one 
 place, to listen to the reading and exposition of God’s 
 Holy Word. To compensate for the deficiencies of 
 the house, the outer covering of a comparatively 
 large tent was pitched on the lawn behind; and 
 here, under its shade, the sick and their friends used 
 to meet daily, for the purpose above mentioned. 
 The inner part of the same tent was also pitched, 
 and formed all the hospital accommodation which 
 we could command. In the case of patients coming 
 from a distance, it was necessary to find lodging for 
 them in the city, where they were daily attended to.’ 
 
 Eegarding the medical work accomplished in 
 Kashmir during 1866, Dr. Elmslie writes: ‘During 
 the past season, with all its difficulties and obstacles, 
 the Medical Mission Dispensary was the humble 
 means of affording physical relief to a much larger 
 number of sufferers than in the previous year : 
 3365 patients attended the dispensary during this 
 season, showing an increase, compared with the 
 previous year, of 1070. Many of the cases requir- 
 ing surgical treatment last season, were of a more 
 serious character than those of the first year of the 
 mission. This shows an increase of confidence on 
 the part of the inhabitants of the valley. Several 
 patients who had refused to follow the advice given 
 
 E 
 
66 
 
 SECOND YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 them in the season of 1865, returned last year to 
 the dispensary, and willingly submitted to the 
 treatment which had been formerly recommended, 
 and which, in two cases, was of rather a grave 
 nature. 
 
 ‘During the season, 173 receptions for the sick 
 were held. The smallest number of patients present 
 was on the 5th of May, when the dispensary was 
 opened. The number that day was eight. On the 
 25th of June, 182 were present, which was the 
 largest number present on any one day. The 
 largest number of monthly visits paid to the dis- 
 pensary occurred in the month of August, when 
 3980 visits were made. The total number of visits 
 paid during the season was 15,662. The average 
 number of visits paid by each patient was therefore 
 five. The average daily attendance was 91, and 
 the average monthly attendance was 2610. 
 
 ‘ Several natives were treated in their own houses, 
 and thus, opportunities were afforded of carrying the 
 blessed Gospel into a few heathen dwellings, from 
 which its benign light is studiously excluded. Our 
 visits, on all occasions, appeared to be welcomed and 
 valued. The ignorance, bigotry, and superstition 
 met with, however, were most saddening and 
 pitiable ; certainly no agency hut that of God’s own 
 Holy Spirit can eradicate these hitter, hitter roots.’ 
 
 For the professional improvement of his native 
 assistants, Dr. Elmslie conducted classes throughout 
 the season, for the study of Chemistry, Materia 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 67 
 
 Medica, and Anatomy. He likewise contributed 
 several papers, interesting in a medical and surgical 
 point of view, to the Indian Medical Gazette. One, on 
 the Etiology of Epithelioma among the Kashmiris, 
 a disease very common in the valley, is specially 
 instructive. 
 
 In reporting his evangelistic operations, during 
 1866, Dr. Elmslie writes: ‘This is the particular 
 feature of our proceedings, which is most distasteful 
 to the local Government of Kashmir. Like all 
 bigoted, illiberal, and tyrannical Governments, the 
 native rulers of the valley thoroughly hate and 
 fear the enlightening and elevating influence of 
 Christianity. Every means is taken advantage 
 of by those at the helm of affairs in Kashmir, to 
 continue and perpetuate the worse than Egyptian 
 darkness that at present prevails in that unhappy 
 and deplorable country. For a native even to 
 inquire about the Christian religion, is still con- 
 sidered a heinous crime, worthy of fines, stripes, 
 and imprisonment. The avenues leading to the 
 mission bungalow were closely watched by sepoys, 
 and, it is well known, that many who were sick and 
 much in want of medical and surgical aid were 
 intimidated and deterred from frequenting the 
 dispensary. This most reprehensible policy on the 
 part of the native rulers of Kashmir renders genuine 
 mission work peculiarly difficult. 
 
 ‘Last summer, an effort was made to get the 
 people to buy, at small prices, the Gospels and 
 
G8 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 religious books, which, during the first year of the 
 mission, we had been in the habit of giving away 
 gratuitously. This effort, however, failed. Educa- 
 tion is at such a very low ebb in Kashmir, and the 
 people have so little thirst for knowledge, that they 
 are not yet willing to pay for books on the Christian 
 religion ; consequently, those who were found able 
 to read, and who expressed a desire to have such 
 books, received them for nothing, and, in this 
 way, numerous copies were given away. May 
 God’s Holy Spirit be with the readers of these 
 books ! 
 
 ‘ The religious exercises of the dispensary were 
 conducted in the same manner as last year. On all 
 occasions, without a single exception, the behaviour 
 of the people was quiet and attentive. In our 
 addresses, seldom was there any express reference 
 made to the absurdities of Hinduism, or to the 
 errors of the religion of the false prophet ; we deem 
 such references better fitted for the solitary inter- 
 view, than for the crowded assembly. We wish our 
 hearers to know what Christianity is, to look at it 
 with their mind’s eye, calmly and dispassionately. 
 And, if we know anything of the workings of the 
 human mind, we believe that one of the main ways 
 of effecting this, is not unnecessarily to rouse the 
 prejudices of your heathen listeners. The surpass- 
 ing reasonableness and excellency of the Christian 
 religion should be the chief theme of the preacher 
 to a crowd of heathens, leaving them to institute a 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 69 
 
 comparison between their own corrupt and false 
 religion, and that of Jesus Christ. 
 
 ‘ Another feature of our addresses to the patients 
 in the dispensary, was the total absence of all 
 political references. Such references can do no 
 good, and, therefore, it was deemed wise not to 
 make them. From time to time visits were made 
 to the mission premises, for the purpose of getting 
 further information respecting Christianity. The 
 catechist’s wife was extremely useful in this way, 
 among the women. The inhabitants of Kashmir, 
 when out of sight of Government servants, are, 
 generally, very willing to listen to the message of 
 the missionary. 
 
 ‘ As it was deemed unadvisable, in existing cir- 
 cumstances, to make any decided effort to remain 
 in the valley during the winter months, the medical 
 mission dispensary in Srinagar was closed on the 
 12th October, and preparations made for our re- 
 turn to the Punjab. Having a desire to visit 
 the valley of Poonch, which forms the territory of 
 His Highness the Rajah Moti Sing, we determined 
 to retrace our steps to the Punjab by that route. 
 Accordingly we travelled by Baramula, Uri, Poonch, 
 Kotli, and Bhimbur, and followed the same plan of 
 holding receptions for the sick, as we had adopted 
 on our entrance journey. The inhabitants of the 
 valley of Poonch appear happier, healthier, and more 
 well-to-do, than those of Kashmir. This is very 
 creditable to the Rajah who rules over that district. 
 
70 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 ‘ Such are the leading particulars respecting 
 another six months of medical mission work in 
 the valley of Kashmir. Unquestionably, much in 
 the local Government, and in the present condition 
 of the inhabitants, is well fitted greatly to discourage 
 us. But, on the other hand, the thought that more 
 than three thousand sufferers from various maladies 
 have either been wholly cured, or their pains alle- 
 viated ; the thought that the wondrous story of God’s 
 marvellous love to a sin-ruined world, in the stu- 
 pendous gift of His own dear Son, has become more 
 extensively known, and the absolute certainty of the 
 final triumph of the Gospel throughout the world, 
 should nerve, cheer, and encourage us to advance 
 steadily, joyfully, and believingly in our Divine 
 Master’s great and good work. “ As truly as I live, 
 all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the 
 Lord.” ’ 
 
 During this year Dr. Elmslie suffered a heavy 
 loss, in the death of one of his most accomplished 
 native assistants. Alluding to this trial, he writes : 
 ‘ While there are unquestionably grounds for re- 
 joicing and thankfulness, God has also seen fit, in 
 His all-wise and inscrutable providence, to remove 
 one from oiir midst, of whom, in the future, we 
 certainly expected great things. It is our painful 
 duty to have to record one mournful event con- 
 nected with the mission, which happened at the 
 commencement of last season. Sikandar, by far the 
 most promising of the three native assistants, was 
 
SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 71 
 
 most unexpectedly cut off by fever at Abbottabad, 
 on bis way to Kashmir. During his fatal illness, 
 Sikandar gave evidence of his sincere and entire 
 trust in our adorable Redeemer, as his divine sub- 
 stitute for sin. The best thanks of the Society are 
 deservedly due to Col. Rothney, of the 5th Goorkhas, 
 and to Dr. Farrell, Civil Surgeon of Abbottabad, for 
 their unremitting Christian kindness and attentions 
 to Sikandar on his deathbed.’ 
 
 The report, for 1866, of the Punjab Committee 
 thus, very hopefully, reviews Dr. Elmslie’s labours 
 during that year, and indicates a growing interest 
 in, and probable extension of, the work : ‘ During 
 the past year, His Highness the Rajah of Chumba 
 has applied to the Punjab Medical Missionary 
 Society for a medical missionary ; and while, on the 
 one hand, he promises him full liberty to exercise 
 his calling as a missionary, he has agreed, on the 
 other, to pay him a salary of 200 rupees per month, 
 :and all expenses connected with his journey out 
 from England, and his employment in Chumba. 
 The Rajah, moreover, will not only provide free 
 quarters for the medical missionary, but will place 
 a suitable building at his disposal for a dispensary, 
 all the expenses of which he will meet. 
 
 ‘ If, then, there is cause for discouragement in the 
 circumstance that the Maharajah of Kashmir will 
 not permit the medical missionary to sojourn in his 
 dominions for more than six months each year, 
 and that his servants and others hinder his work 
 
72 
 
 SECOND YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 as far as they can, it is a cause of thankfulness to 
 the Disposer of all hearts, that another Rajpoot 
 Chief, of a family not less ancient than the Maha- 
 rajah of Jummoo, and connected with him by mar- 
 riage, has thus spontaneously come forward, and 
 offered such liberal terms, in order to secure the 
 services of a medical missionary. 
 
 ‘ The Committee have tendered to the Rajah of 
 Chumba their acknowledgments for his liberality, 
 and have expressed their gratification that, in so 
 practical a manner, he has recognised the principle 
 of religious toleration. 
 
 ‘ The services of Dr. Elmslie have been utilized in 
 Chumba during the past cold weather, and efforts 
 are being made to secure from England the services 
 of an English missionary for tins promising field. 
 The Committee desire, in any arrangement they 
 may make, to fall in with the wishes, not only of 
 the Rajah of Chumba, but also of the Rev. Mr. 
 Ferguson, through whom the application to this 
 Society first came, and who, as the pioneer of 
 missionary work in the Chumba territory, has a 
 special interest in this field of labour, which he was 
 the first to enter. 
 
 ‘The Committee join with Dr. Elmslie in heart- 
 felt thankfulness to the Giver of all good things, 
 that He has been pleased to bless the work under- 
 taken in His name.’ 
 
VI. 
 
 Srjwnte for framing Jtafibt Ifteimal 
 IlfawnmriJ (tettgtltsis. 
 
 ‘ If it is admitted, as it must be, that it is to a Native 
 Ministry that we must look for the eventual Christianization of 
 India, the teaching and training of Native Evangelists should be 
 regarded as one of the most important duties devolving upon 
 European Missionaries. ’ 
 
 Rev. Dr. Caldwell, Missy. S.P.G., Tinnevelly. 
 
 71 
 

 
 
 
CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 SCHEME FOE TRAINING NATIVE MEDICAL MISSIONARY 
 EVANGELISTS. 
 
 Impressed with the boundless extent of the field, 
 and convinced of the utter hopelessness of ever 
 being able to supply the evangelistic requirements 
 of India, otherwise than by a native agency, Dr. 
 Elmslie, soon after his return to Umritsur, turned 
 his attention to this most important subject. In 
 the following paper, read before a Conference of the 
 Church Mission, held at Umritsur in November 
 1866, and likewise before the Punjab Medical 
 Missionary Society the same month, we have the 
 details of his proposed scheme for the extension 
 of Medical Missions in the Punjab, by means of 
 a native trained agency : — 
 
 ‘The whole subject of medical missions having 
 been discussed at the large Missionary Conference, 
 held at Lahore in 1863, it is presumable that the 
 majority, if not all of those present, are more or less 
 intimately acquainted with the arguments in their 
 favour, and the leading facts in their history. In- 
 stead, therefore, of spending the short space of time 
 
 75 
 
76 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 allotted to me, in needlessly, and, I might almost 
 say, profitlessly, reiterating these arguments and 
 that history, permit me, rather, to give a practical 
 turn to the subject in hand, by roughly and briefly 
 laying before this Conference, a plan for facilitating 
 the further extension and employment of medical 
 missions in this province. 
 
 ‘ There can he but one opinion as to the great 
 influence and power, either for good or evil, which 
 the thoroughly equipped Physician and Surgeon 
 everywhere possesses, but, more especially, among 
 barbarous and semi-civilized peoples. In the most 
 recent works of Oriental travel, — for example, those 
 of Yambery and Palgrave, — the authors respectively 
 tell us how considerably they were assisted, and 
 what advantage they gained, by the practice of 
 even a little medicine amongst the rude tribes 
 through whose territories they travelled ; and there 
 issues scarcely a single report of missionary labours, 
 in which medicine has been ever so scantily and 
 imperfectly employed, without express testimony 
 being borne to the great assistance and advantage 
 accruing to the mission therefrom. If this holds 
 true of medicine, when practised by those whose 
 knowledge and skill are of the most meagre and 
 deficient extent, how much more effective and help- 
 ful, humanly speaking, is medicine likely to prove, 
 when wielded by hands properly trained and skilled 
 in its use, and moved by living, burning love to our 
 Divine Redeemer, and to the perishing souls and 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 77 
 
 suffering bodies of our fellow-men ! This being the 
 case, it appears to be but the dictate of a wise policy 
 on the part of the Christian Church, besides being 
 in perfect accordance with the spirit of His match- 
 less teaching, to incorporate medical missions in 
 her evangelistic machinery. 
 
 ‘ The leading Missionary Societies of Great Britain 
 now appear fully to admit the peculiar fitness and 
 desirableness of medical mission agency for some 
 fields of evangelistic labour; and it seems highly pro- 
 bable, that, were funds more abundant, and labourers 
 more numerous than they are at present, or are 
 lilcely for some time to be, there would scarcely be 
 a single large mission, either in the Punjab or any- 
 where else in the East, without a medical missionary 
 being attached thereto. Blessed be God, there is no 
 lack of most inviting fields for missionary enterprise ; 
 but scarcity of funds, and paucity of suitable agents, 
 are the two gigantic difficulties which our Societies 
 at home have to contend with. 
 
 ‘ Hitherto, the great majority of medical mission- 
 aries now labouring in Syria, Madagascar, India, 
 and China, and connected with the various Evan- 
 gelical Missionary Societies of England and Scot- 
 land, have been educated under the auspices of the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, which has 
 done so much for this department of mission agency 
 within the last twenty years. As, however, the 
 pecuniary resources of this Society are compara- 
 tively scanty, not amounting to more than about 
 
78 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 £1200 annually, 1 and as the number of available men 
 at its disposal is small, there appears to be but little 
 prospect of its being speedily able to supply the 
 many demands of the Punjab. 
 
 ‘ It may interest this Conference to know that, 
 during the past year, I have been asked to aid in 
 establishing a medical mission at no fewer than 
 eight different stations in this extensive province, — 
 namely, those of Umritsur, Lahore, Mooltan, Pesha- 
 wur, Goojerat, Kullu, Ivangra, and Chumba ; and so 
 favourable do the Punjab Medical Mission Com- 
 mittee consider the opening in the last-mentioned 
 place, that they have resolved, with the sanction 
 of the Calcutta Committee of the Church Mission, 
 to locate me there during the current cold season, 
 when I am compelled to suspend my labours in 
 Kashmir. 
 
 ‘ To obtain, at present, European medical mis- 
 sionaries for these numerous stations in the Punjab 
 being all but hopeless, it behoves us to look around 
 and see whether or not we cannot, from the ma- 
 
 1 Although the circumstances of the Edinburgh Medical Mis- 
 sionary Society were such at the time Dr. Elmslie read his paper, 
 they are now much improved, and the prospects .of the Society are 
 increasingly hopeful. Its income last year amounted to upwards 
 of £2400. Eleven students are in course of preparation for the 
 work, and several applications are under the consideration of 
 the Board. During the past two years, five have finished their 
 studies, four of whom now occupy important spheres in the 
 foreign field, and the fifth expects soon to enter upon foreign 
 medical mission service in Japan, in connection with this Society. 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 79 
 
 terial which we already possess, supply, in a great 
 measure at least, our wants in this respect. 
 
 ‘ No one, even for a moment, will maintain that a 
 native agent is, in all points, equal to a European 
 one; hut every one will readily admit, that, as to 
 command of the vernacular, and an intimate ac- 
 quaintance with the manners, customs, and modes of 
 thought of the inhabitants of this colossal Empire, 
 the former is greatly superior to the latter. What, 
 therefore, is lost in one way, is gained in another ; 
 and while we are, on no account, to slacken our 
 efforts to import as many European agents as we 
 can find, and as the means at our command will 
 allow, it is manifestly wise and expedient on our 
 part, to do our very utmost to rear an efficient 
 native medical mission agency. 
 
 ‘ Though the different missions in the Punjab are 
 young, compared with those of Bengal, Madras, and 
 Bombay, nevertheless I am led to believe, that, 
 with comparative ease, a little band of students, in 
 every way qualified as to head and heart, could be 
 mustered from among them. 
 
 ‘ Since my arrival in India, I have heard more 
 than one experienced missionary complain of the 
 considerable difficulty met with in finding agreeable 
 and suitable employment for their better gifted and 
 educated converts. If facilities were afforded to 
 this class of native Christians to study medicine, 
 with the view of devoting themselves to missionary 
 work in the capacity of doctors, it is highly probable 
 
80 
 
 SCHEME FOE TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 that this difficulty would, in some measure at least, 
 be obviated, and much direct Christian power and 
 influence would be utilized and retained within the 
 pale of the Church, which, as things now are, is, 
 comparatively speaking, lost to her ; for, I am given 
 to understand, that many of the young native Chris- 
 tians of good parts enter Government employ as 
 writers, etc., after quitting the higher Mission 
 Schools and Colleges, and thus, of course, their direct 
 influence and help are, to a great extent, lost to 
 the Church. This, we think, is more than she can 
 at present afford. She requires to husband her 
 resources, and turn them to the very best account. 
 But further, on this head, in all probability, and 
 that at no very distant day, there will be lucrative 
 and influential openings in the large and prosperous 
 cities of the Punjab, for private native Physicians 
 and Surgeons, who have been educated by European 
 teachers, as we find to be the case in the other large 
 cities of the Empire, — for example, in Calcutta, 
 Bombay, Madras, etc.; and it is, unquestionably, 
 most desirable that these openings, when they do 
 occur, should be occupied by native Christian men, 
 whose example and influence will be on the side of 
 Christianity, and not by heathens, who will per- 
 petuate and thicken the awful surrounding dark- 
 ness. 
 
 ‘ With respect to the young medical missionary 
 students, it is imperatively incumbent on the 
 ordained missionaries, in charge of the missions 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 81 
 
 from which they are respectively sent, to see well 
 to it, that they are really converted men, so far as 
 they are able to judge, and have, more or less, a 
 desire to serve God in direct mission work. Next 
 to this all-important and indispensable qualification, 
 I think the medical mission students, before begin- 
 ning their proper professional studies, should possess 
 a competent knowledge of the English language, and 
 be well grounded in the Hindu and Mohammedan 
 controversies, so that, when favourable opportunities 
 present themselves to them in their intercourse with 
 the people, they may be able, in a clear, quiet, and 
 affectionate manner, to give a reason for the faith 
 that is in them, and to show the glaring errors and 
 absurdities of Hinduism, and the religion of the 
 false prophet. That they may do this efficiently, it 
 is absolutely necessary for the students to he inti- 
 mately acquainted with their Bibles. 
 
 ‘ But having found young men suitable, so far as 
 we can judge, as to faith and mental attainments, 
 the next question that forces itself upon our notice 
 for consideration is, How are we to give these young 
 men such a medical education, as will be likely to 
 command the respect and patronage of their bigoted 
 and adverse fellow-countrymen? At first sight, this is 
 a question which it is not easy to answer. Medicine, 
 both as a science and art, has, of late years, been 
 so extended and developed in every branch, that 
 we hold it to be now utterly impossible for one man, 
 as formerly, to teach it efficiently and comprehen- 
 
 F 
 
82 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 sively. To do so, requires a staff of able teachers, 
 an expensive apparatus, and, more or less, suitable 
 accommodation, all of which would entail such an 
 enormous amount of expense, as would put it com- 
 pletely out of our power to possess an establish- 
 ment, solely and exclusively, for medical mission 
 purposes. But, most fortunately for the feasibility 
 of our scheme, such an establishment already exists, 
 and we need only to avail ourselves of its advantages, 
 to procure from it all that we can desire. 
 
 ‘ In the Government Medical College, Lahore, 
 with its experienced and Christian principal, Dr. 
 Scriven, and his able colleagues, we possess a Medical 
 School in every way suited to our present purpose. 
 So much regarding the medical mission students, and 
 how they are to receive a medical education that 
 will really fit them for the very responsible duties 
 of their profession. 
 
 ‘ But further, with whom are the medical students 
 to reside, during their stay in the capital and attend- 
 ance at college ? Who is to be their helper, coun- 
 sellor, and true friend, when they are far away from 
 those who had previously been all that to them ? 
 And who, above all things, is to cherish the mission- 
 ary spirit in them, and show them how to apply 
 their medical and surgical knowledge and skill to 
 the spread of the Gospel ? It appears to me, that 
 no one is nearly so well qualified for this most im- 
 portant work, as one who is himself performing the 
 functions of the medical missionary. In addition 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 83 
 
 to tlie discharge of this duty, the medical mission- 
 ary would have ample time to carry on extensive 
 medical mission work in Lahore. Indeed, for the 
 proper and complete training of the medical mis- 
 sionary students, it is unquestionably indispensable 
 that he should do so. As some difficulty may be 
 experienced, at least for some time, in finding a 
 suitable agent for this important post, and as the 
 necessary funds for carrying on this part of the 
 present plan may not be realizable just now, one of 
 the American missionaries, resident in Lahore, might 
 be requested to allow the students to live in his 
 Compound, and to take a friendly and Christian 
 interest in them, till a medical missionary arrives 
 from home to assume the whole superintendence. 
 
 ‘ With reference to the extent of medical educa- 
 tion which our students should receive, I am of 
 opinion that we should qualify them for becoming 
 practitioners, equal in attainments, at least, to the 
 Government Sub- Assistant Surgeons. 
 
 ‘ That we may get and retain the very best of the 
 young men belonging to the respective missions of 
 the Punjab, it is necessary, we think, to hold out to 
 them adequate inducements as to status and salary. 
 Unless we do so, we are likely to get inferior men, 
 and, it is probable, the whole scheme may thereby 
 prove a failure. It is to be hoped, however, that 
 the Punjab Medical Missionary Society, especially, 
 will look to this point. 
 
 ‘ I am very happy to be able to inform this meet- 
 
84 
 
 SCHEME FOE TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 ing, that already some progress has been made in 
 collecting funds to defray the necessary expenses of 
 this scheme in its embryo beginnings. Dr. Hender- 
 son, one of the Professors of the Lahore Medical 
 College, undertook, at the commencement of last 
 hot season, to collect as much money as would 
 be sufficient for three scholarships of twelve ru- 
 pees each a month, for one year. I have little 
 doubt that, if suitable young men come forward, 
 we shall soon find ourselves in the possession of 
 funds, amply sufficient, to defray the increased ex- 
 penditure. From the little I know of the Punjab, 
 I feel fully convinced, that our fellow-countrymen 
 only require to have a really needful and feasible 
 scheme presented to them, to elicit their generous 
 liberality. 
 
 ‘ Such, then, is a very brief and rough outline of 
 the scheme I have to propose respecting medical 
 missions in this province. And I trust, if it meet 
 the approval of those now present, we shall soon 
 see at Lahore, a little band of Christian young men, 
 preparing themselves for tills comparatively new 
 and important sphere of Christian usefulness.’ 
 
 The subject thus so fully brought before the 
 Conference and the Punjab Medical Missionary 
 Society by Dr. Elmslie, was carefully and prayer- 
 fully considered at both meetings ; and the result of 
 their deliberations is given in the following commu- 
 nication addressed by the Secretary of the Punjab 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 85 
 
 Medical Mission to the Edinburgh Medical Mission- 
 ary Society : — 
 
 ‘ Lahore, 28 th January 1867. 
 
 'My dear Sir, — I have much pleasure in for- 
 warding, herewith, copy of Resolutions passed at 
 last meeting of the Punjab Medical Missionary 
 Society, relative to the training of a number of 
 native Christian converts, in all the branches of 
 Medicine and Surgery, with the view of their being 
 employed in medical missionary work. 
 
 ' It is not necessary that I should enter into an 
 explanation of the scheme, as the paper read on the 
 subject, before the committee, by Dr. Elmslie has 
 already been forwarded to you. 
 
 ' The members of committee were all agreed as to 
 the desirability of carrying the scheme into effect, 
 with as little delay as possible, inasmuch as we 
 cannot expect to obtain a supply of European medi- 
 cal missionaries sufficient to occupy the field which, 
 under Providence, seems to be opened up for such 
 an agency. 
 
 ' From various parts of the Punjab, this Society 
 has had applications for the services of medical 
 missionaries. There are many districts, especially 
 along the frontier, and in the hills, where the skill 
 of a European practitioner, or of a native trained 
 under European supervision, is not available by 
 the inhabitants. In such places, the influence of 
 medical missionaries would rapidly extend itself. 
 
 ‘Among rude and semi-civilized tribes, no agency 
 
86 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 is so potent, for the removal of bigotry and pre- 
 judice, as the healing art. Through its instrumen- 
 tality, a patient hearing will often be obtained for 
 the Gospel, when other means would be of no avail. 
 In the Kashmir Medical Mission, we have witnessed 
 the happy results of this combination. When an 
 ordinary missionary attempted to proclaim the glad 
 tidings of salvation, in the beautiful valley of Kash- 
 mir, the ignorance and bigotry of the inhabitants, and 
 the hostility of the native Government, were up in 
 arms, and he was obliged to desist. Dr. Elmslie has 
 now, for two seasons, been carrying on medical mis- 
 sionary operations in Kashmir, and has had thousands 
 of applicants for medical aid, all of whom, while they 
 have had their bodily ailments treated, have also 
 had a word in season spoken to them. 
 
 ‘ In practically carrying out the proposed scheme 
 of training, as medical missionaries, a number of 
 native converts, considerable expenditure will be 
 incurred. Each of the native students will have to 
 undergo a course of training, extending over five 
 years ; and it is calculated that a scholarship of £14 
 a year (or £70 for the five years) will be necessary 
 for the support of each. I think that this Society 
 will be able to raise funds sufficient to establish a 
 few scholarships, but not sufficient to enable us to 
 get out and support a European medical mission- 
 ary, to exercise a supervision and control over the 
 native students, during their course of professional 
 training. 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. ■ 87 
 
 ‘ As all the members of committee are of opinion 
 that such supervision is essential to the scheme, we 
 earnestly beg that the Edinburgh Society will lend 
 us a helping hand, and send out and support an 
 agent to be stationed at Lahore, whose chief duty it 
 would be to exercise a general supervision over the 
 native Christian students, during their course of 
 medical training at the Lahore Medical College. 
 
 ‘ In the large city of Lahore, there would be 
 ample scope for direct medical missionary work. 
 In the event of your sending out a medical mission- 
 ary, he might enter upon this at once, by opening a 
 dispensary in the city. He would thus also be 
 enabled to supplement the training which the 
 students would receive in the classes of the Lahore 
 Medical College, by giving practical instruction at 
 the bedside, and by impressing on their minds, 
 through the force of example, the duties and respon- 
 sibilities that would, in after life, devolve upon 
 them. 
 
 ‘ I shall feel very much obliged by your laying 
 the scheme before the Committee of the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society, and I trust that a fa- 
 vourable answer will be sent. — Yours, etc., 
 
 f E. Gray, M.B., 
 
 ‘ Supt. Central Prison, Lahore, Joint-Secy, to 
 the Punjab Medical Missionary Society. ’ 
 
88 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 ‘Resolutions passed at a meeting of the Committee 
 of the Punjab Medical Missionary Society, held at 
 Lahore on the 30 th November 1866. 
 
 ‘ 1. That the Committee record its cordial approval 
 of the scheme brought forward by Dr. Elmslie, of 
 giving a complete medical training to a number of 
 native Christian converts, with the view of their 
 being employed in medical mission work. 
 
 f 2. That the Committee use its best endeavours 
 to interest the members and friends of the Punjab 
 Medical Mission on the subject, and to secure the 
 establishment of a number of scholarships, in addi- 
 tion to those already promised. 
 
 ‘ 3. That a circular be addressed to the mission- 
 aries in all the stations in the Punjab, requesting that 
 they will kindly communicate with the secretary of 
 this Society, in the event of their being able to 
 recommend any of their converts as medical mis- 
 sionary students. 
 
 ‘ 4. And that a communication be sent to the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, explaining 
 the scheme brought forward by Dr. Elmslie, and 
 begging that the Society will send out and support, 
 with such aid as this Society can give, a pious and 
 skilful medical missionary.’ 
 
 The following memorandum on the same subject 
 is worthy of preservation. It was written by Sir 
 Donald F. M'Leod, in whose sudden death the cause 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 89 
 
 of Christian missions has lately lost a warm friend 
 and advocate. He was one of those Indian states- 
 men, of whom, we rejoice to think, there have been 
 not a few, whose Christian zeal has been as distin- 
 guished as their administrative ability. 
 
 ‘ Memorandum. 
 
 ‘ I have carefully read the paper, drawn up by 
 Dr. Elmslie, on the subject of training native 
 Christian youths for the duties of medical mis- 
 sionaries ; which paper was recently read by him at 
 a Conference of the Church Missionary Society, 
 held at Umritsur, as well as before a meeting of the 
 Punjab Medical Missionary Society. 
 
 c I have long been convinced, that medical 
 missions are eminently suitable and appropriate in 
 the present circumstances of India, and calculated, 
 accordingly, to prove of the very greatest value and 
 importance here ; and as I have, on many occasions, 
 recorded my opinion to this effect, I need not 
 enlarge on it in this place. 
 
 ‘ Holding, then, this opinion, I highly approve 
 of Dr. Elmslie’s proposal, which I think likely, if 
 carried out, to enable us to extend medical missions 
 much more rapidly and widely than we can hope to 
 do in any other way, at the same time that it adds 
 another most important and appropriate mode of 
 employing and providing support for our native 
 Christians, to the very few which have, as yet, 
 suggested themselves ; thus helping largely towards 
 
90 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 the solution of one of the most difficult problems 
 we have to solve, in respect to the heterogeneous 
 bodies of native Christians assembled, under the 
 existing system, at our mission stations. 
 
 ‘ A similar project has, I believe, been proposed 
 for the N.W. Provinces ; and some are of opinion, 
 that, if the scheme should be tried and succeed at 
 Agra, this should suffice for all our wants ; that 
 Agra has superior advantages to Lahore, and that it 
 will be well, at all events, to defer action at Lahore, 
 until the scheme has been first tried at Agra. But 
 apart from the fact that the youths of the Punjab 
 would be entire strangers at Agra, and would find 
 the people of that part of India, in a great mea- 
 sure, foreigners to them, Lahore possesses a great 
 advantage in this, that the Lahore Medical College 
 educates up to the standard of Sub-Assistant Sur- 
 geons, which the College at Agra does not profess 
 to do; and I entirely agree with Dr. Elmslie in 
 considering this to be a very essential point. 
 
 ‘ Lahore is, in fact, the only place in this Presi- 
 dency, out of Calcutta, where medical students are 
 trained to the above standard. The Punjab contains 
 a large number of missions of different Societies. 
 A large part of its population, if not the whole, 
 differ greatly from those of the N.W. Provinces 
 and Bengal. Lahore possesses a mission which has 
 been eminently successful in educational efforts. It 
 is a place in which a medical missionary might be 
 employed with great effect, humanly speaking ; 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 91 
 
 and the body to which this mission belongs, has a 
 medical missionary in connection with it, though at 
 present not labouring at Lahore. The Medical 
 College at Lahore is, happily, entirely free from the 
 taint of virulent religious scepticism which has in- 
 fected but too many sister institutions, insomuch 
 that the Sub-Assistant Surgeon attached to it, though 
 a Mohammedan, is believed to be so favourably dis- 
 posed towards Christianity, that it was at one time 
 reported he was a candidate for baptism. So that, 
 on all accounts, I consider Lahore to be well worthy 
 of selection, for one of the first experiments that 
 may be made in connection with this scheme. 
 
 ‘ It is, no doubt, very indispensable that the 
 greatest care be taken to send no youths to be 
 trained as medical missionaries who do not afford 
 satisfactory evidence of being truly spiritually- 
 minded; and this will, it is to be feared, be always 
 attended with difficulty. But not more so here 
 than elsewhere ; and as no new machinery has to be 
 created for the purpose, no expense will be incurred 
 until suitable candidates appear, while all who do 
 appear will be at once admitted to all the advantages 
 contemplated by the scheme, whether the number 
 of such candidates be great or small. 
 
 (Signed) ‘ D. F. M‘Leod. 
 
 ‘ 7 th February 1867.’ 
 
 Circumstances prevented Dr. Elmslie’s carrying 
 into practical operation the scheme he had proposed, 
 
92 
 
 SCHEME FOR TRAINING NATIVE 
 
 for training a native medical missionary agency for 
 the Punjab. Had he been spared to see the medical 
 mission permanently established in Kashmir, we 
 have no doubt he would then have turned his 
 attention to this most important enterprise. The 
 development and practical working out of the 
 scheme, therefore, is a work which we sincerely 
 trust Dr. Elmslie’s successor will undertake, and be 
 permitted to accomplish. The importance of such 
 an institution for training native medical evangelists 
 for India can hardly be overestimated. 
 
 In connection with the Edinburgh Medical Mis- 
 sionary Society’s Mission at Madras, a training 
 institution, similar to that proposed by Dr. Elmslie 
 for the Punjab, was originated and carried on for 
 some years by the late lamented David Paterson, 
 F.E.C.S., and is now in charge of Mr. Elder, 
 L.R.C.S., the Society’s agent at Madras. In 
 Travancore a goodly band of native Christian 
 youths were trained by the writer, and are now 
 labouring there, as medical evangelists in charge of 
 branch medical mission dispensaries established 
 throughout the Province. In Bombay, Eajpootana, 
 Madura, and Ceylon, similar efforts have been 
 successfully made ; and, wherever a medical mission 
 has been localized, the training of inteEigent native 
 Christian youths, to fit them for labouring among 
 their fellow-countrymen as medical evangelists, is 
 deemed one of the most urgent and indispensable 
 departments of the work of the medical missionary. 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY EVANGELISTS. 
 
 93 
 
 It would, however, be a great advantage, if central 
 medical missionary training institutions, such as 
 the one at Madras, were established and liberally 
 supported in Calcutta, Lahore, and Bombay, where 
 a regular course of systematic and practical teaching 
 could be imparted, in connection with the flourish- 
 ing medical schools and large hospitals existing in 
 those cities. The Christian philanthropist could 
 hardly engage in a more hopeful and blessed work 
 on behalf of India, than in the practical develop- 
 ment of the scheme proposed by Dr. Elmslie for 
 training a native agency for this department of 
 missionary work. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
VII. 
 
 ®jrk aniJ ^rosjrerfs in Cjnmtra. 
 
 ‘ Kings shall fall down before Him, 
 
 And gold and incense bring ; 
 
 All nations shall adore Him, 
 
 His praise all people sing ; 
 
 For He shall have dominion 
 O’er river, sea, and shore, 
 
 Far as the eagle’s pinion 
 Or dove’s light wing can soar. 
 
 For Him shall prayer unceasing, 
 
 And daily vows ascend ; 
 
 His kingdom still increasing, — 
 
 A kingdom without end. 
 
 The mountain dews shall nourish 
 A seed in weakness sown, 
 
 Whose fruit shall spread and flourish, 
 
 And shake like Lebanon. ’ 
 
 95 
 

 I 
 
 _y 
 
 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 Shortly after his return to Umritsur, having spent 
 a second summer in Kashmir, Dr. Elmslie pro- 
 ceeded to Churnba, at the request of the Punjab 
 Medical Missionary Society, with the view of 
 making arrangements for the establishment of a 
 permanent medical mission there. In the following 
 letter, addressed to the Secretary of the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society, Dr. Elmslie shows 
 the importance of the position he was called to 
 occupy in Chumba, and how in God’s providence 
 the opening occurred : — 
 
 ‘ For some time past, the native prince who rules 
 over the beautiful valley of Chumba, has been very 
 favourably disposed towards Christianity. The 
 Eev. W. Ferguson, previously chaplain to a Scotch 
 regiment, gave up the rank and emoluments accru- 
 ing from that appointment, to become a humble 
 missionary. He had his attention directed to the 
 valley of Chumba, doubtless by the Spirit of God, 
 and there he has been labouring for the past three 
 or four years. God has blessed him with great 
 
98 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 success. The Kajah has shown him much favour, 
 and has allowed him great freedom of speech and 
 operation. Chumba is a Himalayan valley of great 
 beauty. The climate, I am told by everybody who 
 knows anything about the valley, is most delightful 
 and salubrious ; and the people, who are almost 
 exclusively agricultural, are simple, affable, and 
 very accessible. It is said by every one who is 
 acquainted with the valley and its inhabitants, that, 
 with the blessing of God, a medical mission will be 
 sure to prove most successful in Chumba. The 
 condition of the valley, as to medical skill, is like 
 that of all other states similarly situated in other 
 respects. There is no European doctor in the whole 
 valley. This is in favour of the medical mission. 
 
 ‘ I do not know if you have heard, through the 
 Church Mission, the events which have led to the 
 present effort to establish a medical mission in 
 Chutnba. Some two or three months ago, the 
 favourite Banee, or wife of the Bajah, was safely 
 delivered of a daughter. For some time she w r ent 
 on well, but, by and by, she became seriously ill, 
 and at last died. Great blame was attached to the . 
 native Hakim who was in attendance. From that 
 time to this, His Highness the Bajah has been very 
 anxious to have the services of a European physi- 
 cian for his family. With this in view, he applied 
 to Government ; but, as the Government at present 
 have the greatest difficulty in supplying their own 
 necessities, they replied, that they were unable to 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 99 
 
 accede to the Rajah’s request to send a European 
 doctor to Chumha. The Rajah had his attention 
 directed to the fact, that a Society for the establish- 
 ment of medical missions existed in the Punjab, and 
 that, perhaps, he might he able to secure the services 
 of a physician through that Society. An applica- 
 tion was made accordingly, the Rajah offering £20 
 a month, a free house, a dispensary, an hospital, all 
 the current expenses connected therewith, to the 
 Punjab Medical Missionary Society, if they would 
 provide a man for Chumba. From all that I can 
 learn about the new sphere, it appears to be a most 
 inviting one. If you have a man at your command, 
 I think you may safely send him there, with the 
 certainty, so far as we can see, of his being greatly 
 blessed, both as a doctor and as a missionary. 
 
 ‘ The Punjab Medical Missionary Society, con- 
 sidering the opening a very important one, have 
 decided on my spending the winter months in 
 Chumba, to keep the door open, and to initiate the 
 work. If you are able to send out a medical mis- 
 sionary in the course of the cold season, I shall, if 
 spared, be able to give him some information about 
 the valley, the Rajah, and the inhabitants, on his 
 arrival amongst us. The sort of man the Society 
 here would like, is a really Christian man, and a 
 good Surgeon.’ 
 
 The next paragraph is from a letter, addressed to 
 the Rev. G. D. Cullen, Edinburgh, who was a kind 
 
100 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 friend to Dr. Elmslie while a student, and took a 
 deep interest in his subsequent missionary career. 
 The letter is dated Umritsur, December 3, 1866: — 
 
 ‘ I leave Umritsur this evening for Chumba, of 
 which, doubtless, you have by this time heard. We 
 had a meeting of the Punjab Medical Mission Com- 
 mittee last week in Lahore, and also a Missionary 
 Conference at Umritsur; and, amongst many other 
 important matters that were discussed, it was 
 agreed to write home direct to the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society, and beg of them to 
 send out a medical missionary to carry on the work 
 in Chumba. Doubtless the application will reach 
 you by this mail. You will be happy to hear that 
 an ever-growing interest is being taken in medical 
 missions in the Punjab.’ 
 
 The next extract is from a letter to Dr. Cleghorn, 
 written after his arrival in Chumba, and dated 5 th 
 January 1867 : — 
 
 ‘ I am now here initiating the Chumba Medical 
 Mission. The dispensary is open, and patients are 
 treated daily. Medical mission dispensaries should 
 be open daily. Some are not, and I am greatly 
 astonished at this. I fear practice amongst 
 Europeans has something to do with this. We 
 medical missionaries need constantly to remember, 
 that we did not leave home to be doctors to our 
 own countrymen, who can, in most cases, be at- 
 tended by other medical men ; but we left home to 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 101 
 
 labour amongst the heathen, that, by the blessing 
 of God on our medical labours, we may lead these 
 same perishing heathen to the truth as it is in 
 Jesus. The Rajah is very friendly, and the people 
 are gradually taking advantage of the dispensary. 
 I do hope and pray that the parent Society in 
 Edinburgh may be able to find a man for this 
 promising field.’ 
 
 ‘ February 8. — To-day I sketched a plan for a 
 dispensary and small hospital. Within the last 
 four weeks, we have had four cases of lithotomy, 
 one of which is now well, and has left for his home ; 
 the other three are progressing favourably. Goitre 
 is met with by the hundreds. The biniodide of 
 mercury rubbed in locally, and exhibited internally 
 in the form of pill at the same time, works wonders. 
 This medicine is far more effectual than iodine 
 alone.’ 
 
 Dr. Elmslie’s labours in Chumba were very 
 highly appreciated. Shortly after he had com- 
 menced work there, Mr. Eerguson, the founder of 
 the mission, with whom, during his stay in 
 Chumba, Dr. Elmslie was associated, wrote as 
 follows regarding the medical mission : — 
 
 ‘ I mentioned, in a former letter, our prospects of 
 having a medical missionary settled here in con- 
 nection with our mission. I rejoice to be able to 
 tell you now that our hopes have been realized. 
 Dr. Elmslie, the able doctor and devoted mis- 
 
102 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 sionary of Kashmir, has been kindly lent us by the 
 Church Missionary Society till April next. When 
 the season comes round for him to resume work in 
 the neighbouring valley, Kashmir, we expect to 
 have a successor to him in Chumba, on the spot, 
 and ready to take his place. The Punjab Medical 
 Missionary Society, a thoroughly unsectarian body, 
 under whose auspices we invited a medical mis- 
 sionary to Chumba, has requested the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society to look out for a man 
 of the right stamp. 
 
 * The Rajah of Chumba has agreed to contribute 
 to the funds of the Medical Missionary Society £240 
 annually, — to give a free house to the missionary, 
 a complete supply of medicines and surgical in- 
 struments, with a staff of dispensary and hospital 
 assistants and servants. 
 
 ‘For all this, the missionary will give all needed 
 medical attendance to the Rajah’s household and 
 court ; but, excepting this, the missionary is, in no 
 sense, the servant of the Chumba State. All his 
 dispensary and hospital work is, as it should be, an 
 entirely voluntary thing ; so that the missionary part 
 of the work, which the Rajah not only freely allows, 
 but, in fact, seems really to feel interested in, is in no 
 way interfered with. The people, who receive the 
 medicine for the body, and listen to the word of 
 life, which is able to save the soul, feel that they 
 are indebted to one and the same source for both. 
 
 ‘ Dr. Elmslie arrived here twelve days ago, and 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 103 
 
 was warmly received by His Highness the Rajah, 
 by the British officer who superintends the Chumba 
 State, and, I need scarcely add, very cordially by the 
 members of the mission. He has been at work for 
 a week, and has already got a goodly number of 
 patients, who give an attentive hearing, every morn- 
 ing, to the message of redeeming love. Confidence 
 in the medical aid afforded is rapidly growing, and 
 I expect to see, before long, a very large concourse 
 of patients of all classes. 
 
 ‘ There cannot be a doubt, that the coupling of 
 the healing art with the message of salvation, is a 
 right and most promising method of procedure. A 
 single morning’s attendance at Hr. Elmslie’s dis- 
 pensary, gives one a striking illustration of the im- 
 portance of attending, in missionary enterprises, to 
 our Lord’s instructions to His disciples, “ Heal the 
 sick, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is 
 come nigh unto you.” 
 
 ‘ It can be easily imagined how valuable an 
 addition the Doctor is, both in his medical and 
 missionary capacities, to our missionary staff. He 
 already numbers, among his patients, three of our 
 native Church, and several mission servants.’ 
 
 The following letter, addressed to Mr. Bell, dated 
 18th March 1867, gives interesting details of his 
 sojourn in Chumba, and his experience of the coun- 
 try and people 
 
 ‘ In another fortnight, God willing, I shall leave 
 
104 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CI1UMBA. 
 
 Chumba, cn route for Kashmir. All parties con- 
 cerned are extremely sorry that, np to the time that 
 we last heard from Edinburgh, no medical mission- 
 ary had been found for Chumba. His Highness 
 the Kajah, especially, is sorry, and requested me 
 yesterday, when I went to see him, to write to you 
 again, and beg of you to do all you can to send a 
 Christian doctor here. I have to repeat what I said 
 before, respecting this valley as a field for medical 
 missionary operations. During the past four months, 
 during which I have resided in Chumba, I have 
 enjoyed most excellent health. Indeed, all my life 
 long, I have never been so well. From what I have 
 seen of the diseases of the people, I am decidedly of 
 opinion, that the climate is most salubrious, and 
 most likely to suit the European constitution. In 
 the case of those who are greatly exposed, I have 
 met with a number of cases of intermittent fever, 
 and, what is remarkable, a good many of these cases 
 were Quartan. Goitre is extremely common in the 
 valley. Men seem as frequently affected as women. 
 It is very rare to meet either a man or a woman 
 who has not goitre. The youngest patient I have 
 seen with goitre was a child of three years of age. 
 A European lady, who came to the valley two years 
 ago, has acquired a large goitre. I have not met 
 with a single case of cretinism since I entered the 
 valley. Perhaps cretinism has nothing to do with 
 goitre. I have performed the operation of litho- 
 tomy nine times since my arrival. No death has 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 105 
 
 occurred. Two cases of union by the first intention 
 have taken place. Both patients were sixty years 
 of age. Leprosy is another common disease in 
 Chumba. We have had a considerable number of 
 cases. The disease usually makes its appearance 
 first in the hands or feet. The skin becomes, first 
 of all, insensitive, then ulcerates, and, by and by, 
 joints or whole toes and fingers ulcerate and fall off. 
 Skin diseases do not appear to be very common. 
 Scabies is chief. 
 
 £ From what I have seen of the people and of the 
 valley, I am of opinion, that no more delightful 
 sphere of labour could be found, were one to search 
 for it from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin. The 
 valley is salubrious ; the scenery is beautiful and 
 grand beyond description ; the people are simple, 
 accessible, and most willing to listen to the Christian 
 missionary ; and the Rajah is deeply interested in 
 the missionary’s labours, and lends him substantial 
 aid. Things are very hopeful at present in this 
 field of labour. The people seem to be on the eve 
 of embracing Christianity in large numbers ; much 
 prayer is being offered up on behalf of Chumba, and 
 there are signs of a blessing being near at hand. 
 
 ‘ I am much interested in a Brahmin, who has 
 been attending the dispensary for the past month. 
 He is most attentive, and manifests great interest 
 in what he hears about salvation through the blood 
 of Jesus. He attends, of his own accord, the devo- 
 tional exercises held for the whole Mission. He is 
 
106 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 now never absent, and, what is very satisfactory, he 
 appears to he growing in accurate knowledge and 
 appreciation of the cardinal doctrines of Christianity. 
 We hope he may soon voluntarily ask for baptism. 
 The Spirit is needed. 
 
 ‘ We have just lost a great friend to medical 
 missions in the Punjab. Colonel Lake, Financial 
 Commissioner of the Country of the Five Rivers, 
 lias just left India for England. Ever since medical 
 missions were started in the Punjab, Colonel Lake 
 has taken a most warm interest in them. Indeed, he 
 has been Chairman of the Punjab Medical Missionary 
 Society since my arrival in the country.’ 
 
 An earnest appeal for a medical missionary for 
 Chumba, was forwarded by the Punjab Medical Mis- 
 sionary Society to the Edinburgh Society, and along 
 with it, an administrative order, signed by the Rajah 
 of Chumba, which must be regarded as a very remark- 
 able document, coming, as it does, from a heathen 
 prince. It is as follows : — 
 
 ‘Administrative order by His Highness Sirree- 
 Singh, Rajah of Chumba, made at Chumba on the 
 20th day of Magh, s. 42 of Chumba era, corre- 
 sponding with the 31st of January 1867 : 
 
 ‘ Whereas the Punjab Medical Missionary Society 
 have expressed their readiness, in reply to certain 
 offers from me, to station at Chumba a medical 
 missionary : I hereby agree that, in the event of 
 their doing so, I will abide by the following condi- 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 107 
 
 tions, for a period of seven years from that date ; and 
 in the event of my decease before that time, they 
 shall also he binding on my heirs and successors. 
 
 f I. I will pay an annual subsidy of 2400 rs. (two 
 thousand four hundred rupees) to the said Society. 
 
 ‘ II. I will provide, for their use here, a suitable 
 house and out-offices, and a suitable building and 
 out-offices for use as their hospital and dispensary, 
 and will not make any charge on account of rent 
 for such buildings. 
 
 ‘ III. I will provide all medicines, surgical instru- 
 ments, and surgical and medical appliances, which 
 the Society may consider necessary; and bear the 
 expense of all contingent charges connected with the 
 dispensary, the salaries of the native attendants of 
 the hospital and dispensary included. 
 
 ‘ IV. The Society’s bills, under the first and second 
 conditions, will be paid by me, in such way and to 
 such persons as they may desire. 
 
 ‘V. The Chumba Medical Missionary shall have 
 full liberty to prosecute the calling of a Christian 
 missionary, in the same way as he would be 
 allowed to do, were he employed in any of the Pro- 
 vinces of India which are under the immediate 
 administration of the British Government. 
 
 ‘ VI. The medical missionary shall be bound, on 
 my demand, to render to me, and to my immediate 
 relatives, due professional attendance ; but beyond 
 this, I will not interfere as to the way in which he 
 may see fit to carry on his medical duties in Chumba. 
 
108 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 ‘ VII. I wisli the Society to avoid, as far as pos- 
 sible, changing, during the above-mentioned period 
 of seven years, the medical missionary whom they 
 may appoint at Chumba, but I will not object to 
 such changes as the Society may certify as unavoid- 
 able, and not made only for the furtherance of mis- 
 sionary interests in other parts of India. 
 
 ‘ VIII. I will pay to the Society, the charges to 
 which they may be put, for the passage out to India 
 of the medical missionary they appoint, and also for 
 his return to Great Britain at the expiration of 
 seven years from this date. My proceedings on the 
 subject, of the 11th and 12tli October 1866, are 
 hereby cancelled. 
 
 ‘ These arrangements, for the introduction of the 
 practice of European surgery and medicine into my 
 state, were set on foot at my own special desire. 
 They have been carried out with the aid of my 
 Superintendent ; and, in all future proceedings con- 
 nected with them, my Superintendent will be con- 
 sulted before action is taken. 
 
 ‘ Executed at Chumba, this 20th day of Magh, 
 Chumbatyear 42, — equal to the 31st day of 
 January 1867. 
 
 (Signed, in vernacular) ‘ Rajah of Chumba. 
 
 ‘ E. G. Wace, 
 
 ‘ Officiating Superintend., Chumba. 
 
 ‘ True copy. ‘ A. M. Dallas, 
 
 ‘Secy. Punjab Med. Missy. Society.’ 
 
WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 109 
 
 The Directors of the Edinburgh Medical Mission- 
 ary Society were successful in their efforts to secure 
 a medical missionary for Chumba. But God’s 
 ways are often very mysterious. When everything 
 seemed propitious, — the way opened, means pro- 
 vided, a suitable man secured, and all the prelimi- 
 nary arrangements satisfactorily settled,— the hopes 
 of Dr. E lm slip, and his friends were disappointed, 
 and a Medical Mission for Chumba, for the time at 
 least, had to be abandoned. 
 
 In a letter addressed to Mr. Bell, dated Srinagar, 
 Kashmir, 1st October 1867, Dr. Elmslie writes : — 
 
 ‘ I duly received your letter of the 9th July, 
 telling me that you had, at last, found a man 
 willing to go, and suitable for Chumba. Long 
 before this reaches you, you will have heard that 
 the door, which appeared to be wide open in that 
 State, has been suddenly and most unexpectedly 
 closed. Doubtless my joint-secretary, Dr. Dallas, 
 has informed you of the circumstances which led 
 to this deplorable event, so that it is not necessary 
 for me to say much on the subject. 
 
 ‘ Shortly after the Administrative Order (a copy 
 of which you received) was drawn up at the Bajah’s 
 request, by the then Besident, who was personally 
 most favourable to the projected mission, another 
 Besident was appointed to the superintendence of 
 the State of Chumba. Unforeseen difficulties arose 
 in arranging the details for the practical working of 
 
110 
 
 WORK AND PROSPECTS IN CHUMBA. 
 
 the proposed mission, and the scheme had to be 
 abandoned, at least for the present. It is deeply to 
 be regretted that those difficulties should have 
 arisen ; but we believe that this trial of our faith is 
 of the Lord’s sending, and meant by Him, in His 
 infinite wisdom, to be for the future good of His 
 cause in Chumba. If so, we can well afford to wait 
 patiently on the Lord.’ 
 
 The circumstances of the Chumba Mission, carried 
 on, hitherto so successfully, single-handed by Mr. 
 Ferguson and his staff of native helpers, are now 
 such, that the way may again soon be open for the 
 establishment of a medical mission there. The 
 Rajah who proposed such liberal terms in 1867, is 
 since dead. Who can tell, but that the Lord, by 
 whom kings rule, may incline the heart of his 
 successor to offer similar inducements, in order to 
 secure for himself and his people the services of a 
 medical missionary ? 
 
 Towards the end of March, Dr. Elmslie left 
 Chumba, and after a pleasant journey, reached 
 Umritsur early in April, and at once commenced 
 preparations for his departure to Kashmir. 
 
VIII. 
 
 Cljirb gear’s labours. 
 
 ‘ In the thick of the ancient battle, 
 
 Where the strong bear down the weak, 
 
 With the flaming sword of living words, 
 
 He fought for the poor and meek. 
 
 Where’er were wrongs to he righted, 
 
 Or sick to he soothed and upheld, 
 
 Or a generous deed lay hidden, 
 
 Or a generous purpose quell’d, 
 
 Or a noble heart lay sinking 
 
 For the want of a cheering word, — 
 
 The music of his earnest voice 
 Above the din was heard. ’ 
 
 The Three Wakings. 
 
 Ill 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTEE VIII. 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 The time had again come round for Dr. Elmslie’s 
 return to Kashmir. As usual, on his journey from 
 Umritsur to Srinagar, he held receptions for the 
 sick at each halting-place along the line of march. 
 No fewer than 263 persons received medicine and 
 advice for their bodily ailments on these occasions, 
 and, what is better, had the Gospel proclaimed to 
 them by our devoted friend, who, in sowing the 
 precious seed beside all waters, never lost sight of 
 the promise, which strengthens the hand and en- 
 courages the heart of the faithful labourer : ‘ As the 
 rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and 
 returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and 
 maketli it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed 
 to the sower and bread to the eater ; so shall my 
 word be that goeth forth out of my mouth : it shall 
 not return unto me void ; but it shall accomplish 
 that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
 whereto I sent it.’ 
 
 At those receptions, the religious services did not 
 appear to be distasteful, either to the sick or their 
 H 
 
114 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 friends ; on the contrary, the people took an interest 
 in them, and some of the listeners seemed to relish 
 them. Conversations and discussions on the subject 
 of religion were repeatedly held; religious books were 
 distributed among those who, on trial, were found 
 able to read. Several persons, who had formerly 
 received medical aid and religious hooks from the 
 mission, came to show themselves, and express 
 their gratitude. One of these was the Nawab of 
 the extensive district of Uri, who had, two seasons 
 before, been cured of a long-continued and painful 
 disease. 
 
 In the following letters from Dr. Elmslie, written 
 from time to time, during his sojourn in the valley, 
 we get interesting details regarding the nature and 
 progress of his work ; and likewise, as indeed in 
 all his communications from first to last, we have 
 beautifully portrayed the sincerity of his friendship, 
 his simple, childlike faith in God, his zeal for the 
 Master’s glory, and his hopefulness in the midst of 
 many discouragements. 
 
 The following, addressed to Mrs. Cleghorn, is 
 dated Srinagar, Kashmir, 9th July 1867 : — 
 
 ‘ I need scarcely tell you that your letter of the 
 28th February and Gth April was very welcome 
 and very encouraging. It grieved me much, how- 
 ever, to learn that sickness, personal sickness, was 
 the cause of the gap between the commencement 
 and the end of your cheering letter. I hope that 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 115 
 
 God lias been pleased to bless the means employed 
 for your restoration, and that yon are now yourself 
 again, and that you are looking forward, with health- 
 ful joy, to your approaching meeting with your dear 
 husband. I do, indeed, regret very much I have 
 not been privileged to meet Dr. Cleghorn since his 
 return to India. I have written to him once or 
 twice; but letters are a poor substitute for sight, 
 as you must well know. I had much to speak to 
 him about, respecting this branch of the Lord’s work, 
 in which he, you, and I are all so much interested. 
 But we must wait till God, in His all-wise and 
 good providence, presents us with an opportunity 
 of meeting together, and talking about His work, 
 and our plans and views regarding it. 
 
 ‘Bor some reasons, I am very sorry that India is 
 about to lose Dr. Cleghorn ; but I feel sure that, as 
 long as he lives, it will lose only his bodily presence. 
 Mentally and spiritually, he will still be much in 
 India. I greatly rejoice at the prospect of his taking 
 his seat at the Board of the Edinburgh Medical 
 Missionary Society; and, from his intimate acquaint- 
 ance with India and her countless wants, in a mis- 
 sionary point of view, he will be able to advise and 
 stimulate the Society to do a great deal more than 
 it has, up to the present time, done for this exten- 
 sive British Province, which, unquestionably, has 
 such pressing claims upon the churches of Great 
 Britain. 
 
 ‘Medical missions in the Punjab are daily attract- 
 
116 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 ing more notice and consideration, and are, more 
 and more, being recognised as a most powerful auxi- 
 liary in the spread of the glorious Gospel of the 
 grace of God, and, I believe, this may with truth be 
 predicated of other parts of the earth. 
 
 ‘ I must tell you a few facts about the Punjab, to 
 corroborate what I have said. Several of the lead- 
 ing men in this rapidly advancing Province, have 
 already written, or are about to write, to the Edin- 
 burgh Medical Missionary Society, to ask them 
 to select and send out immediately, a medical mis- 
 sionary for a most delightful station, called Palam- 
 pore, situated in the valley of Ivangra. In all 
 probability, you know the spot. It is a place of 
 great importance, and lies in one of the routes into 
 Central Asia. Oh ! to be able to cross those tower- 
 ing mountains, and to scatter broadcast the pre- 
 cious seeds of the everlasting Gospel ! 
 
 ‘ Then I must tell you about a Mr. W., an Ameri- 
 can missionary, who is now sojourning in Kashmir 
 for his health. He is so impressed with the suita- 
 bility of medical missions to the wants of India, 
 that he has written home to his son in America, 
 urging him, by all means, to study medicine with 
 the view of coming to India, to labour in Christ’s 
 service as a medical missionary. 
 
 ‘ I have another similar case to tell you of. The 
 Eev. A. B. came out to labour, last year, as a mis- 
 sionary in Kashmir. He has seen a good deal of 
 my work since his arrival in the fair valley; and 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 117 
 
 he has been so favourably impressed with medical 
 mission work, and so convinced of its being the best 
 way of introducing the Gospel into a country like 
 Kashmir, that he has, after much deliberation and 
 prayer, formed the resolution of going to Edin- 
 burgh, to prosecute medical studies, with a view of 
 taking, at least, a degree in surgery, and, after that, 
 if it please God, of returning to these remote hut 
 beautiful regions, to preach and to heal. You will 
 be sure to meet Mr. and Mrs. B. during their stay 
 in Scotland. I shall take the liberty of giving him 
 a note of introduction to Dr. Cleghorn, and I feel 
 sure he will assist Mr. B. w T ith his advice whenever 
 he needs it. 
 
 ‘ You wish to know my views of the work which 
 is being carried on in Chumba. So far as I could 
 see, the work is genuine, and is of God. The native 
 Christians are extremely simple. During my stay 
 in Chumba, they made progress in the knowledge of 
 divine things. There are many of the inhabitants 
 of the valley who have almost given up idolatry, 
 and embraced Christianity ; but some heathenish 
 notions and prejudices still cleave to them, which 
 prevent their being really worthy of the sacred 
 name of Christian. But you will have seen, in Mr. 
 Ferguson’s report, a full account of those errors. 
 The people of Chumba are always very ready to 
 listen to the preaching of the Gospel, and appear 
 to be less bigoted than many whom I have met in 
 my travels. The Bajah I consider a very hopeful 
 
118 
 
 THIRD YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 character. You will be delighted to learn that he 
 has just proclaimed complete religious toleration 
 throughout his territories. Christians have now the 
 same rights and privileges as Hindus and Mussul- 
 mans in Chumba. Some time ago, I had a very- 
 nice letter from His Highness on the subject. Mr. 
 Ferguson has just engaged the services of a Chris- 
 tian schoolmaster. This I regard as a wise step. 
 Before I left Chumba, I had the great pleasure 
 of seeing the first Brahmin baptized in Chumba. 
 He is a young lad, of some twenty-two or twenty- 
 three years of age, and has good parts. There was 
 a great commotion in the city when this took place. 
 When I left, Mr. Ferguson and I were in hopes 
 that another Brahmin, who had been a patient of 
 mine, would come forward and declare himself a 
 Christian. Up to the present time, however, I 
 have not heard that he has done so. He was in a 
 very hopeful state when I left. I do greatly long 
 to hear of his being drawn to Christ ; for, as you 
 truly and beautifully say, however thankful we 
 ought to be for other kinds of fruit from our 
 labours, it is soul fruit that we desire. 
 
 1 The present season in Kashmir has been a most 
 eventful one to the medical mission. It appears 
 that the local Government and the Mussulman 
 Mullahs are now greatly afraid of us, especially as 
 two of their priests have become Christians. The 
 result of this fear and hatred has been great hos- 
 tility and opposition to my work. From the very 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 119 
 
 beginning of the season, sepoys were placed at the 
 entrances of all the avenues leading from the city 
 to the European quarters. These sentries confessed 
 themselves, that their orders were to stop the sick 
 from going to the Padre Doctor Sahib, as they style 
 me. Some were allowed to pass on, giving the 
 sepoys some money; others who were caught com- 
 ing to me were roughly handled and beaten, some 
 were fined, and others were imprisoned. The fact 
 that the local Government of Kashmir were thus 
 forcibly preventing the poor, helpless sick of 
 the city of Srinagar, and of the valley generally, 
 from frequenting the Medical Mission Dispensary, 
 became known to the Supreme Government of 
 India, and they sent a request to the Government 
 of the Punjab to investigate the matter. The 
 British Resident, who is a Christian man, showed 
 me the request, and asked me to state my experi- 
 ence and opinion. This I did, and my report was 
 sent up to the Punjab Government, who are con- 
 vinced of the fact, and strongly urge the Supreme 
 Government to adopt measures to put a stop to 
 such cruel, bigoted, and tyrannical proceedings on 
 the part of the Native Government of Kashmir. I 
 am hopeful that all this is of the Lord’s doing, and 
 that there are brighter and happier days about 
 to dawn on this lovely but ill-fated valley. I 
 earnestly beseech you to pray for Kashmir, and get 
 all your Christian friends to do the same. 
 
 ‘ Just as the hostility and opposition of the local 
 
120 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 Government of Kashmir had reached a climax, 
 cholera broke out amongst His Highness’s troops. 
 It appears that some sepoys, who had got leave to 
 go and wash in the Ganges at Hardwar, had re- 
 turned to their regiment at Srinagar, and brought 
 the seeds of cholera with them. At any rate, those 
 sepoys had scarcely arrived, when that awful pesti- 
 lence broke out, and began to carry off many. 
 Everything was done to prevent the spread of the 
 disease, but it at last invaded the city; and the 
 British Resident deemed it necessary, for the safety 
 of the European visitors, to institute a cordon sani- 
 taire round the European quarters. As my dis- 
 pensary is situated there, I was compelled to put a 
 stop to my work for a time. When it was inti- 
 mated to the suffering sick, that they were not to 
 return to the dispensary until they should receive 
 intimation to do so, the scene can be more easily 
 fancied than described. It would have melted a 
 heart of stone. Since then, I have visited the city 
 almost daily, and done what I could to alleviate the 
 sufferings of the miserable inhabitants, many of 
 whom are daily carried off w T ith cholera. More than 
 a fortnight ago, I sent a most polite letter, in Persian, 
 to the Dewan, or native Viceroy, expressing my 
 sorrow at the heavy calamity that had fallen on his 
 people, and offering him my professional advice, and 
 personal assistance, in this trying emergency. He 
 promised to reply to my letter the day following 
 its receipt, but, up to the present time, I have not 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 121 
 
 heard from him. This is cruelty, bigotry, and 
 tyranny with a vengeance. The poor people of the 
 city are sadly neglected, even by those who ought 
 to take some care of them. I have a presentiment 
 that the Lord is at work amongst us, and will cer- 
 tainly glorify Himself by these calamitous events, 
 and bring good out of them, to His own great and 
 glorious cause. 
 
 ‘ I cannot tell how glad I am, amidst all this 
 hostility, opposition, sickness, and death, at the 
 near prospect which I have of seeing other two 
 Kashmiris baptized, and admitted into the visible 
 Church. They are both men of some parts, and 
 have been studying Christianity for some time past. 
 Mr. Brinckman and I, on Sabbath last, gave them 
 a very sifting examination on the great essential 
 doctrines of our blessed religion. They answered 
 very satisfactorily, and, on the rite of baptism being 
 explained to them, they expressed a desire to be 
 forthwith baptized. It is likely, therefore, that 
 these two men will be added to the number of this 
 infant Church. This is great matter of rejoicing 
 and thankfulness. Surely the Lord has a people 
 even in Kashmir. 
 
 ‘ You have right views about missionaries and 
 mission work. Their work is the Church’s work. 
 Their work is every Christian’s work, and, therefore, 
 every Christian ought to be interested and prayerful 
 in regard to it. 
 
 ‘ By the bye, I began a work this season amongst 
 
122 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 the beggars and incurably blind and lame. For- 
 merly, they used to receive alms at all times and 
 seasons ; but, at the beginning of this season, I had 
 them all assembled in my tent, the Gospel was 
 preached to them, and then I gave them something 
 each. The Lord may bless this to some of them. 
 The Chaplain, who is very friendly, collected some 
 money among the visitors, to help me. Can you do 
 anything for these needy ones ? If you can, the 
 Lord will reward you. The work to be done here 
 is inconceivable. Everything is wrong. The devil 
 has it all his own way, — not all, blessed be God. 
 But I must close.’ . . . 
 
 The following letter to Mrs. Lake was written a 
 few days after the foregoing : — 
 
 . . . ‘ I am delighted to hear the good news, 
 that you feel yourself so much better for the change 
 to England, and that you feel so happy in visiting 
 those dear to you. Believe me, this is far better 
 than the most skilful physician’s nauseous draughts. 
 Your happy feelings are a sure and certain proof of 
 your improved bodily health. The medicine for the 
 mind is often the best for the body, and frequently 
 the best way of improving the body is to act upon it 
 through the mind. I have often thought that many 
 a life might have been saved, humanly speaking, if 
 the physician had just introduced into his treat- 
 ment a spiritual element to soothe the restless soul 
 of his patient. The diseases of the soul, and their 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 123 
 
 effects upon the frail body, are very often for- 
 gotten by physicians. I think the remedies, there- 
 fore, of such soul-physicians as Archdeacon Davies, 
 are frequently the very best that can he admini- 
 stered for the restoration of bodily health. 
 
 £ This has been a most eventful season to the 
 Kashmir Medical Mission. From the time I 
 opened my dispensary, the opposition and hostility 
 of the local Government have been most determined 
 and bitter. I am happy to say the matter has been 
 brought under the notice of the Government of the 
 Punjab, and of the Supreme Government also, and 
 this, without any special effort on the part of the 
 Committee to do so. Indeed, many of the Com- 
 mittee are still ignorant of the fact. It appears 
 that, some time ago, the attention of the Supreme 
 Government had been directed to a notice which 
 appeared in a native newspaper, to the effect, 
 that the sick of Kashmir were being forcibly 
 prevented from going to the mission dispensary. 
 On learning this, the Supreme Government sent a 
 request to the Government of the Punjab to inves- 
 tigate the matter and report upon it. After I had 
 carried on my operations for some time, Major 
 Cracroft, who is British Resident here this season, 
 showed me the official papers relating to the matter 
 in question, and requested me to state my experi- 
 ence and opinion. This I did at some length, 
 giving appropriate extracts from my journals, and 
 other proofs, which put it beyond a doubt, that the 
 
124 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 local Government have been using most violent 
 measures to prevent and deter the sick from coming 
 to the dispensary for advice and medicine. Major 
 Cracroft, having made a few comments on my report, 
 sent the whole up to the Government of the Punjab, 
 for their information. I am now waiting, patiently 
 and prayerfully, for the results of all this. Some- 
 thing certainly ought to be done by our Govern- 
 ment, but, I readily confess to you, I fear for the 
 result. 
 
 ‘ In spite of the sepoys, about two hundred and 
 fifty sick have found their way to me. This 
 number, however, is only about one-sixth of what 
 ought to have attended, when compared with the 
 numbers of last season. 
 
 ‘Just when this opposition and hostility on the 
 part of the native authorities was at its acme, the 
 cholera broke out among the troops of His Highness 
 who w r ere stationed at Srinagar. From the troops, 
 the pestilence, by degrees, spread into the city, and 
 now scores are being carried off daily by it. To 
 protect the European visitors, the Kesident estab- 
 lished a cordon sanitaire ; and as my dispensary is 
 situated, of necessity, in the European lines, I had 
 to close it on the establishment of the cordon. 
 The Resident and the visitors have left Srinagar for 
 Gulmarg 1 and other places of safety. I am there- 
 
 1 Gulmarg is a beautiful little valley, nestling among the 
 mountains, at an elevation of 3000 feet above the valley of Kash- 
 mir. It is a favourite resort of the English visitors during the 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 125 
 
 fore left alone here, with my dispensary still closed, 
 as the cordon has not yet been authoritatively 
 removed. I am not idle, however, as I spend daily 
 several hours in the city amongst the poor people, 
 doing all I can to alleviate their sufferings. This 
 morning, I visited and treated twenty-eight cases of 
 cholera; and while on my way home, I saw the 
 bodies of three men being carried away for crema- 
 tion and burial. It is awfully solemnizing work. 
 This pestilence may he the Lord’s messenger for the 
 punishment of some, and for the after good of the 
 valley. I have had a presentiment, for some time, 
 that God is about to work a change in Kashmir. 
 
 ‘It will delight you and Colonel Lake to learn, 
 that other two Kashmiris have been baptized into 
 the Church of Christ. The baptism took place two 
 days ago, in my bungalow, in the presence of the 
 medical mission servants. The Rev. A Brinckman, 
 of whom you may have heard, performed the cere- 
 mony. It was a most affecting scene. One of the 
 men is a Moonshee, while the other is a shawl- 
 maker by trade. They are both men of fair 
 abilities, and may, with God’s help and blessing, 
 he greatly serviceable to the mission by and by. 
 As you can easily fancy, I feel very anxious about 
 
 months of June and July, to escape the disagreeable heat of the 
 valley. The name is derived from Gul, a rose, and Marg, a 
 valley or plain among the mountains. This little valley is 
 carpeted with flowers of different varieties. — Elmslie’s Kashmiri 
 Vocabulary. 
 
1 26 
 
 THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 them for several reasons. May the Lord keep 
 them. 
 
 ‘ You and Colonel Lake will not, I feel sure, for- 
 get poor suffering Kashmir while you are at home. 
 She greatly needs home friends.’ 
 
 A correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing 
 from Srinagar during this eventful season, cor- 
 roborates the testimony of Dr. Elmslie regarding 
 the state of the community, groaning, as it was, 
 under such a load of oppression and tyranny. He 
 says: ‘Fear of their rulers keeps the Kashmiris 
 from inquiring much about Christianity. Fear 
 would not stop them so much after they had 
 believed, but it must deter many from becoming 
 inquirers. A report got abroad in Srinagar, that 
 one of my men had been converted ; his name and 
 address were sent off to the Dewan directly. Being 
 a servant of a European, nothing was done to him ; 
 but if he had been a common peasant, he would 
 not have escaped so easily. Sentries were posted 
 on the bridges, and on the road leading to Dr. 
 Elmslie’s, to prevent patients coming to him ; but 
 the people came round by night, so this plan was 
 given up. A sepoy of the Bajah was coming to 
 undergo a severe operation, which Dr. Elmslie had 
 said must be done, else the man would die ; but the 
 authorities heard of it, and forbade the man being 
 brought to the good Doctor. He lingered in agony 
 nearly a month, till he got some one to ask the 
 
THIRD YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 127 
 
 Eaj all’s special permission to come, which, was 
 granted. The poor man was brought, hut too late 
 to he operated upon, with any chance of benefit. 
 He died the same day.’ 
 
 We can easily imagine what a depressing in- 
 fluence such inhuman conduct must have exercised 
 on the mind of the devoted missionary. His own 
 countrymen had all fled from the neighbourhood of 
 the plague-stricken city. Alone and unaided, he re- 
 mained at his post, ministering, as best he could, to 
 the wants of the sick and dying. Bitter and cruel 
 opposition met his every effort to alleviate the 
 dreadful sufferings and misery of the people ; but, in 
 the midst of all, with that faith which ‘is the 
 evidence of things not seen,’ he writes : ‘ Patience ; 
 “ the Lord God omnipotent reigneth,” we fear not 
 the result. “No weapon that is formed against thee 
 shall prosper.” The Gospel must triumph over all 
 opposition and hostility. My motto for the present 
 is, “In quietness and confidence shall he your 
 strength.” ’ 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IX. 
 
 JUturrt to Emnisur, anb Shut to Calcutta. 
 
 1 He comes to break oppression, 
 
 To set the captive free, 
 
 To take away transgression, 
 
 And rule in equity. 
 
 He comes with succour speedy, 
 
 To those who suffer wrong ; 
 
 To help the poor and needy, 
 
 And bid the weak be strong ; 
 
 To give them songs for sighing, 
 
 Their darkness turn to light, 
 
 Whose souls, condemned and dying, 
 
 Were precious in His sight.’ 
 
 I 
 

CHAPTER IX. 
 
 RETURN TO UMRITSUR, AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 The following letter, addressed to Colonel Lake, 
 dated Umritsur, February 22, 1868, continues the 
 narrative of Dr. Elmslie’s labours during the year 
 under review : — 
 
 ‘ Your kind and interesting letter, dated Decem- 
 ber 1st, is now lying before me, and it affords me 
 much pleasure to take up its different items, and 
 answer them one by one. And first of all, let me 
 express my joy at the news of Mrs. Lake’s partial 
 recovery, and probable complete restoration to 
 health. I do sincerely hope, that Mrs. Lake’s health 
 has continued to improve ever since the date of your 
 welcome letter, and that she is now able, with re- 
 doubled vigour, to enter afresh upon those labours 
 of faith and love, which form the very atmosphere 
 in which she lives. I feel almost sure that Mrs. 
 Lake is better, from the fact that, a day or two ago, 
 your kind common gift, The Voices of the Prophets, 
 by Dr. Vaughan, reached me, with the inscription 
 written in Mrs. Lake’s well-known handwriting. 
 Permit me, very heartily, to thank you and Mrs. 
 
 131 
 
132 
 
 RETURN TO UMRITSUR, 
 
 Lake for your kind remembrance of me. I will 
 not forget Psalm xxvii. 1 4. The command is pecu- 
 liarly suitable to me, in the present juncture of 
 affairs in Kashmir. 
 
 ‘ I am very glad to hear of your spending part of 
 your holiday at home, in stirring up the Church to 
 a sense of her duty, in reference to the spread of 
 the glorious Gospel of the grace of God, by giving- 
 information respecting the good work, in so far as 
 it has come under your own observation. Your 
 testimony regarding Indian missions is sure to do 
 good. Few have enjoyed the opportunities of 
 observation which you have. 
 
 ‘ You ask me to give you further information 
 respecting the work of last season, and the time 
 I have spent since I left Kashmir. If I remember 
 rightly, my last letter to you was dated about July 
 of last year, just at the time when cholera was at 
 its acme in Srinagar. It raged furiously the whole 
 of that month ; and although the type of the epi- 
 demic was not of a very virulent nature, still great 
 numbers were carried off. It was especially fatal 
 among women and children. Towards the begin- 
 ning of August, the virulence of the disease had 
 decidedly abated, and by the end of that month, 
 scarcely a case occurred in the whole city. It had 
 entirely left the city by the 1 5th September. The 
 epidemic, therefore, lasted from the 8th June till 
 the 15 th September, a duration of more than three 
 months. It is very sad to have to state, that the 
 
AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 133 
 
 local authorities, with unheard-of cruelty, did all in 
 their power to prevent me visiting the poor, pesti- 
 lence-stricken inhabitants of Srinagar. They had 
 the effrontery to request the British Resident to pro- 
 hibit my frequenting the city for the purpose of 
 visiting the sick. This, he said, he would not do. 
 I feel quite sure that, had the local Government 
 acceded to my offer to co-operate with them in 
 battling the common enemy, the mortality would 
 have been less, with God’s blessing on our efforts. 
 But, as I said, they did everything in their power 
 to prevent and frustrate my efforts to assist the poor 
 people, who were left in the hands of the ignorant, 
 cruel, and mercenary Hakims. The neglect, cruelty, 
 and rapacity which I witnessed during that epi- 
 demic are inconceivable. As a specimen, I may 
 mention this fact: When the cholera was at its 
 worst, it was announced in the city, that His High- 
 ness the Maharajah had discovered an effectual cure 
 for the disease. This cure consisted of a printed 
 manthar or charm, which was to be repeated, and 
 pasted above the doors of the houses. This charm, 
 it was announced, was not only curative, but pre- 
 ventive also. Each copy cost four annas (six- 
 pence), and was to be had at the Maharajah’s post- 
 office. I went and bought several copies. I have 
 them in my possession now. Large numbers of the 
 Hindus bought .them ; but, poor people, they soon 
 discovered their inefficiency. I could mention more 
 things of a piece with this, but space forbids. 
 
134 
 
 RETURN TO UMRITSUR, 
 
 £ During the whole of last season, the opposition of 
 the local Government to my work was most bitter 
 and continued. On returning to the Punjab, I met 
 at Umritsur, our Secretary, the Eev. E. C. Stuart, 
 who, at the Annual Conference, strongly expressed 
 his opinion, that it was most desirable that I should 
 accompany him to Calcutta, and, if possible, have a 
 private interview with Sir John Lawrence respect- 
 ing the state of Kashmir. In this opinion the 
 other members of the Conference agreed, so that it 
 was decided I should go to Calcutta, and, if pos- 
 sible, see his Excellency. Some short time after 
 the Conference, I went to Calcutta, and, on the 
 •second of January, breakfasted with his Excel- 
 lency; after w T hich, he took me into his private 
 room, and entered most fully and particularly into 
 the state of Kashmir. His Excellency was ex- 
 tremely kind, frank, and affable. It is sincerely to 
 be hoped, that something decided will be done by 
 our Government; for it certainly cannot be right for 
 a professedly Christian Government to tolerate the 
 rule of a tributary, in whose country it is a crime 
 for one of his subjects to read the Bible, or even to 
 inquire about Christianity. You will likely have 
 heard that Mr. Roberts has been appointed Resident 
 in Kashmir for next season. There is cause for 
 great thankfulness in this. But, so bad have things 
 become there, that the disease is not to be cured 
 merely by a change of Resident. The Supreme 
 Government must speak to His Highness in no 
 
AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 135 
 
 uncertain sounds, before the oppressed people of 
 Kashmir enjoy that political and religious liberty 
 which is their right, by virtue of their being sub- 
 jects of our gracious Queen. I am glad to see by 
 the Intelligencer that the Directors of the Church 
 Missionary Society are, at last, weary with waiting, 
 and appear ready to use their influence to obtain 
 freedom for the poor Kashmiris. 
 
 ‘ After my return from Calcutta, I opened my dis- 
 pensary in Umritsur, where I am now carrying on 
 my operations. I am sorry to say nothing further 
 has been done respecting the Training Institution. 
 As the Church Missionary Society has a mission in 
 Lahore, I hope they may soon see the way clear to 
 their attaching a medical missionary to it, and so 
 enable us to carry out the training scheme. I fear 
 the Punjab Medical Missionary Society cannot,, at 
 present at least, lend much pecuniary aid to the 
 undertaking. If medical missions are ever to do 
 extensive good in India, it will only he through a 
 native agency. I hope you will have an oppor- 
 tunity of speaking to the Committee on this import- 
 ant point. There is a fine field in Umritsur for a 
 medical mission ; and Mr. Clark, convinced of this, 
 has written home to Mr. Yenn a very urgent request 
 for a medical missionary, stating it as his firm con- 
 viction, that the good cause would be likely to gain 
 here, were one of the four missionaries, forming the 
 full missionary staff of the Umritsur Station, to be 
 a medical missionary. Mr. Clark asked me to write 
 
13G 
 
 RETURN TO UMRITSUR, 
 
 a memorandum on liis letter to Mr. Venn, which 1 
 did. Peshawur is another post where, X feel sure, 
 a good medical missionary would he of immense 
 service, both politically and religiously. Men and 
 money are needed ; or rather, there appears to be 
 a greater lack of the latter than of the former at 
 present. This is far from creditable to wealthy 
 England. 
 
 ‘ While over in Lahore some time ago, I spent a 
 very pleasant evening with Col. and Mrs. Crofton, 
 Mr. ISTewbery, and Dr. Gray, singing, after dinner, 
 the old hymns. I hope we may soon have the 
 pleasure of again singing these same old hymns on 
 Indian soil.’ . . . 
 
 The following extracts from a letter, addressed to 
 Mrs. Cleghorn, give a few more details regarding Dr. 
 Elmslie’s engagements during 1867-8 : — 
 
 £ At the end of last season, after my return from 
 Kashmir, I had a good deal of running about. It 
 was decided at the Missionary Conference which 
 was held at Umritsur in November, that I should 
 accompany a missionary brother to Peshawur, for 
 the purpose of inspecting some buildings there, as to 
 their suitableness for medical missionary purposes. 
 At the same meeting it was also decided, that, on 
 my return from Peshawur, I should visit Calcutta, 
 for the purpose of having a private interview with 
 Sir John Lawrence, as to the state of Kashmir-. 
 Well, having visited Peshawur, which I consider a 
 
AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 137 
 
 most excellent post for a medical mission, I went to 
 Calcutta, and saw several dear and old friends. 
 There was dear and good Dr. Farquhar, as kind and 
 good as ever; there was Sir AVilliam Muir, also not a 
 hit changed, except for the better, for all the honours 
 which have recently been heaped upon him. But 
 there was no Dr. or Mrs. Cleghorn living in the 
 lofty big house in fashionable Chowringhee; and, 
 of course, there were no pleasant Sabbath evening 
 meetings in the upper room, in that same lofty 
 house, as formerly, when you and the Doctor, Drs. 
 Farquhar and Hathaway, and Sir W., then Mr. 
 Muir, and the raw medical missionary, used to meet 
 for prayer, and the singing of sweet hymns, and 
 the reading of the precious word. A look at the 
 old house brought all this back to my mind, and 
 then I thought of you and the Doctor, and won- 
 dered where you were, how you were, and what 
 you were doing. . . . 
 
 ‘After my return from Calcutta in January, I 
 opened my dispensary in Umritsur, and had every 
 reason to be satisfied with the result of the work 
 there. The Bev. B. Clark, who took such an active 
 part in organizing the Kashmir medical mission, 
 sent home to the Church Missionary Society an 
 urgent appeal for a medical missionary to be settled 
 permanently at Umritsur. But I suppose the 
 answer will be — “ Ho money, no man.” May God 
 grant both, if the work is for His glory, and the 
 good, temporal and spiritual, of the people.’ 
 
138 
 
 RETURN TO UMRITSUR, 
 
 Writing to the Eev. E. C. Stuart, Secretary of the 
 Church Missionary Society at Calcutta, he says : — 
 
 ‘ It is my intention this season, if spared, to write 
 to you, from time to time, very full accounts of all 
 that goes on, that you, as Secretary, may make what 
 use you like of the information which I shall send 
 you. You know my policy pretty well now. I 
 mean to show the same respect and deference as I 
 have hitherto done ; but in anything that may be 
 done, at all calculated to interfere with or obstruct 
 my labours amongst the poor Kashmiris, I shall take 
 the same decided stand as before. I shall always 
 be glad to have your advice, and will, from time to 
 time, ask you to favour me with it. 
 
 ‘ How goes “philosophy” ? I should like very much 
 to hear your prelections. I hold that every physician 
 should be more or less of a mental philosopher. I 
 have often thought, that it is a grave omission in a 
 medical student’s course of’ study, that there is no 
 logic and mental philosophy. If medical students 
 had a little more to do with the mind during their 
 studies, perhaps there would be less materialism 
 and infidelity amongst them. What do you think ? 
 I have often thought of writing to Professor Balfour 
 on this point. What about the subject in your 
 course of study for medical students in Calcutta ? 
 
 ‘ How completely I must have deceived you, whilst 
 staying with you in hoary Ho. 8 ! My philosophy 
 quiet ! It’s all you know, my dear friend. I know 
 I have enough to do to ride my steed, snaffle, bit, 
 
AND VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 139 
 
 martingale, and all. It is Galilee’s Lake over again 
 with me, very often, — now calm, serene, and peace- 
 ful; now troubled, dark, and stormy. It is only 
 when the Great Storm-calmer says, in almighty 
 and loving accents, “ Peace, he still,” that quietness 
 ever reigns within. 
 
 ‘ A month hence, I shall he off to my mountains 
 again. I wish much you could share with me the 
 enjoyment of their beauty and grandeur. Couldn’t 
 you and Barton take a pedestrian tour over the 
 hills ? Such a trip would be like a fresh lease of 
 life to you both, and perhaps save the necessity of 
 a trip home. 
 
 ‘ Umritsur is the place for a medical mission, when 
 you have the money and the man. The house we 
 rented here some time ago is now too small for us. 
 Yesterday we had sixty-five patients; to-day, I 
 think, about the same number. We have had a 
 good many surgical operations. 
 
 ‘ I am trying to catch with the net of the Truth, 
 two patients who have been attending for some time. 
 One is a Hindu, the other is a Mussulman — very 
 bitter,— a hopeful sign, I always think.’ 
 
 Thankful for the opportunity he had enjoyed, of 
 representing Kashmir’s wrongs to the head of the 
 Supreme Government, and hopeful that, as the 
 result, he would find, on his return to Kashmir, 
 more toleration, and less cruelty and oppression; 
 cheered, likewise, with the intercourse he had 
 
140 
 
 VISIT TO CALCUTTA. 
 
 enjoyed with old friends at Calcutta, — which, after 
 such trials of his faith and patience, must have been 
 truly refreshing, — Dr. Elmslie closed his labours at 
 Umritsur for the season, and prepared once more 
 for his return to Kashmir. 
 
X. 
 
 Jfmuifj gear's labours. 
 
 ‘ “ Be not weary,” toiling Christian, good the Master thou 
 dost serve ; 
 
 Let no disappointment move thee, from the service never 
 swerve : 
 
 Sow in hope, nor cease thy sowing ; lack not patience, 
 faith, or prayer ; 
 
 Seed-time passeth — harvest hasteneth- — precious sheaves 
 thou then shalt hear. 
 
 “ Be not weary,” hoping Christian, though the vision 
 tarry long ; 
 
 Hope will bring the blessing nearer — change thy sorrow 
 into song. 
 
 Nought shall press thy spirit downwards, if thy hopes 
 all brightly shine ; 
 
 Hold thy hope, whate’er thou losest ; — living, precious 
 hopes are thine. ’ 
 
 141 
 

 I 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 Having completed all necessary arrangements for 
 his journey to Kashmir, and his stay there, Dr. 
 Elmslie, with his native assistants, left Umritsur 
 early in April, traversing the usual route, via 
 Bimbhar and Pooncli. All along the route, as on 
 former occasions, he remembered his Master’s in- 
 junction, ‘Into whatsoever city ye enter, heal the 
 sick that are therein, and say unto them, The king- 
 dom of God is come nigh unto you.’ And here we 
 may be allowed to deviate from our narrative, to 
 observe how truly Christ-like and apostolic such 
 a mission as the one we are now reviewing is. 
 The medical missionary, working * with both hands 
 earnestly,’ dispensing medicine for the body and 
 healing for the soul, may well say with the great 
 apostle, ‘ I magnify mine office ; ’ for he, of all others, 
 follows most closely the footsteps of Him who 
 ‘ went about among all the cities and villages, teach- 
 ing and preaching in their synagogues, and healing 
 all manner of sickness and disease among the 
 people,’ and v T ho, when He sent forth His disciples, 
 143 
 
144 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 commissioned them to ‘ preach the kingdom of God, 
 and to heal the sick.’ True, it was by the forth- 
 putting of His own divine power, that Christ did 
 those mighty works which spread His fame through- 
 out all Syria ; and it was in virtue of their miracu- 
 lous endowments, that His apostles made the deaf 
 to hear, the blind to see, and the lame to walk. 
 True, too, the age of miracles is past ; hut, by incor- 
 porating medical missions with our ordinary evan- 
 gelistic agencies, may we not, thereby, approxi- 
 mate more closely to the practice of Christ and 
 His disciples, and obey more fully the Master’s 
 command ? 
 
 Nay, more, may not the Church be chargeable 
 with neglect of duty, if she fails to use, for the pro- 
 motion of His cause, that which, both by precept 
 and example, Christ Himself sanctioned and en- 
 joined ? When He sent forth His disciples to evan- 
 gelize, He gives them the gift of tongues, so that, at 
 once, they might fulfil His commission among all 
 nations. He imparts to them, likewise, the gift 
 of healing, so that ‘ they shall lay hands on the 
 sick, and they shall recover.’ Soon, however, those 
 miraculous endowments were withdrawn ; but now, 
 though the gift of tongues, as essential as ever for 
 the universal proclamation of the gospel, can only 
 be acquired by patient, persevering study, the 
 Church, nevertheless, accepts the responsibility, and 
 acknowledges her Lord’s command to ‘preach the 
 Gospel to every creature,’ as binding upon her still. 
 
FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 145 
 
 And why not receive and fulfil our Lord’s commis- 
 sion in its entirety, since, as for acquiring languages, 
 means are likewise available for acquiring the art 
 of healing ? Why should not the Church avail her- 
 self of the science of medicine as well as that of 
 philology, and send forth her servants, in obedience 
 to her Lord’s command, and in accordance with His 
 example and that of His apostles, to ‘preach the 
 Gospel and to heal the sick ’ ? 
 
 We cannot but think that, so far as this healing 
 power was exercised as a practical manifestation of 
 the benevolent spirit of the Gospel (as much needed 
 now as ever), the argument, that because the first 
 missionaries were miraculously endowed with this 
 gift, therefore, we are not now called upon to employ 
 the healing art in our evangelistic efforts, would, 
 we fear, if valid, clear us of responsibility in regard 
 to the carrying out of Christ’s great commission, 
 
 ‘ Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to 
 every creature.’ 
 
 It would be too much to require that every mis- 
 sionary should be a physician ; but, should there 
 not be a medical mission, with its hospital and 
 dispensary, established as part of every localized 
 mission? We think there ought. To some this may 
 seem an utopian idea ; but such, fifty years ago, were 
 reckoned most of our now flourishing missionary 
 schemes. We rejoice to know that this is the aim 
 and object of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary 
 Society, and hence it claims the sympathy and 
 
 K 
 
146 
 
 FOURTH YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 support of all who pray from the heart, ‘ Thy king- 
 dom come.’ 
 
 In advocating the more general employment of 
 this agency in our evangelistic operations, both at 
 home and abroad, we by no means under-estimate 
 the value of other departments of missionary work. 
 It is simply as a divinely appointed auxiliary, that 
 we claim for medical missions the place that it 
 occupied in the days of the early Church ; and we 
 think the time is not far distant, when the healing 
 art will be universally recognised as the handmaid 
 of religion, and, because of the blessings it imparts, 
 and the influence it gives, be more largely conse- 
 crated upon the missionary altar. 
 
 Proceeding with our narrative, the first communi- 
 cation we have from Dr. Elmslie, giving any account 
 of his work during 1868, is addressed to Mrs. Cleg- 
 horn, and dated Srinagar, Kashmir, 19 th May 
 1868:— 
 
 ‘I arrived here on the 1st instant, and have now 
 my dispensary in vigorous working order. How I 
 long to be allowed to settle here, and to carry on 
 my work without these periodical breaks ! I am 
 like Noah’s dove. The work greatly suffers by 
 these frequent interruptions, as you can easily 
 fancy. Will you make this a matter of prayer? 
 I long for an hospital too ; that is another deside- 
 ratum for both the medical and the spiritual work. 
 If you saw the shifts I have to make, you would be 
 
FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 147 
 
 amazed and smile. But I firmly believe that there 
 is a better day in store for poor Kashmir. I need not 
 now tell yon of my griefs and disappointments and 
 discouragements ; suffice it to say, I have all these. 
 But should we expect to be different from our Divine 
 Lord ? It is enough for the disciple to be as his 
 Lord. I count upon your prayers. 
 
 ‘ One of the two converts of last season is re- 
 ported to have died in Umritsur, shortly after his 
 arrival there. They say he died declaring his firm 
 faith in Jesus. The other convert must have left 
 Umritsur before my return, for I was unable to find 
 him.’ 
 
 About this time, a special effort was made by the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society to raise a 
 suitable memorial to the memory of the late Pro- 
 fessor Miller, one of the Vice-Presidents of the 
 Society, in whose death, the cause lost one of its 
 warmest friends and an eloquent and earnest ad- 
 vocate. The memorial took the appropriate form 
 of the Medical Missionary Training Institution in 
 George Square, where, now, the Society’s students 
 find a home while they are prosecuting their studies 
 at the University or extramural Medical School, 
 and enjoy opportunities of becoming practically 
 acquainted with medical missionary work, while 
 attending, as part of their curriculum of study, the 
 Mission Dispensary in the Cowgate. 
 
 Dr. Elmslie took the deepest interest in all that 
 
148 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 pertained to the advancement of the Society’s 
 interests, and especially in the promotion of the 
 ‘Miller Memorial’ scheme. 
 
 Writing to Mr. Bell, he says : ‘ Extremely glad 
 am I to learn from you that the Medical Mission 
 principle continues to progress. Although this is 
 certainly a reason for our being very glad and 
 thankful, yet one cannot help feeling a little sor- 
 row and regret, that medical men generally do not 
 manifest a livelier interest in this work, which 
 belongs peculiarly to the profession of which we 
 have the honour to be members. When one calls 
 to mind the fact, that there are more than 20,000 
 doctors in practice in Great Britain alone, one does 
 feel stirred lip to pray earnestly, that God would 
 speedily send into this harvest-field more of those 
 labourers whose peculiar duty it is to labour 
 therein. I am very much interested in all that you 
 tell me about “39 ” (The Cowgate Mission Dis- 
 pensary). The changes which you have recently 
 made there are a step in the right direction. 
 Indeed, it is a most desirable thing for the success 
 of Medical Missions, that you should have in 
 Edinburgh such buildings as will be healthy, com- 
 modious, and conveniently situated. What a 
 magnificent building and house, suitable in every 
 respect, might be built near the present site, if you 
 possessed only money sufficient! I mean, if you 
 could build a house like the Scottish Beformation 
 Society’s, and next door to it. You would then 
 
FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 149 
 
 have the Dispensary down in the Cowgate, where it 
 is and ought to be, and, on a healthier level, but 
 part of the same building, the rooms of the Super- 
 intendent and Eesident Students. A very large 
 sum would not be required to build such premises 
 as I have alluded to. Four or five thousand pounds 
 would be amply sufficient. This is not a very large 
 sum. The doctors alone might collect it. It 
 would be as nothing to some of our merchant 
 princes. I do really think a strenuous effort 
 should be made by the Society to accomplish 
 this object.’ 
 
 Writing on the 8th August 1868, in a letter to 
 Dr. Omond, Treasurer of the Edinburgh Medical 
 Missionary Society, in which Dr. Elmslie encloses a 
 cheque for £25 for the ‘ Miller Memorial,’ ‘ as a 
 thankoffering from a medical missionary in the 
 foreign field,’ he says, regarding his mission, what 
 we cannot but read with thankful hearts, remem- 
 bering all the trials, difficulties, and opposition he 
 had to contend with during the previous year 
 
 ‘ You will be happy to learn that, in a medical and 
 surgical point of view, the current season is by far 
 the most successful year the Kashmir Medical Mis- 
 sion has met with. No case of decided conversion 
 and application for baptism has as yet occurred 
 this season ; but the people are much less bigoted, 
 and far more friendly, and inclined to read and 
 listen to the good news.’ 
 
150 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 The following letter is addressed to Mrs. Lake, 
 and dated Srinagar, 12th October 1868 : — 
 
 ‘Your two welcome letters, dated respectively 
 17 th July and 19 th August, are now lying before 
 me, on this deal table, clamorous for an answer. I 
 address myself with pleasure to the very agreeable 
 task of complying with their most reasonable 
 demands. Let me, first of all, sincerely thank you 
 for being so kind as to think of me when you were 
 distributing, among your many friends, the first- 
 fruits of your recovery, in the way of letters. I 
 appreciate your kindness very highly. I need 
 scarcely say, that I was delighted when I saw again 
 your welcome and well-known handwriting. Now 
 that, through God’s blessing, you have weathered 
 this long storm of sickness, I hope and pray that 
 there is before you much smooth sea and cloudless 
 sky. I do not know how it is with you, but a 
 storm does me good. At the time it rages, it is far 
 from pleasant, but afterwards come the “ peaceable 
 fruits.” After an attack of sickness, or a disappoint- 
 ment, or a heavy bereavement, the gripe of the 
 world is decidedly less strong upon our hearts, and 
 unseen and eternal verities become more distinct to 
 our view, and rise in our estimation. It is very sad 
 to think that we, who have received so much of the 
 Father’s love, should need these storms ; for we may 
 rest assured that they are greatly required, other- 
 wise our Father would not send them upon us. 
 But far better to be chastened by a loving and all- 
 
FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 151 
 
 wise Father, than allowed to have our own will, and 
 perish for ever. Far better be bruised, ay, severely 
 bruised, and thus rescued from the vortex of the 
 world’s Maelstrom, than be sucked in, to perish 
 irretrievably. All that frees from the power and 
 pollution of sin, — all that lifts us above the 
 world, — all that assimilates us to Jesus, whether it 
 be bitter or sweet, ought to be welcomed by us. 
 And, blessed be God, He does enable us to say, in 
 our heart of hearts, even when the cup is most 
 bitter, and we would fain have it pass from us, 
 “ Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done.” I 
 can easily fancy that Joshua, and his noble com- 
 panion Caleb, would lightly esteem, and almost 
 entirely forget, all that they had suffered in the wil- 
 derness, when they reached the Promised Land; and 
 I firmly believe that, when we reach our Promised 
 Land, we too shall forget all the trials and storms 
 of the long and difficult path. In all probability, 
 we shall then become acquainted with the reason 
 which our heavenly Father had for all His present 
 inscrutable dealings with us. Pardon me for this 
 preaching, or something like it, and not letter- 
 writing. 
 
 ‘ It is something to be thankful for, that Colonel 
 Lake has the gift of public speaking. This gift, 
 especially in England, is one of immense value and 
 power ; and, as you very truly say, the people at 
 home are always more ready to listen to a layman 
 than to a clergyman or paid agent. I mean about 
 
152 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 missions. Colonel Lake may do the mission cause 
 immense service, by telling Christians and others in 
 England, what is being done in India for the spread 
 of the Gospel of our Lord. No man belonging to 
 the Punjab is so well fitted as Colonel Lake for this 
 work. I have seen one or two of Colonel Lake’s 
 speeches, and I think they are admirably calcu- 
 lated to stir up Christians at home to take a grow- 
 ing interest in missionary effort, more especially in 
 India. I am very glad to learn that the Church 
 Missionary Society have the wisdom to utilize 
 Colonel Lake’s intimate knowledge of missionary 
 operations in the Punjab. One part of your letter 
 was far from agreeable to me. That was the part 
 where you tell me that you have decided on not re- 
 turning to India. I am so selfish as to be very 
 sorry to hear this. Indeed, to tell you the truth, 
 Lahore has not been to me like the same place since 
 you left it. When going to live in your house, I 
 always felt as if I were going home ; and, indeed, I 
 did call you my Lahore mother ! So you can form 
 some faint idea of how much I miss you. And then 
 there is the Punjab Medical Missionary Society, 
 which sorely misses Colonel Lake. 
 
 ‘ I fear medical missions are not likely soon to 
 spread in the Punjab, or, indeed, anywhere else. 
 Men and money are so scarce. You will be sorry 
 to learn that nothing has, as yet, been done with re- 
 spect to the training of native medical missionaries. 
 I refer to the Lahore Medical Missionary Training 
 
FOURTH YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 153 
 
 Institution. I think the friends of this most need- 
 ful and feasible scheme are waiting to see the good 
 people of the North-West carry out their intention 
 of setting on foot such an Institution. I think this 
 delay is a pity, because their success is not likely 
 to benefit the Punjab. They will have enough to 
 do to supply home, not to speak of exporting. And 
 I fear, even if the Institution of the North-West 
 prove a success, that we in the Punjab shall not be 
 able to prevail upon our Punjabi converts to go all 
 the way to Agra or Allahabad for their medical 
 education. Besides, in my opinion, this is alto- 
 gether unnecessary, seeing we have a good Medical 
 School in Lahore. 
 
 ‘You and Colonel Lake will be happy to learn 
 that this year, so far as Medicine and Surgery are 
 concerned, has been very successful,— indeed, the 
 most successful year the mission has yet seen. 
 From the 8th May last till the 12th October, to-day, 
 a period of five months and four days, 4161 indi- 
 vidual patients have received medical and surgical 
 aid at the Mission Dispensary. All these persons 
 have heard the Gospel, more or less, and many of 
 them have obtained books. Many came very con- 
 siderable distances. We have had several merchants 
 from the interior of Asia as patients. Some of 
 these have seen the Eussians. But nearly the 
 whole of the number are Kashmiris, living in the 
 valley or on the surrounding mountains. The 
 people are much less bigoted than formerly. We 
 
154 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 can speak to them much more freely and plainly, 
 without fear of offending them. A very large num- 
 ber of the inhabitants of the valley, both high and 
 low, now look upon us as their friends, and, in their 
 difficulties and sorrows, come to us for advice and 
 sympathy. 
 
 'As to decided converts, there are none this 
 season. One family is in a very hopeful condition, 
 as also my pundit. They are nothing more than 
 hopeful. May God reveal Himself in Christ to 
 them, and influence their hearts with love to Him, 
 for what He has done for them. 
 
 ‘A little progress is being made in the valley. 
 The first school established in Kashmir by the 
 Maharajah has just been opened. Its history is 
 the following. The father of the family of which I 
 have already spoken, was particularly desirous that 
 his two sons, two very fine lads, should learn a little 
 English. He asked me if I would teach them. I 
 said I had not time to do so, for my medical and 
 other duties ; but I would allow one of my assistants, 
 who knew a little English, to teach his sons. One 
 of the two lads has been very regular in his attend- 
 ance, and has made some progress. A report of 
 all this was carried to the Dewan, the Maharajah’s 
 representative in the valley. Thereafter, a vigorous 
 effort was made to get the father to give up sending 
 his son to the mission bungalow to learn English. 
 The effort failed, however. The father, I must tell 
 you, is a Pathan, and is not so much afraid of 
 
FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 155 
 
 the Kashmir Government as indigenous Kashmiris 
 generally are. The Maharajah, in due time, re- 
 ceived a full account of all that was going on ; and 
 His Highness, after some time, gave orders for the 
 opening of a school for the teaching of Arabic, and 
 requested the Dewan to try to prevail upon Sher 
 Ali, my Pathan friend, to desist from sending his 
 sons to the Doctor Sahib to receive instruction in 
 English. In this effort, I am happy to say, the 
 Dewan failed. The boys come daily to us. This 
 class for Arabic, got up primarily to decoy Sher 
 Ali’s sons away from us, is the first Government 
 school the valley has seen during the reign of Gulab 
 Sing and his son, the present Maharajah. The 
 class, I am told, is intended exclusively for the sons 
 of those who may be called the nobility of Kashmir. 
 It is a pity the language was not Persian, and the 
 school intended for any willing to attend.’ 
 
 In his report for the year under review, Dr. 
 Elmslie writes : — 
 
 ‘ I advert, first of all, to the gratifying fact that 
 the opposition shown to the mission last season, by 
 the Maharajah’s Government, was considerably less 
 open and bitter than it had been the previous year. 
 This is creditable alike to His Highness and his 
 officials in the valley, and is indicative (one would 
 fain hope) of a radical change for the better having 
 taken place in the Maharajah’s policy. 
 
 ‘ As a natural consequence of the lessened opposi- 
 
156 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 tion, the number of sick who daily frequented the dis- 
 pensary greatly increased. During the season, 4450 
 patients received medical and surgical treatment. 
 The increase, therefore, last season, in the number 
 of patients treated, over that of the next most suc- 
 cessful year, was 1085. This augmentation was 
 probably partly due to the Christian sympathy 
 and help, which God enabled the mission agents 
 to render to the pestilence-stricken inhabitants of 
 Srinagar in 1867, when a fatal epidemic of cholera 
 raged extensively in the valley. Undoubtedly, one 
 of the effects of that season’s work has been to 
 establish the mission, more firmly than ever, in the 
 affections of the people. 
 
 ‘ The effort to evangelize the degraded Kashmiris, 
 is the peculiar feature of the medical mission which 
 is most distasteful to the local Government ; nor is 
 this to be wondered at. In Kashmir, as well as 
 elsewhere, it is well known, that a tyrannical 
 Government finds it considerably easier to rule over 
 an ignorant and debased people, than over one 
 enlightened and morally elevated. The local Go- 
 vernment make no secret of their dislike and hos- 
 tility to the Gospel. The inhabitants of the valley, 
 knowing this, are more or less intimidated, and 
 several of them are probably deterred from declaring 
 themselves Christians, when, secretly and in their 
 hearts, they love and believe in the Saviour. In 
 nature, seeds previously subjected to a great degree 
 of cold, and afterwards planted in favourable cir- 
 
FOURTH YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 157 
 
 cumstances, germinate and come to maturity much 
 more quickly than seeds not so treated previously. 
 It may be God’s intention, that the present chilling, 
 repressive policy of the rulers of Kashmir shall 
 have an analogously happy effect on the spread of 
 Christianity in this valley. But, he this as it may, 
 year by year, during the brief season of six months 
 that the mission is allowed to remain in the 
 country, much Gospel seed is sown, of which a 
 grain now, and another then, takes root and hears 
 fruit. 
 
 ‘ It is greatly cheering and encouraging to faith 
 and effort, in the midst of this wicked world’s oppo- 
 sition to the Gospel, to see and hear of that same 
 despised and rejected Gospel conquering human 
 hearts, and bringing them into subjection to the 
 Lord of life. News has just reached the mission, 
 that the aged mother-in-law of Kadir Baksh (the 
 Kashmir Catechist) died, some time ago, in her dis- 
 tant Kashmir village, looking to Jesus as her divine 
 Saviour. The dear old woman had repeatedly 
 listened to the Gospel from the bps of her faithful 
 and zealous son-in-law. A visit which she paid 
 to the dispensary last season, appears to have been 
 greatly blessed of God to her soul. 
 
 ‘ Bemembering the peculiarly unfavourable cir- 
 cumstances in which the medical mission is placed 
 in Kashmir — how it is obliged to occupy a small 
 bungalow, at a considerable distance from the city of 
 Srinagar, instead of being located in the midst of the 
 
158 
 
 FOURTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 people — how it is annually compelled by the native 
 Government, with the sanction and knowledge of 
 the Supreme Government of India, to intermit its 
 operations in the valley for six long months each 
 year — how bigoted and fiery Mohammedan Mul- 
 lahs denounce it from their pulpits — hoAV the Kash- 
 miris are generally steeped in the grossest ignorance 
 and moral debasement — and how the Maharajah’s 
 Government angrily frowns upon it, and carries on a 
 most vigilant and incessant system of espionage ; 
 remembering all this, we cannot but rejoice and be 
 thankful, that God gives us the privilege of alle- 
 viating so much human suffering, and the oppor- 
 tunity of bringing the glorious Gospel of His grace 
 to the notice of so many thousands of our perishing 
 fellow-creatures. 
 
 ‘ The Lord Bishop of Calcutta, accompanied by his 
 private chaplain, the Bev. M. R. Burge, and the 
 Rev. J. R. Baldwin, visited the Medical Mission one 
 morning during his brief sojourn in the valley, and 
 conducted the Hindustani prayers in the Dispensary. 
 
 ‘ The Dispensary was closed on the 19th October, 
 and preparations were made for quitting the valley 
 during the cold season, agreeably to the order of the 
 Supreme Government of India. The Mission staff 
 returned to Umritsur, via the Pir Panjal Pass and 
 Bimbhar. Receptions for the sick were held at 
 eleven halting-places on the line of march. Re- 
 ligious services, similar to those held at Srinagar, 
 were performed at these receptions. 
 
FOURTH YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 159 
 
 ‘During the cold season, the Medical Mission 
 Dispensary was opened in the city of Umritsur, and 
 sixty-six receptions for the sick were held. Of the 
 622 patients treated surgically and medically, 199 
 were females, and 423 males. With respect to 
 religion, 25 were Christians, 256 Mussulmans, and 
 330 Hindus and Sikhs. The operations of the 
 Medical Mission in Umritsur were in every respect 
 similar to what they had been in Kashmir.’ 
 
 ‘ Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee, the 
 remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.’ During 
 1867, when intolerance, persecution, and tyranny 
 had reached their climax, when God’s judgments 
 were abroad upon the land, then the cry went up 
 to God on behalf of oppressed, down-trodden, and 
 stricken Kashmir, and that cry ‘ entered into the 
 ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.’ Row God answered 
 the prayers of His remembrancers we cannot tell ; 
 but this we know, the promise upon which He 
 caused His servant to hope was fulfilled : ‘ Wait on 
 the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen 
 thine heart ; wait, I say, on the Lord.’ 
 

 
 
 
XI. 
 
 Jfifflj gear’s labours. 
 
 • He went in the strength of dependence. 
 
 To tread where the Master trod, 
 
 To gather and knit together 
 The family of God ; 
 
 As one whose home is in heaven, 
 
 To pass through this world of sin, 
 
 With a heart diffusing the balm of peace 
 From the place of peace within ; 
 
 With a conscience freed from burdens, 
 
 And a heart set free from care, 
 
 To minister to every one, 
 
 Always and everywhere.’ 
 
 — The Three Wakings. 
 
 L 
 

 
 
CHAPTEE XI. 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 We come now to the review of the last year of Dr. 
 Elmslie’s labours in India, previous to his return to 
 England, for a short sojourn in his native land. 
 His fifth annual report is deeply interesting, show- 
 ing, as it does, the gradual dawning of a brighter 
 day on Kashmir. 
 
 Many a time, no doubt, on this occasion, in cross- 
 ing those mountain passes on his way to Srinagar, 
 the glorious sunrise had impressed his mind, as in 
 hill stations in India it has often impressed ours, 
 with a spiritual significance. First of all, amid the 
 darkness, a faint glimmer is seen streaking the 
 highest peak of the distant ranges ; by and bye, 
 fringed with a golden halo, the outline of a lower 
 peak becomes visible ; and then, in quick succession, 
 one, and another, and another of the nearer moun- 
 tain-tops catch the rays of the rising sun, until the 
 sun itself, rising in unclouded splendour above the 
 horizon, chases away the darkness, and floods the 
 valley with light ; — and, gazing on such a scene, 
 emblematical to him of something still more sublime 
 163 
 
164 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 and glorious, his heart would glow with grateful 
 and joyous emotions ; while, through the darkness, 
 he thought he could discern the faint streak gilding 
 the mountain-tops, harbinger of the Sun of right- 
 eousness dawning on Kashmir, with healing in His 
 wings. 
 
 At the chief halting - places between Umritsur 
 and Srinagar, as usual, receptions for the sick were 
 held. Many of the cases treated were intermittent 
 fever, which is very prevalent amongst the lower 
 hills and valleys of the Himalayas. ‘ All along the 
 line of .march,’ Dr. Elmslie writes, ‘the demands 
 for quinine, both for present and future use, were 
 numerous and importunate. It is to be hoped that 
 the day is not far distant, when the Cinchona tree 
 will find a habitat along the whole Himalayan 
 range, as no greater physical boon could be bestowed 
 on the fever-stricken inhabitants of those regions.’ 
 
 In the page reserved in Christian Work for the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society’s communi- 
 cations, in the November number 1869, there is a 
 letter from Dr. Elmslie, giving interesting details of 
 his labours : — ‘ I am again,’ he writes, ‘ busy at work 
 in this fairest spot of God’s earth. After a very 
 pleasant journey from Umritsur, over the Hima- 
 layas, I arrived here on the 30th April, and began 
 work a few days after. On the march to the 
 valley we had some interesting work, partly medi- 
 cal and partly evangelistic. The mission is be- 
 coming so well known in these mountainous regions, 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 165 
 
 that the poor people look out for our return in 
 spring, as they do for that of the swallow. The 
 people’s knowledge of Christ and the plan of salva- 
 tion is yearly growing. I trust there is, at least, a 
 leavening process going on in these mountains, — a 
 sowing of seed — precious seed — which, when the 
 fulness of time is come, will bear much fruit. The 
 mission in the valley is gaining more and more 
 influence, and is being frequented by ever-increasing 
 numbers of sick. I am thankful that our numbers 
 are increasing, because the more bodily sick that 
 come to us, the more spiritually sick hear of the 
 Balm of Gilead, and the Great Physician. 
 
 ‘ During the last month, the number of individual 
 patients was well on to a thousand. I have just 
 been writing my report of last year’s work, and I 
 see that our numbers increased 1085 over what 
 they had been in the previous most successful 
 season as to numbers. There are signs of softening 
 in the opposition to the mission, I am happy and 
 thankful to say, but I cannot speak definitely of 
 them yet.’ 
 
 Alluding in his report to those hopeful indica- 
 tions, Dr. Elmslie writes : — r The Kashmir Medical 
 Mission, at its commencement in 1865, unavoidably 
 laboured under the adverse suspicion, on the part of 
 the native authorities of the valley, of being poli- 
 tical in its character and, aims. In all probability, 
 this erroneous suspicion accounts, in part at least, 
 
166 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 for the opposition shown to the mission by His 
 Highness the Maharajah’s Government. Be this as 
 it may, it is gratifying to he able to report, that this 
 damaging suspicion is almost, if not altogether, dis- 
 sipated, and that the rulers of Kashmir continue 
 to be outwardly less hostile to the medical mission 
 than formerly. The circle of the mission’s influence 
 and beneficence continues to widen. Besides Kash- 
 miris, patients from Poonch, Rajauri, Kishtawar, 
 Ladak, and even from the distant and inhospitable 
 regions towards Iskardo and Gilghit, frequented the 
 dispensary, and heard, for the first time in their life, 
 the marvellous story of the Cross. Several Kash- 
 miris were in a hopeful religious condition, and two 
 positively declared themselves Christians, and left 
 the valley at the end of the season, as it is impos- 
 sible, at present, for native Christians to remain in 
 Kashmir during the absence of Europeans. In no 
 former season were demands for copies of the Holy 
 Scriptures and other religious books so numerous 
 and importunate. The works of the Eev. Maulavie 
 Imad-un-Din, of the Umritsur Mission, were in 
 special request. Two Mullahs, or Mussulman 
 priests, who had heard of his well-known work, the 
 Hidctiyat ul Musulmin, came to the dispensary, 
 from a distant part of the surrounding mountains, 
 to obtain a copy. Much interest on religious sub- 
 jects was manifested by a band of young Hindus, 
 who read with avidity the books given to them. 
 Hitherto, religious books have been distributed 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 167 
 
 gratuitously among those capable of reading them ; 
 but as some little thirst for reading and religious 
 knowledge has been excited in the minds of many 
 Kashmiris, it is believed that the time has now 
 arrived for making a small charge for such works. 
 
 ‘ The Sunday afternoon meetings with the beggars 
 and the incurably blind and lame of Srinagar were 
 held regularly, as in former seasons. Every Sunday 
 afternoon, at one o’clock, from sixty to eighty of 
 those unfortunates assembled on the lawn, behind 
 the mission bungalow, or near to the mission tents, 
 and, after listening to the reading and expounding 
 of a suitable portion of Holy Scripture, and a prayer 
 for the Divine blessing, received alms, for which 
 they appeared grateful. Two lame men seemed 
 much impressed by what they had heard of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 ‘ No change was made last season, in the manner 
 of conducting the daily religious services of the 
 dispensary. Every morning, at seven o’clock, the 
 mission agents met together in the dispensary for 
 prayer, after which they adjourned to the tent 
 pitched behind the mission bungalow, where the 
 sick and their relatives and friends had been assem- 
 bled. A select, short, and appropriate passage of 
 Holy Scripture was then read, and briefly and 
 simply explained ; after which a short prayer was 
 offered up to God, to pour down His rich blessing 
 on the people, the Word read and explained, and 
 upon the remedies about to be prescribed. In the 
 
168 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 religious addresses delivered there were no political 
 references, or direct attacks on Islamism and 
 Hinduism, but the Gospel was simply preached ; 
 consequently, the behaviour of the people was 
 uniformly markedly quiet, attentive, and decorous. 
 Much precious seed was thus sown. God grant 
 that it may not remain fruitless.’ 
 
 One of the great hindrances to his work, which 
 Dr. Elmslie experienced all along, was the lack of 
 suitable hospital and dispensary accommodation; hut 
 now, even this want seemed about to he supplied. 
 In the report from which we have already quoted, 
 he writes : — 
 
 1 It is to he deplored that the medical mission, 
 notwithstanding its charitable and beneficent cha- 
 racter, still unavoidably labours under great diffi- 
 culties, from want of permanent and suitable hospital 
 and dispensary buildings. Before our arrival in the 
 valley, at the beginning of each season, it is impos- 
 sible to tell where the mission may be located, as 
 the local authorities have hitherto been averse to 
 its either renting or building convenient premises. 
 This being the case, one of the small bungalows at 
 some distance from the city, and set apart by His 
 Highness the Maharajah for the use of visitors, was 
 occupied and fitted up as a dispensary and dwelling- 
 house. To supplement the deficiencies of the bun- 
 galow, a tent was pitched on the lawn behind, for 
 the patients with their friends to assemble in ; and, 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 169 
 
 by way of hospital accommodation, rooms in diffe- 
 rent parts of the city bad to be hired by patients 
 coming from a distance, — an arrangement conve- 
 nient neither to the sick nor to the doctor. I am 
 happy to let in a feeble ray of hope on this matter. 
 The Lord Bishop of Calcutta, during his short stay 
 in Srinagar in 1868, saw how very deficient and 
 unsuitable the mission premises were, and kindly 
 promised to bring the matter under the notice of 
 His Highness the Maharajah. This gracious pro- 
 mise his Lordship has since fulfilled, and we may 
 therefore hope soon to hear the result.’ 
 
 During the summer of 1869, a heavy flood 
 occurred, which interfered somewhat with the ope- 
 rations of the mission. Begarding this Dr. Elmslie 
 writes : — 
 
 ‘On the 10th June, an extraordinary flood 
 occurred, and compelled the mission staff to vacate 
 its premises, and seek for safety on the neighbour- 
 ing heights. Whilst the waters of the inundation 
 receded, and the mission bungalow underwent re- 
 pairs, work was earned on in tents in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Srinagar, as best we could, till the 4th 
 of July, when the mission returned to its former 
 quarters. On the 28th July a second extraordinary 
 flood happened, and necessitated the mission staff a 
 second time deserting the bungalow, and seeking 
 for safety in retreat to a neighbouring hill. The 
 waters of the flood having subsided, the mission 
 
170 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 agents returned to the European quarters on the 
 16th of August. These interruptions were un- 
 favourable to the surgical and medical work of the 
 mission, and probably account for the slight dimi- 
 nution in the number of patients treated during the 
 season.’ 
 
 Eegarding the increasing success of his dispensary 
 operations, Dr. Elmslie thus writes : — 
 
 c Through the rich blessing of God, the medical 
 and surgical department of the mission’s operations 
 continues to prosper, in spite of opposition and 
 drawbacks, and to be the source of many temporal 
 blessings, not only to the people of Kashmir, but 
 also to the inhabitants of the adjacent mountains 
 and valleys, who now find their way over lofty and 
 difficult passes to the medical mission dispensary at 
 Srinagar. All suspicion, prejudice, and distrust, on 
 the part of the natives of those distant regions, have 
 now, apparently, disappeared, and they are ready to 
 submit to whatever treatment may be recommended 
 for their cure. At the establishment of the medical 
 mission in 1865, and for some time subsequently, it 
 was no uncommon thing for patients requiring a 
 surgical operation to leave the dispensary without 
 submitting to it. Seldom or never does such a case 
 occur now. Indeed, so strong has the faith of the 
 Kashmiri in the knife, as a remedial agent, become, 
 that he not unfrequently implores the medical mis- 
 sionary to treat a purely medical ailment according 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 171 
 
 to surgical principles. The success which has at- 
 tended the surgical operations of the dispensary, the 
 comparative certainty and celerity of cure, and the 
 use of chloroform, probably account satisfactorily 
 for this amusing preference of the Kashmiri for 
 surgery. 
 
 ‘ The patients who frequent the medical mission 
 generally belong to the lower and middle classes. 
 But, last season, two of the higher officials of the 
 valley, who had been ill for some time, and had 
 spent considerable sums of money on their native 
 Hakims, but were nothing bettered, at last applied 
 in their helplessness to the medical mission dis- 
 pensary ; and after taking appropriate remedies for 
 a time, both were restored to perfect health ; and as 
 no fees are taken from dispensary patients, they are 
 held perpetual debtors to the mission. 
 
 ‘From the 6th May till the 25th October, 169 
 receptions for the sick were held, and 3902 patients 
 received surgical and medical treatment. The 
 average daily attendance of new patients was there- 
 fore 23; and as the number of individual visits 
 paid to the mission dispensary during the season 
 was 15,579, the average daily attendance of old and 
 new patients was 93. Each patient, on an average, 
 visited the dispensary four times. 
 
 ‘ Of the 3902 patients treated, 1343 were females, 
 and 2559 were males. According to religion, 7 
 were Christians, 3 Parsees, 362 Hindus, and 3530 
 were Mussulmans. 
 
172 
 
 FIFTH YEAR S LABOURS. 
 
 ‘From tlie list of the diseases treated during the 
 season, it appears that ophthalmic and cutaneous 
 ailments are prevalent in the valley. It is de- 
 plorable that the class of diseases which gauge the 
 morale, of a people should form so prominent an 
 item in the list. 
 
 ‘ On the 25th October the dispensary was closed, 
 and preparations were made to quit Kashmir and 
 return to the Punjab, in accordance with the order, 
 still in force, with the sanction of the Supreme 
 Government, that no European shall remain in the 
 valley from the 15th October till the 15th April. 
 Not unfrequently, exceptions to this rule are made 
 in the case of sportsmen ; hut the medical mission, 
 notwithstanding its charitable and benevolent cha- 
 racter, has hitherto been unable to obtain per- 
 mission to remain in Kashmir during the winter 
 months.’ 
 
 The foregoing letters and extracts from Dr. 
 Elmslie’s reports give, at the best, but a very faint 
 idea of his abundant labours in India from 1865 
 till the close of 1869. They enable us, however, to 
 form some conception of the difficulties, trials, and 
 success of his missionary career. They reveal 
 somewhat of his noble character, his indomitable 
 energy, his unwavering trust in God, and his firm 
 faith in the final triumph of His cause. The state 
 of affairs in Kashmir required a man of no ordinary 
 gifts and graces to inaugurate mission work there. 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 173 
 
 Unlike the circumstances in which the writer 
 carried on his work in the province of Travancore, 
 where the Maharajah and the native Government 
 officials cordially and liberally supported the medical 
 mission, the Maharajah of Kashmir and his under- 
 lings did everything in their power to thwart the 
 enterprise. It needed, therefore, a man of great 
 prudence and courage, as well as of strong faith, to 
 be the pioneer of mission work in Kashmir; and 
 these qualifications Dr. Elmslie possessed in a re- 
 markable degree. Notwithstanding frequent inter- 
 ruptions, much opposition and cruel persecution, 
 with a calm determination of purpose, and a firm 
 reliance on Divine help, Dr. Elmslie made the 
 difficulties and discouragements that confronted 
 him, but fresh starting - points for renewed effort, 
 till, as we have seen, he succeeded, to a very great 
 extent, in removing the prejudices, conciliating the 
 affection, and gaining the confidence of the people 
 among whom he laboured. 
 
 His letters, too, give us a glimpse of his inner 
 life, his childlike trust in God, his tender, sym- 
 pathizing disposition, the genial warmth of his 
 friendship, the truthfulness of his manly character, 
 and the singleness of his aim. 
 
 In tracing Dr. Elmslie’s subsequent career, we 
 have, alas, very little more to write regarding his 
 work in Kashmir. We shall therefore close this 
 portion of our narrative with the following state- 
 
174 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 ment, made by one who knows the country, the 
 people, and the work well : — 
 
 ‘ The experience gained by the Kashmir Mission 
 has been the following : — 
 
 ‘(1.) Open gross sins, on the part of professing 
 English Christians, are a scandal and disgrace, not 
 only to our religion, but to our Government and 
 nation. When committed by English officers, they 
 are an insult, not only to Christ, but to our Queen. 
 There is nothing which discredits us so much in 
 the eyes of the natives as immorality and vice. 
 Many, alas ! have visited the valley from selfish 
 and wrong purposes; many have there plunged 
 into deeds they are fain to regret, casting fearful 
 stumbling-blocks in the way of the people, maligning 
 Christianity, and rendering it almost abhorrent to 
 those who have j udged of it by the practices of its 
 own professors. 
 
 ‘ (2.) We are not respected, but we are despised 
 by the natives, if we neglect any duty enjoined by 
 our religion, or if we allow them to deny us liberty 
 to do what is permitted to every Hindoo and 
 Mohammedan in the country. 
 
 ‘ (3.) Those men are the most honoured by the 
 natives, who, as Christian individuals, use the means, 
 in a Christian manner, to give them Christ’s Gospel. 
 
 ‘ (4.) As regards the mission, the door is open for 
 the preaching of the Gospel in Kashmir; but the 
 great hindrance to its free course is the law which 
 requires every European and native Christian to 
 
FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 175 
 
 quit the valley on tlie approach of the cold weather. 
 Let all Christians pray in faith for the removal of 
 this great obstacle. “ The effectual fervent prayer 
 of a righteous man availeth much.” “ All things 
 whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall 
 receive.” “ Who art thou, 0 great mountain ? before 
 Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain.” If we had 
 faith, such mountains would be removed at once, 
 and cast into the sea. 
 
 c (5.) The mission must be sustained by faith- 
 ful, prayerful efforts. All difficulties now experi- 
 enced must soon cease. It can never be, that 
 Christianity will long remain the only religion not 
 tolerated in Kashmir. It can never be, that natives 
 will be beaten, imprisoned, and expelled from Kash- 
 mir, for the sole reason of their being Christians. It 
 can.never long be, that temples and mosques will be 
 allowed, and yet no Christian churches or schools 
 be endured. The doctrine that a man’s varying 
 will is, for the time being, law, will hardly be 
 maintained in any country by a ruler’s best friends. 
 It would make him a far greater sovereign than 
 either our Viceroy or Queen, and give a power 
 which even a Maharajah would be the first to 
 disclaim. Christianity will yet be welcomed 
 freely in Kashmir ; for it enjoins obedience and 
 respect to kings, and to all who are in authority, 
 and seeks not the injury, but the prosperity, of 
 riders, whether Christian or Hindoo. It desires 
 ever to give, not to receive. It seeks toleration, 
 
176 
 
 FIFTH YEAR’S LABOURS. 
 
 indeed, but only to enable it to confer priceless 
 good. 
 
 ‘ (6.) There are several Kashmiris who are now 
 Christian men, and who adorn Christ’s Gospel by 
 their faithful lives. Amongst them are three 
 preachers of Christianity. The Kashmiris are men 
 of much ability and quick perception. They have 
 shown great decision of character and perseverance 
 in following out what they believe to be truth. They 
 are also a religious people. What they have done 
 for religion in bygone days, we see in the wonder- 
 ful ruins of Martund, and of great temples on every 
 side. Kashmir was formerly celebrated for its 
 learning ; one of the three great Indian Buddhist 
 councils was held in Kashmir. It sent forth once 
 five hundred Buddhist missionaries to convert 
 Thibet. God grant that the day may soon come, 
 when great Christian councils may be held there 
 too, and Christian preachers go forth to make known 
 Christ, in the same lands in which they formerly 
 planted the religion of Buddh.’ 
 
XII. 
 
 Tirana |$>frkal glisskrits. 
 
 ‘ Methinks I hear a voice from India’s land : 
 
 ‘ ‘ Sweet sister, come and raise us by thy hand ; 
 
 Fast bound we lie within Zenana walls 
 In satan’s chains, while sin our souls enthralls ; 
 
 We may not come to you ; our laws deny 
 To us that liberty which you enjoy. 
 
 A ray of light has pierced e’en our dark homes. 
 
 And we have heard the Lord of glory comes. 
 
 Oh ! tell us of this wondrous, glorious plan 
 Of the Great God, to save poor guilty man. ’* 
 
 Dear Indian sister, we obey thy call - 
 And Faith rejoicing, sees the idols fall. 
 
 This is the work to women He assigned, 
 
 To feed the hungry, aid the sick and blind ; 
 
 Hear Him, whose life was spent in doing good. 
 
 Of woman say, “She hath done what she could. " 
 
 No longer we’ll delay, but send with speed, 
 
 Some Christian messengers your souls to feed, — 
 Women, whose hearts with love to Christ o’erflow, 
 Who long that you should His salvation know. ’ 
 
 A Plea for the Zenana. A. M. 
 
 M 
 

CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 During the latter part of Dr. Elmslie’s residence in 
 India, previous to his return to England in 1870, 
 the subject of Female Medical Mission Agency 
 occupied much of his attention. 
 
 The importance of this department of service can- 
 not he over-estimated, and there is great cause for 
 thankfulness that the friends of missions are now 
 realizing the necessity of incorporating this agency 
 with their missionary organizations, especially for 
 work in India, and in the East generally. 
 
 In a letter written shortly before he left India, 
 addressed to Mr. William Coldstream, of the Bengal 
 Civil Service, Dr. Elmslie says : — 
 
 ‘ I rejoice to hear the good news about the Delhi 
 Female Medical Mission. This is a step of im- 
 mense importance. I believe there is little hope 
 for India, humanly speaking, till her mothers are 
 raised and christianized. As long as the mothers 
 of India remain degraded, ignorant, and sensual, as 
 at present, we cannot but have a race in whom 
 179 
 
180 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 there is nothing noble, pure, or holy. "What would 
 our own beloved native land become, were the 
 influence of our Christian mothers to become 
 nugatory ? I tremble for the result. In almost 
 every biography of great and good men, the mother’s 
 influence is in the foreground, and occupies the 
 most prominent place amongst the various human 
 influences that went to mould the man. Oh, if we 
 could only get within these prisons of Zenanas ! if 
 we could only emancipate their benighted tenants, 
 and lead them forth into the glorious liberty of the 
 Gospel ! — then might we look, with confidence, for 
 the speedy dawning of a bright day on India’s 
 countless sons. 
 
 ‘ So much has my mind been filled with this 
 thought, that I have resolved to bring the matter 
 before the Punjab Medical Missionary Society, or 
 some Society at home, in the form of a regularly 
 drawn out scheme, as in the case of the Medical 
 Missionary Training Institution for the Punjab.’ 
 
 A scheme for training ladies for medical mission- 
 ary service abroad has, for some time, been under 
 the consideration of the Board of the Edinburgh 
 Medical Missionary Society, and we are hopeful that 
 ere long, whether in connection with the Edinburgh 
 Society or otherwise, means may be provided for the 
 thorough training of suitable candidates for this 
 most important department of missionary sendee. 
 
 No one is entitled to speak with greater authority 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 181 
 
 on this subject than the Eev. Dr. Duff. The follow- 
 ing extract from a letter which he addressed to the 
 writer, with the request that it might he read at a 
 Board Meeting of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary 
 Society, at which he could not be present, will serve 
 as a fitting preface to Dr. Elmslie’s most instructive 
 and able essay on Female Medical Missions for India. 
 Dr. Duff writes : — 
 
 ‘ In case I should not be able to attend the 
 Board Meeting of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary 
 Society on Saturday morning, allow me, as briefly as 
 possible, to state how the subject strikes me. 
 
 ‘ I am not at all in favour of the movement for 
 what are called “mixed classes,” in our medical 
 classes in the University. In principle, I can see 
 no objection to a college established specially for the 
 medical education of ladies. 
 
 ‘ Your Institute is not like a general University 
 Medical School. It is a Christian Medical Mis- 
 sionary Institution, to prepare parties for turning 
 medical knowledge to account in the great work of 
 the world’s evangelization. 
 
 ‘ Every educated person knows the peculiar posi- 
 tion of Hindu females of the upper classes, and how 
 entirely they are secluded, and how, in their case, a 
 male medical missionary might find no access to 
 them. But if a female missionary knew something 
 of medical science and practice, readily would she 
 find access, and, while applying her medical skill to 
 the healing of the body, would have precious oppor- 
 
182 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 trinities of applying the balm of spiritual healing to 
 the worse diseases of the soul. 
 
 ‘ The state of things is peculiar and exceptional, 
 and not only warrants, hut demands, peculiar and 
 exceptional measures. What these should he has 
 already been pointed out, so clearly and unanswer- 
 ably, in the January number of The Indian Female 
 Evangelist, by the late able and devoted Dr. Elmslie, 
 that I need only refer to it, and so avoid the neces- 
 sity of going into any details. 
 
 ‘ Would to God we had such an agency ready for 
 work ! Soon might India he moved in its innermost 
 recesses.’ 
 
 With the kind permission of the Directors of 
 *The Indian Female Normal School and Instruction 
 Society,’ under whose auspices The Indian Female 
 Evangelist is published, we transfer, unabridged, to 
 the pages of these ‘ Memorials,’ Dr. Elmslie’s valu- 
 able and suggestive paper, entitled 
 
 ‘ Female Medical Missions for India. 
 
 ‘ One of the greatest questions which can occupy 
 the minds of the Christian friends of India is, “ How 
 can her women be reached ; and their intellectual, 
 moral, and religious condition be improved ? ” The 
 females of India number little short of one hundred 
 millions. In trying to elevate this enormous mass 
 of human life, the great difficulty met with, and to 
 he overcome at the outset, is that of getting any 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 183 
 
 agency to bear directly and immediately on the 
 women themselves ; for millions of them are 
 virtually prisoners within their own homes, and 
 millions more of them are all bnt entirely excluded 
 from Christian intercourse, by the social customs of 
 their country. Any agency, therefore, which will 
 open the doors of Indian Zenanas, and bring their 
 benighted inmates into the clear, gladsome light of 
 mental development, and Christian truth and purity, 
 is surely worthy the serious consideration of all true 
 friends of India. 
 
 ‘It is well known that English education has, 
 indirectly, done much for many of the women of 
 India, in many parts of that great continent. In 
 Calcutta, for example, a great many Zenanas have 
 been opened by means of this key ; and now, in- 
 tellectual, moral, and religious light shines there to 
 a greater or less extent. The same may be said of 
 Bombay, Madras, and a few other parts of India. 
 But the entrance of English education into Indian 
 Zenanas, depends, entirely, on the value set on it 
 by the male members of the family. If the male 
 members of a household prize western science and 
 learning, then, as a rule, the Christian Zenana- 
 worker, with prudence and tact, experiences little 
 difficulty in finding an entrance. In Bengal, English 
 education has long been highly valued by the middle 
 and upper classes ; probably, in many instances, for 
 its own sake, but, generally, for the many worldly 
 advantages which it brings to those by whom it is 
 
184 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 possessed. Through the wise and liberal policy of 
 the Supreme Government of India, many well-paid 
 posts have been thrown open to the educated natives. 
 This has given an immense impetus to western 
 learning. The Bengalis, from having wisely im- 
 proved their opportunities, so long enjoyed, are now 
 able to fill those posts in a creditable manner. This 
 being the case, it is not difficult to see why English 
 education should be highly appreciated by the natives 
 of Bengal ; and why, in consequence, the Bengali 
 men should be willing, and even anxious, that their 
 women should be educated. To the Bengali a very 
 bright future is in store, should the present liberal 
 policy of our Government continue. These remarks 
 refer only to the middle and upper classes in Bengal. 
 Alas for the lower orders, even of this highly 
 favoured Presidency! Till lately, little had been 
 done by the Supreme Government towards the 
 education of the masses. In all probability, English 
 education alone will be a sufficient means of opening 
 the Zenanas of the middle and upper classes in 
 Bengal. And, as the educated Bengali, being a 
 Hindu, spreads himself over India, as the servant 
 of the British Government, perhaps his good fortune 
 will induce his co-religionists in other provinces of 
 that great empire, to value what they formerly 
 despised, and open the doors of their Zenanas to 
 those noble women who, with one hand, feed the 
 minds, and with the other, the souls of their pupils. 
 But what of the Mussulmans of India, numbering 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 185 
 
 over 30,000,000 ? Up to this time, they, as a body, 
 have sulkily stood aloof from English education, 
 and, as a consequence, find themselves unable to 
 cope with their Hindu fellow-countrymen in com- 
 peting for Government posts now thrown open to 
 them. With laudable exceptions here and there, 
 the Mussulmans generally do not appreciate English 
 education, and neglect those opportunities presented 
 by Government for its acquirement. Therefore, 
 they do not allow the Zenana-worker to enter their 
 homes for the purpose of educating their women. 1 
 Besides this, bigotry and prejudice are very much 
 stronger in the Mussulman than in the Hindu. The 
 former is very ill affected towards the English Govern- 
 ment in India. This is not much to he wondered 
 at ; for, not to speak of difference of race and religion, 
 the English people have supplanted the Moham- 
 medans in the Government of India. It is well 
 known, that the Wahabi sect of Mussulmans is, at 
 the present time, hatching mischief against the 
 English Government, and, every now and again, 
 some nest of Wahabi conspirators is discovered in 
 some part of India. 
 
 ‘The object aimed at in these few remarks is to 
 show, that the agency of English education alone is 
 
 1 The writer suspects, that the greater proportion of the Mussul- 
 man homes into which the Christian Zenana-worker is at present 
 admitted, belong to Mohammedans in Government or Mission 
 employ. The Society under whose auspices this valuable periodical 
 (Ind. Female Evangelist) is published, might request their agents 
 to collect statistics on this point. — W. J. E. 
 
186 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 quite insufficient to gain for the Zenana-worker an 
 entrance into Mohammedan homes, and that, politi- 
 cally, it is of the utmost importance to find some 
 agency which, with the blessing of God resting upon 
 it, will open up a way into those dark and danger- 
 ous dwellings for the Christian philanthropist and 
 evangelist. Female Medical Missions, we believe, 
 are calculated to be that agency. 
 
 ‘ But, would the Christian lady worker, in the 
 exercise of her medical knowledge, be invading a 
 domain already efficiently and fully occupied ? 
 Certainly not ; for the women of India fare very 
 badly for doctors. Were there no other reason in 
 favour of female medical missions to India, than 
 that of the humane endeavour to lessen human 
 pain and save human life, that reason ought to 
 speak loudly and persuasively to every pitiful and 
 compassionate heart. 
 
 ‘ Seldom or never is a European doctor called in 
 to see a native woman, suffering from any disease 
 peculiar to women. 
 
 ‘ It is true that the British Government has long 
 devoted its attention to the training of native medi- 
 cal men for service among their own countrymen. 
 In Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and Lahore, there are 
 fully equipped medical schools, where, annually, 
 many natives of the country complete their medical 
 studies, and go forth to exercise the noble profession 
 of alleviating pain and saving life. In most, if not 
 in all, of the large cities and towns of India, there 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 187 
 
 are Government medical and surgical dispensaries, 
 where male and female patients are gratuitously 
 treated. But, it is a well-known fact, that the 
 women do not avail themselves of those dispen- 
 saries to any great or proportionate extent. And 
 it is not difficult to find at least one cogent reason 
 for this in the social habits of the people. The 
 Government dispensaries are, by far, too public in 
 their character, men and women being treated 
 promiscuously. The fact that the native medical 
 men in charge of those dispensaries have received 
 a western education in medicine and surgery 
 militates against them. This would not hold in the 
 case of a western. A very large proportion of the 
 native medical men of Northern India are Bengalis ; 
 and that, too, is unfavourable to them, when serving 
 out of their native province. Other reasons exist 
 for the women of India not more generally availing 
 themselves of Government dispensaries, hut it is 
 unnecessary at present to specify them. 
 
 ‘ The real doctors of India are the native hakims, 
 who abound everywhere, and are totally ignorant 
 of western medicine and surgery. Many of the 
 Mussulman native doctors have a scanty knowledge 
 of the old Greek system of medicine, which they 
 have got through the Arabic. Generally, the medi- 
 cal lore of both Hindu and Mussulman hakims con- 
 sists of a few useless and often disgusting nostrums, 
 which have been handed down from sire to son for 
 many generations. As to the diseases peculiar to 
 
188 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 women and children, they simply know nothing of 
 them ; and, what is far worse, they have the confi- 
 dent conceit that they know a great deal. Besides 
 being ignorant, they are excessively meddlesome, 
 and so do incalculable and irretrievable mischief 
 when they are called in. How much England owes 
 to her Simpsons, Priestleys, Farres, and Wests ! 
 India is now without such men, and, in her present 
 state, could not, and would not, to any great extent, 
 avail herself of them. But she is ready, from the 
 Himalayas to Cape Comorin, to receive, with open 
 arms, any daughter of the West, who comes to 
 assuage her pains and hind up her wounds. More- 
 over, the native doctors are not generally called 
 upon to treat the women of the Zenanas. When 
 they are called in, it is only to see the patient die, 
 the time for doing anything, hopefully efficacious, 
 having passed. 
 
 ‘ Besides the native doctors or hakims, there 
 exists a numerous class of native nurses, who are, 
 virtually, all the sick women of India have for 
 doctors in their own homes. The native female 
 nurses are generally very ignorant, meddlesome, 
 and immoral. Very sad effects spring often from 
 their gross ignorance and unlimited meddlesomeness. 
 Countless mothers and children fall victims. The 
 death-rate amongst Indian women and children is 
 enormous, and quite out of due proportions. Surely, 
 if these things are so, it is the duty of Christians in 
 England, and especially of Christian women, to hold 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 189 
 
 out a helping and sympathizing hand to their 
 suffering Indian sisters. From the foregoing re- 
 marks, it is evident that the women of the middle 
 and upper classes are in great want of good medical 
 advice and help, such as could he obtained at all 
 times within their own homes. On account of the 
 social habits of the people, medical aid, to be exten- 
 sively accepted, must be given by women. They 
 alone, whether they be natives or Europeans, have 
 free access to the Zenanas. Generally, native 
 women are much pleased by a visit from a foreign 
 lady. Native gentlemen would only be too glad to 
 call in even a European missionary lady possessed 
 of the necessary medical knowledge, to see a beloved 
 wife in the hour of her trial, or a darling sick child, 
 the pride and hope of their home. Except in the 
 Presidency and other large cities, western education 
 is only appreciated by a comparatively small fraction 
 of the people of India, because only a small number 
 see its advantages ; but western medical and surgical 
 skill is esteemed everywhere, is everywhere greatly 
 needed, and, we believe, would be everywhere readily 
 and thankfully received by the women of India, if 
 offered to them in a manner harmonizing with the 
 social customs of their country. Let us now re- 
 capitulate the different points which have been 
 briefly touched in the previous remarks : — 
 
 ‘ 1st, With the exception of the lowest classes, the 
 women of India are virtually prisoners in their own 
 homes. 
 
190 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 * 2d, Their physical, intellectual, moral, and 
 religious condition is dark and deplorable. 
 
 ‘ 3d, Ameliorating influences, to be effectual, must 
 be those which can enter the Zenanas of India. 
 
 ‘ 4 th, In those parts of India where education is 
 prized by the men, the Christian Zenana educa- 
 tionalist will generally be admitted. 
 
 ‘ 5 ih, Bengal, and one or two other parts of India, 
 have shown a laudable readiness, in accepting the 
 invaluable boon of western science and learning. 
 
 ‘ Gth, The Mussulmans of India have not, as a 
 body, followed the good example of the Bengalis 
 and others, in accepting and promoting English 
 education. 
 
 ‘7th, The Mussulmans, as a body, are not well 
 disposed towards the British rule in India. 
 
 ‘ 8 th, Their Zenanas are generally closed against 
 the European female missionary, and, where excep- 
 tions to the contrary are met with, it is feared that 
 they are explicable by the fact of the heads of the 
 respective homes wishing to obtain favour with some 
 missionary or Government official for selfish ends. 
 
 ‘ 9 th, The Government Medical Dispensaries are 
 not patronized by the females of India, in any due 
 proportion to their numbers and wants. 
 
 ‘ 1C )tli, The women of India are lamentably desti- 
 tute of proper medical aid. 
 
 ‘11 th, The hakims, or native doctors of India, 
 know nothing of the diseases peculiar to women, 
 and are seldom consulted in such cases. 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 191 
 
 ‘12 tli, The native nurses or midwives, who are 
 virtually the only doctors of the women of India, 
 are grossly ignorant of their work, very meddlesome 
 in the discharge of their duties, and of most im- 
 moral character. 
 
 ‘ 1 3 tli, From the constitution of social life in India, 
 neither European nor native gentlemen can exert a 
 direct influence for good on the female portion of 
 the community. 
 
 ‘These are some of the points which we have 
 already touched, and the question now arises, Is 
 there no other key hut that of education with which 
 to open the door to the inner social life of India ? 
 We think there is certainly one other such key, and 
 that key is female medical missions. But what is 
 meant by the phrase, female medical missions ? 
 
 ‘ A female medical mission may he defined to he 
 the practice of medicine by a lady, for the purpose 
 not merely of curing, but of christianizing her 
 patients. Now, it is not difficult to see, from what 
 has been already said, how admirably suited such 
 an agency is to the present condition and wants of 
 the women of India. This is a key which may be 
 said to fit every lock, for, we believe, that there are 
 few, if any, homes into which the lady medical mis- 
 sionary would not be heartily welcomed and blessed 
 for her humane efforts. She would find an entrance 
 where the educational missionary would find the 
 door closed. She would soften bigotry, remove pre- 
 judice, dispel ignorance, drive away gloom, and un- 
 
192 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 obtrusively, but nevertheless effectually, deposit the 
 all-pervading leaven of the Gospel in numberless 
 hearts and homes. 
 
 ‘But are we justified by Scripture in employing 
 such an agency in missionary operations ? No one 
 who, even cursorily, reads the life of our Divine 
 Saviour, as contained in the four Gospels, can have 
 any doubt on this question. For of what was His 
 blessed life made up, after He entered upon His 
 ministry, but of holy lessons and miracles of heal- 
 ing, by which the loving spirit and divine origin 
 of His mission were incontestably proved ? The 
 friends of female medical missions to India must 
 be prepared to meet with no inconsiderable amount 
 of opposition, on conventional grounds, in their 
 efforts to promote this undertaking. But, it may 
 be a comfort to them to remember, that no effort 
 of a new shape, to ameliorate the condition of man- 
 kind, and to spread the Gospel, ever met at first 
 with anything but the most bitter and determined 
 opposition, and that, too often, from those of whom 
 better things might have been expected. 
 
 ‘ A few words respecting the agents, and the pro- 
 fessional training which should fit them for the 
 efficient discharge of their important duties, seem 
 necessary. 
 
 ‘ The most indispensable qualification in an agent, 
 or lady medical missionary, is personal religion, and 
 hearty devotion in the Saviour’s sendee. Without 
 this, all other qualifications will be insufficient to 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 193 
 
 fit her for her trying work. She may possess no 
 ordinary degree of intellect, and varied charms and 
 accomplishments ; but, unless her heart is fired with 
 a genuine and ever steady love to her Saviour, and 
 real desire to see her patients believe in Him, love 
 Him, and serve Him, she had better not go to India. 
 
 ‘Along with this indispensable qualification, a 
 sound head and a loving heart are invaluable ; for 
 sound judgment and tact must often be needed to 
 avoid unnecessarily rousing fears and prejudices, 
 and so shutting up the door of the heart against the 
 entrance of Scripture truth. 
 
 ‘ While doing her utmost professionally to relieve 
 the pains of her patients, the chief aim of the lady 
 medieal missionary ought to be to christianize her 
 patients. And, while losing no opportunity of ex- 
 pressly commending Christ to- all within her influ- 
 ence, she should remember, in her walk and con- 
 versation, that we christianize by other things as 
 well as by words ; in short, that our whole lives 
 speak either for or against the Saviour. 
 
 ‘ In present circumstances, it is not very easy 
 to answer the question, how and where the lady 
 medical missionary is to obtain her professional 
 training. There can be no doubt that a medical 
 missionary institution — with all the proper ap- 
 pliances, and a staff of Christian teachers, with its 
 high Christian tone and warm missionary spirit 
 — would, in every respect, be the best place and 
 manner of training lady medical missionaries. 
 
 N 
 
194 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 ‘ But, although the writer of this paper is tolerably 
 well acquainted with medical missionary work in 
 England, Scotland, and Ireland, he knows of no 
 medical missionary institution of this character. 
 There are at least two medical missionary training 
 institutions, hut they are on a limited scale, and 
 destitute of the necessary staff of teachers and ap- 
 pliances and conveniences for this work, which 
 ought to he wholly carried on in the premises. It 
 would neither he difficult nor expensive to establish, 
 in connection with mission work among the poor, 
 in some district of London, a training institution 
 such as is required. 
 
 ‘ However, as it will take some time to set a-going 
 such an institution, and as it is desirable to begin 
 work at once, some other way of accomplishing the 
 end contemplated must he discovered. 
 
 ‘ It is scarcely necessary to say, that the lady 
 missionary students are not to be sent to any of the 
 existing medical schools to study, along with gentle- 
 men, the different branches of their professional 
 course. “ Mixed classes” cannot be condemned in 
 too severe language. Gentlemen ought to study 
 with gentlemen — ladies with ladies. Until there 
 is a medical school for ladies, the necessary pro- 
 fessional instruction ought to he given to the lady 
 missionary in a private manner. There are in most 
 of our large cities, and connected with our univer- 
 sities and medical colleges, Christian medical men 
 who would he delighted to undertake this work. 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 195 
 
 Several are known to the writer of this paper. 
 The necessity for much lecturing has been consider- 
 ably obviated of late, by the many excellent text- 
 books which have been published on almost every 
 branch of medical study. In the present day, the 
 student’s precious time is too much taken up in 
 listening to mere lectures, the substance of which 
 he could find in books, instead of being spent in 
 the hospital, and in those class-rooms where alone 
 he can learn the practical and fimdamental parts 
 of his professional training. There can be no doubt 
 in the mind of any one well acquainted with the 
 subject, that a system of teaching to a large extent 
 tutorial, and to a small extent professorial, in its 
 character, is most advantageous to the learner, and 
 likely, other things being equal, to accelerate his 
 progress in learning. It is such a system that we 
 propose for the lady medical missionary agents at 
 the outset. As no diploma is needed to enable a 
 Christian lady to practise medicine and to cure 
 disease in the Zenanas of India, no diploma need 
 be sought. If properly taught, in the private man- 
 ner we have suggested, the lady medical missionary 
 will be infinitely superior to all native hakims and 
 nurses, and will be surpassed in India by few pro- 
 fessional medical men, in all that relates to the 
 diseases peculiar to women and children. 
 
 ‘ Now, it is just to this branch of medical study 
 that the lady medical missionary ought to devote 
 her chief efforts. Her course of study should in- 
 
196 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 elude obstetrics, diseases peculiar to women and 
 children, diseases of the skin, and diseases of the 
 eye. The lady missionary should be well versed 
 in all those subjects, if the sphere of her labours 
 is to be the Zenanas of India. Let no lady, how- 
 ever, be discouraged by the number of the subjects ; 
 for, if she were but well conversant with the first 
 and second, she would be able to accomplish such 
 an amount of good in Indian homes, as is incredible 
 to a Western mind. The writer need not further 
 enlarge on the professional training of the lady 
 medical missionary, as the Christian medical men 
 who will undertake this work, at the request of 
 the Society, will know what is practically valuable 
 and essential. While reading much, the lady medi- 
 cal missionary should also see much, and, as soon 
 as possible, do much. Before leaving this impor- 
 tant branch of our subject, the writer would take 
 leave, strongly to urge upon the friends of this 
 movement, to exert themselves to the utmost to 
 establish a medical college exclusively for women, 
 where it would be possible for the medical mis- 
 sionary of this Society to obtain, easily and un- 
 objectionably, her professional training in all its 
 branches. 
 
 * We shall now briefly state, and answer, several 
 objections which have been urged against female 
 medical missions in general, and, in particular, 
 against the Indian Female Normal School and In- 
 struction Society’s incorporating them as a branch 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 197 
 
 of its operations, for the amelioration and evangeli- 
 zation of the women of India. 
 
 ‘The first objection we shall notice is, “The diffi- 
 culty for any lady to get, or to be willing to receive 
 from gentlemen, the essential professional instruc- 
 tion and training.” This is really no valid objection, 
 for there are many difficult things which are not 
 impracticable, and this is one sucln We know that 
 most refined ladies have, for many years, acted as 
 nurses in our hospitals, both at home and abroad. 
 Refined ladies have nursed, and do nurse, men 
 formerly strangers to them, and men often very 
 rough and uncouth. Genuine, actual nursing is 
 often a thing far more trying to delicacy of feeling, 
 than medical studies under male teachers ever can 
 be. And yet, accomplished and refined ladies are 
 to be found, in many of our metropolitan and pro- 
 vincial hospitals, right nobly and bravely nursing 
 the sick True Christian refinement will enable a 
 lady to do anything, that is not sinful, to help and 
 cheer the suffering needy, and thereby promote 
 Christ’s glorious cause in the world. We are bold 
 to say, that no pure-minded, earnest Christian lady 
 would ever feel the least uncomfortable while re- 
 ceiving surgical and medical instruction from a 
 refined Christian medical man. Earnestness and 
 purity of heart, and the noble aim of being a co- 
 worker with Christ, stamp clean out all fleshly feel- 
 ings of shame. It is only to a cold outsider, who, 
 forgetting the noble object in view in the study of 
 
198 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 medicine by a Christian lady animated with mission- 
 ary impulses, that this objection could occur, or be 
 in any degree cogent. 
 
 ‘ Second Objection . — It has been said, “Will not 
 many, ay ho love missionary evangelistic work, take 
 fright at the Indian Female Normal School and 
 Instruction Society if it take up female medical 
 mission work, thinking that it, as a Society, is going 
 out of its way by so doing ? ” The answer to this 
 interrogative objection is an emphatic No; for it 
 has been shoAvn, in the previous part of this paper, 
 that millions of the women of the middle and upper 
 classes of India are unapproachable through the 
 agency of education ; that, from the snowy Hima- 
 laya to the distant Cape Comorin, there is a crying 
 necessity for correct and skilful medical aid; and 
 that, this being the case, it would be unwise of the 
 Society to neglect making use of this agency for the 
 realization of their grand object of making known 
 to the Avomen of India the gospel of Christ. No 
 old friends of the Society will desert her on this 
 account, but will probably contribute more liberally 
 to her funds, and new friends will be attracted. It 
 surely cannot be beyond the sphere of a Society, 
 whose main object is the amelioration and evan- 
 gelization of the suffering and secluded women of 
 India, to make use of an agency wdiick lessens pain, 
 saves life, opens the door of the Zenana, and brings 
 the light of the gospel to its dark inmates. 
 
 ‘ Third Objection . — “ The expensiveness of the 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 199 
 
 professional training ” has been urged as a cogent 
 reason for the Indian Female Normal School and 
 Instruction Society’s refusing to take up this branch 
 of missionary agency. But the silencing fact, that 
 a handsome sum of money has already been contri- 
 buted by many warm friends of the undertaking, is 
 a sufficient answer to this objection. And there can 
 be no doubt, that the funds of the Society, instead 
 of being lessened by this forward step on the part 
 of the Committee, will certainly be increased by it. 
 It is a gratifying fact, that the Society’s income has 
 been augmented by one half of what it was last year ; 
 and this increase is most noticeable during the last 
 quarter of the financial year, when it was well 
 known that the Committee of Management con- 
 templated taking up medical missions as an integral 
 part of the Society’s work. 
 
 ‘ Fourth Objection . — “ Supposing the difficulties of 
 training to be overcome, and a medical missionary 
 lady sent to India, to any specially Mohammedan 
 station, would not her time be so constantly and 
 entirely occupied with medical work, that she would 
 have little or no time for the evangelistic ? ” The 
 lady medical missionary would certainly find her 
 hands very full for a time, until she had trained 
 helpful assistants. But, in course of time, her hands 
 would be set free from much of the purely manual 
 work, and she would have leisure at her command 
 for purely evangelistic effort. It is not to be 
 imagined, however, that a lady medical missionary 
 
200 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 of the right sort, would wait until she had much 
 time at her disposal, before making direct efforts to 
 christianize her patients. She could not even feel 
 a pulse without doing it like a Christian. If there 
 be any truth in the present objection, it may he 
 urged, with far more force, against making secular 
 education, including reading, writing, geography, and 
 needlework, a vehicle of Christian teaching. On 
 the one hand, no one will deny, that secular educa- 
 tion, in Christian hands, may be made to convey 
 much Christian doctrine ; and, on the other, no one 
 will deny, that pain and sickness are the best 
 softeners of the human heart, and that a natural 
 man or woman is thankful for nothing so much as 
 life and health. The lady medical missionary, 
 with the blessing of God resting on her work, 
 will certainly be able to save the former and to 
 restore the latter, and thus, she will hind her 
 patients to her with chains of love and gratitude 
 for life. 
 
 4 While all this is true, the writer of this paper 
 has long held that, if the full fruits of medical 
 missions, male or female, are to be reaped, the 
 divine example of our blessed Saviour ought to be 
 followed, and the workers sent out two and two 
 together. 
 
 * Fifth Objection . — “ The Indian Normal School 
 and Instruction Society has more openings to Hindu 
 Zenanas than its agents can take advantage of, and 
 its funds do not as yet suffice to send all the 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 201 
 
 evangelistic agents required : — Is it wise, therefore, 
 to take up, in present circumstances, the new and 
 expensive agency of female medical missions ?” 
 Two points in this objection call for remark. It is 
 said there are more openings to the Zenanas of 
 Hindus than can he entered. No one will say this 
 of the homes of the Mussulmans of India, for whom 
 this Christian agency of female medical missions 
 is so admirably adapted. Now, where secular 
 education finds a ready and sufficient entrance 
 into Zenanas, it would be superfluous to employ 
 female medical missions for evangelistic purposes ; 
 and therefore it is advised, that lady medical mis- 
 sionaries be sent to Mohammedan centres first, 
 where an English education will not tempt the 
 bigoted and sulky Mussulman to open his door to 
 the Christian instructress. The writer knows of a 
 lady medical missionary who has not as yet been 
 very successful in a Hindu centre, which, however, is 
 peculiarly conditioned ; while he knows of another 
 lady who has been successful in a Mohammedan 
 centre beyond her most sanguine expectations. 
 Another point in this objection which needs com- 
 ment, is the use of the word “ evangelistic ” as ap- 
 plicable to the educational missionary, implying 
 that the lady medical missionary would not belong 
 to this class. Now, it is evident to any unprejudiced 
 mind, that the lady who wields medicine to advance 
 Christ’s kingdom, is as much entitled to the appel- 
 lation of “ evangelistic ” agent as the lady who wields 
 
202 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 the crochet-needle and the school-book for the same 
 great end. 
 
 ‘ Thus, the question, as to whether it is wise, on 
 the part of the Indian Female Normal School and 
 Instruction Society, in present circumstances, to un- 
 dertake female medical missions as an evangelistic 
 agency, has virtually been decided in the affirmative ; 
 and this procedure, instead of diminishing the 
 Society’s ordinary income, will, in all probability, be 
 the means of greatly augmenting it. “ There is that 
 scatteretli, and yet increaseth.” 
 
 * India is not now an entire stranger to female 
 medical missions. In the provinces of Northern 
 India, female medical missionaries are already at 
 work, lessening pain, saving life, and training native 
 Christian women for the same end. One lady medi- 
 cal missionary writes: “We are always treated 
 
 with much respect in the Zenanas, and are called 
 upon by all classes of natives. Many of our 
 patients are among the better class of native ladies.” 
 Another lady medical missionary has more work in 
 the best families where she is located than she can 
 overtake, and that, too, although she has let it be 
 well known that she is a Christian missionary, 
 anxious to do all the good she can to the souls as 
 well as to the bodies of her patients. 
 
 ‘ In conclusion, if Florence Nightingale, a thorough 
 English lady, — being all that that term implies, 
 — left home and friends, and went to Scutari out 
 of philanthropy, to nurse and doctor England’s 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 203 
 
 wounded and dying soldiers, surely other ladies, 
 who have it in their power, should see no insuper- 
 able objections or difficulties in giving up home 
 and going to India, to nurse and doctor their needy 
 and suffering sisters for Christ’s sake. 
 
 ‘ At any rate, India needs female medical mission- 
 aries. India will welcome them, India will bless 
 them for their work ; and many homes, now dark, 
 will be lighted up, through their labours, with the 
 knowledge of Him who is the Light of the world. 
 
 £ Surely it is a thing incredible, that, among the 
 many Christian daughters of England, there are 
 none brave and noble-minded enough to undertake 
 this work, which, of all works, most resembles 
 that of the great Master Himself, who, “ though He 
 was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that we 
 through His poverty might become rich ; ” and of 
 whom it is written, “Jesus went about all Galilee, 
 teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the 
 gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of 
 sickness and all manner of disease among the 
 people. I have given you an example, that ye 
 should do as I have done to you.” 
 
 ‘W. J. Elmslie.’ 
 
 While the foregoing pages, urging the importance 
 of Zenana Medical Missions, have been passing- 
 through the press, we have received information 
 that a plan has been proposed for training Euro- 
 pean ladies in India for this work, and that there 
 
204 
 
 ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 is every prospect of its being successfully carried 
 out. 
 
 The following extract from a letter of Dr. John 
 Husband, a former student of the Edinburgh Medi- 
 cal Missionary Society, now a medical missionary, 
 in connection with the United Presbyterian Church, 
 at Ajmere, Rajpootana, forms a fitting close to this 
 chapter. The letter is dated Ajmere, June 14th, 
 1873 
 
 ‘ Doubtless you have, long ere this, seen Dr. Colin 
 Valentine’s paper, read at the Allahabad Conference, 
 and know about his proposed scheme for training 
 young native Christians as medical missionaries. 
 It is proposed to unite with this, another scheme, 
 not second to it in importance, viz. an institution 
 for the training of ladies (not natives) resident in 
 India, to act as female medical missionaries in the 
 Zenanas of the country. A committee has already 
 been formed in London to forward this scheme, 
 and what is now proposed is, to unite the two 
 schemes under one Superintendent, whose principal 
 work will consist in teaching the ladies, while the 
 young men are all to be educated at the Agra Medi- 
 cal College, free of charge. The scheme, I think, 
 is perfectly feasible, and can be easily managed by 
 one man. I mention it to you, that you may give it 
 publicity, and, perhaps, be able to help it on. 
 
 ‘ I may say, that I have been asked to take the 
 oversight of the Institution, should the Mission 
 Board of the United Presbyterian Church agree to 
 
ZENANA MEDICAL MISSIONS. 
 
 205 
 
 my transfer to Agra. What they may decide, we 
 do not know ; hut, so far as I am concerned, I have 
 left the matter entirely in their hands, and will he 
 pleased either to go or stay as they may decide. 
 Whether I may he permitted to do anything to help 
 on this undertaking, or otherwise, I trust it will go 
 forward ; for, not till we get a staff of well-educated 
 European ladies, can we hope to overtake the large 
 masses who are shut up, without medical help and 
 without spiritual instruction, in the Zenanas of the 
 country. 1 
 
XIII. 
 
 Disit Jjfanu, 1870 - 71 . 
 
 1 We live in deeds, not years, — in thoughts, not breaths, — 
 In feelings, not in figures on a dial. 
 
 We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives 
 Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best. 
 
 Life’s but a means unto an end ; that end, — 
 
 Beginning, mean, and end to all things, — God.’ 
 

 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 Early in 1870, Dr. Elmslie returned to this country, 
 and it was then that the writer had the pleasure of 
 making his acquaintance. Engaged, as both of us 
 had been, in the same work in India, though in 
 spheres far separated from each other, and carrying 
 on our work under circumstances as widely diffe- 
 rent, it was no ordinary pleasure to meet at home, 
 and to recount our varied experiences, and help 
 each other to form plans for future work. With 
 pleasure mingled with sadness, we recall to our 
 remembrance those happy interviews, sometimes, in 
 the Medical Mission House, 56 George Square, at 
 other times, pacing, arm-in-arm, in front of the Royal 
 Infirmary, waiting till twelve o’clock, when we 
 would adjourn to the Clinical Lecture-room, or 
 accompany one or other of the Professors round 
 the wards ; — and then, Dr. Elmslie, note-hook in 
 hand, was still the student, taking notes of all the 
 points of interest in the cases commented on at the 
 
 o 
 
210 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 clinique, and recording, for future reference, any- 
 thing special in the history or in the treatment of 
 cases in the wards he visited. 
 
 No one could enjoy such opportunities of inter- 
 course with Dr. Elmslie, without being impressed 
 with the conviction, — which, no doubt, the perusal 
 of the foregoing pages has produced on the mind of 
 the reader, — that he was a model medical mission- 
 ary. Dr. Elmslie had a thorough grasp of the 
 medical mission principle, and he was endowed 
 with gifts and graces, which eminently qualified 
 him for proving the value of that principle. His 
 professional attainments were of a high order, his 
 judgment calm and clear. His features revealed the 
 energy and determination of his character. His 
 bright, open countenance was the expression of his 
 frank, cheerful disposition. We never remember 
 seeing him at all despondent. Even amid all the 
 difficulties and discouragements of his missionary 
 career, we cannot imagine him otherwise than bright 
 and cheerful, because he was ever, as a little child, 
 trustful. 
 
 ‘ The heart that trusts for ever sings, 
 
 And feels as light as it had wings ; 
 
 A well of peace within it springs, 
 
 Come good or ill : 
 
 Whate’er to-day, to-morrow brings, 
 
 It is His will. ’ 
 
 His kindly, genial nature ; his quiet, tender sym- 
 pathy ; his frank, manly bearing ; and, above all, the 
 
VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 211 
 
 reality and depth of his religions life, — were traits 
 of Dr. Elmslie’s character, which those who knew 
 him can never forget. 
 
 In speaking of his work, he always manifested a 
 jealous fear, lest, in our estimation, results should 
 he magnified beyond what the facts would justify ; 
 and the charm of his narrative was never broken by 
 an undue prominence of self. 
 
 During his sojourn at home, Dr. Elmslie was not 
 idle. As already indicated, he frequently availed 
 himself of the privilege of attending clinical lectures 
 in the Royal Infirmary, and likewise the meetings 
 of the Medieo-Chirurgical Society ; and, in every 
 available way, he sought to improve his oppor- 
 tunities, in order that, on his return to India, he 
 might be able to carry with him the latest improve- 
 ments in medical and surgical practice, and bring 
 to bear upon his work a more extensive experience. 
 
 Much of his time was occupied in preparing ms. 
 for the press, and in correcting the proofs of a Kash- 
 mir Vocabulary. This important work he completed 
 before he left England ; but, alas ! the summons 
 came before a finished copy had reached him. Only 
 two days after his death, his sorrowing widow had 
 the mournful pleasure of receiving the result of his 
 patient, persevering study, in the form of a neatly 
 bound volume, published by the Church Missionary 
 Society, which will, no doubt, prove of great service 
 to future missionaries, and to English residenters in 
 Kashmir. 
 
212 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 The following extract forms part of a deeply in- 
 teresting memorial sketch, which appeared in the 
 April number of the Indian Female Evangelist, en- 
 titled ‘ Becollections of Dr. Elmslie,’ and refers to his 
 engagements during part of his furlough at home : — 
 
 . . . . ‘Early in March 1871, he set himself 
 
 to work in earnest at his Kashmir Dictionary. On 
 the 1 4th he writes : “ The only thing that recon- 
 ciles me to remain home another year, is the fact 
 that I am doing something just now, which may be 
 truly looked upon as one kind of mission work, and 
 wdiich I can do here as well as in India. What- 
 ever my future movements may be, I hope that this 
 year’s work at home will, in some small measure, 
 facilitate mission operations in Kashmir in the 
 future. During the last fortnight I have worked 
 very hard, and, I am happy to say, have made con- 
 siderable progress. I am just beginning to feel 
 again the old studying frenzy coming on, and de- 
 light in the feeling.” There is no doubt he injured 
 his health by his severe application. On the 29th 
 June he writes: “I have had rather a sharp attack 
 of illness, brought on, the doctor says, by my habits 
 having been, of late, too sedentary. Indeed, ever 
 since I returned to Scotland, I have kept very close 
 to my books.” 
 
 ‘ In April we had asked him to come and address 
 a working party. He could not comply with the 
 request, but adds : ‘ However, perhaps you and the 
 Indian Female Evangelist Society are not the 
 
VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 213 
 
 losers by this ; for, indeed, I have not much that is 
 fresh and interesting to say. One thing I can say, 
 and that is, to bear my most unhesitating and un- 
 qualified testimony to the devotion, zeal, and un- 
 wearied activity of the agents of this Society, in the 
 midst of a lonely life, a trying climate, and a sphere 
 of work, the sights and smells of which, are often of 
 the most repulsive and disgusting character, not to 
 speak of other and more subtle trials that they, in 
 common with all workers in India, have to endure. 
 These self - denying, noble - minded, persevering 
 women richly deserve the full-hearted sympathy of 
 their Christian sisters in England. Nothing, I 
 believe, but love to our dear Redeemer, could enable 
 those heroic women to labour in India, as they 
 do, so uncomplainingly, so patiently, and so per- 
 severingly. The Lord richly bless them in their 
 great and noble work ! I consider the cause of this 
 Society, one of paramount importance in the evan- 
 gelization of India.” 
 
 ‘ Some Christian friends desired to have Dr. 
 Elmslie settled at home, in medical mission work. 
 He spent much of his time in waiting upon God for 
 light to guide him. His heart was in Kashmir, but 
 there were special points connected with the work 
 there, which tried him much. The being able to 
 remain in the valley for six months, he felt, was a 
 terrible hindrance to success. As things then existed, 
 he knew, that to carry on medical mission work 
 there, was fraught with great bodily toil and mental 
 
214 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 anxiety, and that it would be impossible to continue 
 in it many years. He also evidently dreaded the 
 long fatiguing journeys, over lofty and rugged moun- 
 tains, in the winter season, when the missionary had 
 to quit the valley ; but, having been there already, 
 and God having, to some extent, blessed his work, 
 knowing the need of the people, and their language, 
 and having gained their confidence and esteem, he 
 felt the path of duty was marked out for his return. 
 
 ‘ General and Mrs. Lake visited Edinburgh in 
 August, and this gave him great pleasure ; also a 
 visit from “ a former dear college friend ” cheered 
 him, and did him good. In September he spent 
 some time with his friends, Mr. and Mrs. Eitchie 
 of Coull. Mr. Eitchie gave him considerable help 
 in arranging the English words of his Dictionary ; 
 and he adds : “ He is a very dear and old friend, 
 and preaches the Master’s gospel fully and faith- 
 fully. I was to have left my friend’s warm roof 
 to-day, but he will not hear of it, as he purposes to 
 dispense the Lord’s Supper next Sabbath, and he 
 wishes me to be present, which wish I am delighted 
 to gratify. ... I think the Lord has need of 
 me, at least for a little longer, in down-trodden 
 Kashmir. I am ashamed to think I have been 
 hesitating about returning to the honourable post 
 which, I trust, God assigned me there in 1864. 
 The post is a very trying one, but God verified, in 
 my experience, the declaration, * My grace is suffi- 
 cient for thee,’ and I trust He will do it again.” 
 
VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 215 
 
 * 
 
 ‘ He came south in October, and again took up his 
 abode near his old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Handcock. 
 He spent some busy evenings with us, whilst cor- 
 recting the proof-sheets of his Dictionary for the 
 press. We also had some pleasant Bible readings ; 
 his words were not many, but pithy, to the point, 
 and always full of Christ. His prayers were ever 
 marked by their genuine character and childlike 
 simplicity. 
 
 ‘ After Christmas he returned to Scotland, having 
 become engaged to Miss Duncan, of Eyre Place, 
 Edinburgh. He wrote to make known to us his 
 great happiness. Miss Duncan had early given 
 her heart to the Lord, and her energies to His 
 service, and already, she had a great desire to con- 
 secrate her life to mission work among the heathen. 
 She was thus eminently fitted to share his labours. 
 The marriage took place in the end of February. 
 On the 6th of March, we all met at the house of a 
 relation in London. Dr. H. Bonar was with us, 
 and, after some happy intercourse with the dear 
 missionaries, he read Bomans xvi., and commended 
 them, with much power and affection, to the Lord in 
 prayer. The next day they sailed from England, 
 on board the Massilia.’ 
 
 During the summer of 1871, the Directors of the 
 Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society, having heard 
 that Dr. Elmslie was somewhat undecided about 
 returning to Kashmir and anxious to secure, if 
 
216 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 possible, the services of such an able and experi- 
 enced missionary, to succeed their lamented agent, 
 Dr. Paterson, at Madras, unanimously resolved to 
 offer that appointment to Dr. Elmslie. Shortly 
 after receiving this invitation, he asked the Board to 
 allow him a few days, that he might give the proposal 
 his prayerful consideration. Prom the tenor of his 
 first reply, and judging from an interview which two 
 of the Directors had with him in the interval, the 
 impression was, that he would go to Madras ; but, 
 within a week, he wrote to the Secretary declining 
 the appointment, stating as his reason for so doing, 
 that if, in the providence of God, he returned to 
 India, he felt that Kashmir had the first claim upon 
 him, and there he would like to labour. 
 
 Having decided to return to his much-loved work 
 in Kashmir, Dr. Elmslie began to make preparations 
 for his departure. On the 16th October 1871, he 
 wrote the following letter to his old friend Dr. 
 Cleghorn, with whom, a short time previously, he 
 had spent a few days, and on that occasion gave 
 an account, in the parish church, of his work in 
 Kashmir, which produced a deep impression upon 
 the minds of his hearers ; all the more so, that so 
 soon after they had listened to his heart-stirring 
 words, his labours on earth were closed. 
 
 ‘My Dear Friend, — My chief object in writing to 
 you now, is to inquire of you, what a copy of Wight’s 
 Leones Plantarum Asice Orientalis, in good condition, 
 
VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 217 
 
 is worth; also, what should I give for a copy of 
 Boyle’s Botany of the Himalayas ? Can you tell me 
 where I am likely to meet with works of that kind? 
 
 ‘ Should I return to India, which I am now very 
 likely to do about the end of January next, I should 
 like to do a little to the botany of those interest- 
 ing and far-away regions. I should feel extremely 
 obliged to you for any hints, as to how to proceed 
 in the study of the botany of Kashmir and the sur- 
 rounding mountains ; also, as to how to do with any 
 specimens which I may collect, and also as to any 
 points, of pre-eminent importance, in Flora of the 
 valley and the neighbourhood. I feel sure, that I 
 could not apply to one better qualified than yourself, 
 to give me directions as to how to proceed in the 
 study of the Himalayan Flora. I may state, that 
 I have done little or nothing to botany since I 
 left college, and, therefore, any advice as to what 
 books to take with me to India, or on any other 
 botanical matter, will be most gratefully received 
 by me. . . . My little Vocabulary of Kashmir is 
 almost finished, and I am to leave this for London 
 on Friday night, God willing, to superintend the 
 printing of it. I hope it may be useful. — With 
 kindest regards to Mrs. Cleghorn and yourself. 
 — Yours affectionately, ‘ W. J. Elmslie.’ 
 
 This letter gives us some indication of what 
 might have been expected from Dr. Elmslie, in the 
 way of original scientific research, had his life been 
 
218 
 
 VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 spared. He was an ardent student of nature, and 
 in the study of other departments of natural science 
 besides that of botany, sought, and found, that rest 
 and relaxation of mind and body, which, in the 
 midst of such anxious and harassing work, he, at 
 times, so much needed. 
 
 During the first year of Dr. Elmslie’s absence 
 from Kashmir, his place was ably supplied by the 
 Kev. W. T. Storrs, himself a medical man; and 
 during 1871, by the Kev. T. V. Drench, the Kev. 
 Kobert Clark, and Mr. John Williams, a native 
 medical evangelist, who possesses considerable pro- 
 fessional skill, and whose walk as a Christian and 
 zeal as an evangelist are such, as adorn the doctrines 
 he teaches. 
 
 These brethren laboured very earnestly and faith- 
 fully, and with some measure of success. Kegular 
 receptions for the sick were held, and large numbers 
 were successfully treated. Often they had to deal 
 with turbulent audiences, but sometimes they had 
 hearers ‘ whose hearts God seemed to be teaching 
 and arresting, if not bowing down before the mes- 
 sage of warning, and of peace and life in Christ.’ 
 Several natives, evidently in an anxious, inquiring 
 state of mind, expressed a wish to come and con- 
 verse with the missionaries in their tents ; but 
 orders, it was said, had been issued to prevent them 
 doing so. 
 
 It was thus very providential that there were 
 those at hand, able and willing to carry on the work 
 
VISIT HOME, 1870-71. 
 
 219 
 
 in Kashmir while Dr. Elmslie was at home. Had 
 it been otherwise, much of the good results of his 
 five years’ labour might have been lost ; and, on his 
 return, he might have found it much more difficult 
 than it was, to regain, for himself and his mission, 
 that position of influence, and that degree of tolera- 
 tion, which had been attained previous to his de- 
 parture. 
 
 Dr. Elmslie was married in February 1871, and 
 early in March, he and Mrs. Elmslie bade farewell 
 to kindred and friends, and sailed for India, with 
 bright prospects before them of a long, happy, and 
 prosperous missionary career. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 JUtunt to Jnbia, anb Close of fabours. 
 
 ‘ Go, labour on, spend and be spent, 
 
 Thy joy to do the Father’s will : 
 
 It is the way the Master went, 
 
 Should not the servant tread it still ? 
 
 Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice, 
 
 For toil comes rest, for exile home. 
 
 Soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom’s voice. 
 The midnight peal, “ Behold, I come!” 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 RETURN TO INDIA, AND CLOSE OE LABOURS. 
 
 Having reached India, after a pleasant and pros- 
 perous voyage, Dr. Elmslie lost no time in preparing 
 for the long, trying journey to Kashmir. The route 
 selected was that along which he travelled on his 
 first visit to the valley in 1865, namely, via Rawul 
 Pindee and Muree. At the latter place, the Rev. 
 T. R. Wade joined them; and meeting again, under 
 such pleasant circumstances, with his old friend, 
 who was now to he associated with him in mission 
 work in Kashmir, was a source of great comfort and 
 joy to both Dr. and Mrs. Elmslie. 
 
 As on former occasions, along the line of march, 
 they held receptions for the sick, and assembled 
 as many of the people as they could to hear the 
 message of redeeming love. Mr. Wade generally 
 conducted the service, after which Dr. Elmslie ex- 
 amined the patients, and prescribed for them. At 
 some of the halting-places, upwards of a hundred 
 were present ; at other places, not so many. 
 
 The news having got abroad that the Doctor was 
 
 223 
 
224 
 
 ' RETURN TO INDIA, AND 
 
 on his way to Kashmir, some of his patients came 
 long distances, to secure, either for themselves or 
 their friends, the benefit of his advice and treatment. 
 One old man, seventy years of age, travelled up- 
 wards of a hundred miles with his sick son, in order, 
 if possible, to get him cured of his disease ; and, on 
 his first interview with the Doctor, he fell at his feet 
 weeping, and implored him to do something for the 
 relief of his poor son. 
 
 Such incidents remind us of the ministry of Him 
 who ' went about continually doing good,’ and con- 
 cerning whom it is written, ‘ And a great multitude 
 of people, out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from 
 the sea-coast of Tyre and Sidon, came to hear Him, 
 and to be healed of their diseases.’ 
 
 Rejoicing in such opportunities of working for the 
 Master by the way, delighted with the beautiful 
 scenery along the route, and invigorated by the pure 
 bracing mountain air, they pursued their journey, 
 till, in the good providence of God, they reached 
 their destination in safety. We can imagine his 
 gratitude and joy, at finding himself, once more, at 
 Srinagar, accompanied, as he now was, by one who 
 was able, so fully, to help him in his work, to rejoice 
 with him in his joy, and to share with him his 
 trials. The Doctor got his dispensary in order, and 
 commenced operations at once ; Mrs. Elmslie study- 
 ing the language, and Mr. Wade assisting the Doctor 
 in the dispensary, and in the school which they had 
 opened. The numbers of patients presenting them- 
 
CLOSE OF LABOURS. 
 
 225 
 
 selves for treatment were greater than ever before. 
 From 150 to 190 patients were examined and pre- 
 scribed for daily. In little more than four months 
 he had treated upwards of 3000 patients, and per- 
 formed more than 200 surgical operations, besides 
 ministering to nearly 400 cholera patients. While 
 the faithful labourers were thus bearing the burden 
 and heat of the day in Kashmir, many in Scotland 
 and elsewhere were praying for them and for their 
 work; and God, in His own way, was answering those 
 prayers. In the midst of many trials of their faith 
 and patience, the missionaries had much to encourage 
 and gladden their hearts. The people, generally, 
 heard the Gospel gladly, and not a few seemed con- 
 vinced of the truth of Christianity, and were almost 
 persuaded to profess their faith in Christ ; but they 
 were afraid that, so soon as the missionaries left, 
 they woirld suffer such persecution as would render 
 it impossible for them to remain in their own 
 country. This fear — alas, too well grounded — made 
 Dr. Elmslie all the more anxious to obtain permis- 
 sion to remain permanently in Kashmir; and he, 
 again, put forth every effort to procure the longed 
 for sanction of the Supreme Government to his 
 remaining in the valley all the year round. 
 
 As time wore on, work and anxiety increased. 
 Cholera was sweeping away hundreds of the inhabit- 
 ants, and no entreaties could persuade the Doctor 
 to relax his efforts, which were visibly exhausting 
 his strength. Mr. Wade was stricken down with 
 
 P 
 
22G 
 
 RETURN TO INDIA, AND 
 
 fever, and so soon as he was able to travel, was 
 obliged to leave Srinigar. Dissatisfaction, which 
 resulted in serious riots, increased the suffering and 
 distress amongst the people. A heavy flood occurred, 
 caused by the melting of snow on the mountains, 
 similar to that which happened in 1869, compelling 
 them to vacate their house and seek refuge else- 
 where. Animosity and persecution, though not now 
 perhaps so openly manifested, were still as hitter 
 and cruel as ever, and the Doctor himself was far 
 from strong ; but still he worked on, instructing the 
 ignorant, comforting the distressed, healing the sick, 
 and preaching the Gospel. 
 
 The time drew near for Europeans quitting the 
 valley. Up till the last, however, Dr. Elmslie 
 hoped against hope that he might receive a favour- 
 able answer to his request for permission to remain, 
 and that even that year they might not have to 
 leave their work and return to the Punjab ; but God 
 had ordered it otherwise. Having just recovered 
 from a slight attack of fever, exhausted with so 
 much hard, constant, anxious work, and with his 
 heart saddened by the many trying scenes he had 
 witnessed, and by the ingratitude of those in 
 authority amongst the very people he sought to 
 benefit, Dr. and Mrs. Elmslie, accompanied by their 
 assistants and servants, left Kashmir on the 21st of 
 October. — And now commences a march through 
 the wild rugged passes and over the snowy ranges 
 of the Himalayas, which no pen but that of the 
 bereaved companion of his journey, and the partner 
 
CLOSE OF LABOUES. 
 
 227 
 
 of his joys and sorrows, can describe, and which no 
 one can think of but with glowing admiration and 
 tender sympathy. We magnify the grace of God as 
 it was manifested in the calm composure of the 
 dying missionary, and in the submission and heroic 
 devotion of his beloved wife. 
 
 The following brief but touching narrative of the 
 mournful journey and close of Dr. Elmslie’s life is 
 taken from the memorial sketch in the April number 
 of the Indian Female Evangelist : — 
 
 "From some extracts from Mrs. Elmslie’s journal, 
 describing that last journey of her dear husband, it 
 seems that, though he was weakened by a feverish 
 attack, he started well, and they had two days’ sail 
 up the river. Then began the mountain ascent 
 (over a pass 11,700 feet above the sea). After they 
 had climbed for a day, he could not walk at all, and 
 had to give in, very reluctantly, to take his wife’s 
 dandy. At first he did not seem to suffer much, 
 except from weariness; but about the 27th, his great 
 breathlessness, the very irregular beating of the pulse, 
 and other painful signs, gave the loving wife her 
 first warning. That night she knelt by him for 
 hours, — Benjamin (the Christian Native Assistant) 
 helping her to apply mustard poultices and various 
 remedies. In the morning he seemed scarcely con- 
 scious of all he had passed through. They travelled 
 on, the bearers trotting, and Mrs. Elinslie trying 
 to keep up, and walking sixteen, and even twenty 
 miles a day. The path seemed sometimes like a 
 ledge in the sheer precipice ; and as she watched the 
 
228 
 
 RETURN TO INDIA, AND 
 
 bearers with their precious burden, she trembled, 
 and could only cry to the Lord to save him. Once 
 a man did slip, but at the spot the path was a little 
 wider. The nights were bitterly cold, and the poor 
 tent was but little protection, and then his sufferings 
 were great. In one part the bears had left their 
 track on the snow, and the dear Doctor insisted on 
 the bearers going slowly, to keep his wife in sight. 
 At Rajauri they rested some days. One night there 
 he was very ill, and she speaks of this as “ my second 
 night of preparation.” Next day he hardly spoke, 
 and never offered to rise, but just lay still, with a 
 far-off look in his eyes, which shone with a strange 
 and lovely lustre. The doctor at Gujerat went out 
 a day’s march to meet him. On Saturday, November 
 16th, they reached Gujerat, and were received with 
 the utmost kindness by Mr. and Mrs. Perkins ; and 
 on the Monday, the Lord took His dear servant 
 home.’ 
 
 His dear friend and fellow-labourer, the Kev. 
 Kobert Clark of Umritsur, hearing of his alarming 
 illness, hastened to Gujerat, but arrived only in time 
 ‘ to witness the settled smile of peace and victory 
 on his features as he lay in his coffin.’ Mr. Clark 
 writes from Gujerat on November 20th : — 
 
 ‘ We carried the remains of our dear friend and 
 fellow-labourer, Dr. Elmslie, to their last resting- 
 place this morning, in the midst of many tears of 
 the native Christian helpers of the Kashmir Mission. 
 He was taken ill on leaving Kashmir ; and after a 
 
CLOSE OF LABOURS. 
 
 229 
 
 most trying journey over the Pir Panjal pass, he 
 arrived here, in English territory, on Saturday, and 
 died on Monday evening. I received, at Umritsur, 
 a telegram on Monday afternoon, and came over at 
 once, hut was only in time to witness the settled 
 smile of peace and victory on his features as he lay 
 in his coffin. We have laid our friend and brother 
 to rest on the battle-field of Gujerat, where the 
 Punjab first came entirely under English rule, and 
 he will there sleep quietly on, till he hears the 
 Saviour’s voice calling him from the bed of slumber, 
 with the words, “ Well done, good and faithful 
 servant.” Well did he fight the better fight, and 
 loved not his life unto the death; and surely his 
 death was glorious, far more than even that of those 
 who died here on the field of victory in 1849.’ 
 
 ‘ Faithful to death, 0 man of God, well done ! 
 
 Thy fight is ended, and thy crown is won. ’ 
 
 His life was a noble life; his work, the most 
 honourable work on earth; and his reward is the 
 starry crown ! 
 
 ‘ And I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO 
 me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in 
 the Lord from henceforth ; yea, saith the Spirit, 
 
 THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS, AND THEIR 
 WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM.’ 
 
 All that tender sympathy and kindness could do 
 to comfort the bereaved widow was lovingly done 
 by Christian friends around her, and many fervent 
 prayers ascended from praying hearts at home on 
 her behalf ; and our covenant - keeping God has 
 
230 
 
 CLOSE OF LABOURS. 
 
 caused her to experience the fulfilment of His 
 gracious promise : ‘ When thou passest through the 
 waters, I will be with thee ; and through the rivers, 
 they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest 
 through the fire, thou shalt not he burned ; neither 
 shall the flame kindle upon thee.’ 
 
 Mrs. Elmslie returned with Mr. Clark to Lahore, 
 and from thence went to Umritsur, where now, in 
 the spirit of true missionary devotion, she occupies 
 a field of great usefulness among the children in the 
 Orphanage and schools, and the Lord is giving her 
 much encouragement in her work. At Lahore, Mrs. 
 Elmslie received an official communication, dated 
 the day after her beloved husband's death, conveying 
 the intelligence, so long prayed for and laboured for 
 by Dr. Elmslie, that permission would henceforth 
 be granted to all who are not Government servants to 
 remain in Kashmir all the year, so long as they con- 
 duct themselves with propriety, and submit to the laws 
 of the country. ‘Call upon me in the day of 
 
 TROUBLE; I WILL DELIVER THEE, AND THOU SHALT 
 
 GLORIFY ME.’ ‘ VERILY GOD HATH HEARD ME, He 
 
 HATH ATTENDED TO THE VOICE OF MY PRAYER.’ 1 Be 
 
 STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD; I WILL BE EXALTED 
 AMONG THE HEATHEN, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE 
 EARTH.’ 
 
 THE END. 
 
LIVINGSTONE MEDICAL MISSIONARY MEMORIAL. 
 
 The object of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society is to promote, in 
 every possible way, the consecration of the healing art to the service of 
 Christ, especially in connection with Missions to the heathen. It seeks to 
 accomplish this object: — 
 
 I. By keeping in view the fact, that He who commanded His disciples 
 to preach the Gospel directed them also ‘to heal the sick.’ 
 
 II. By educating at the University or Medical School, approved Christian 
 young men desirous of devotiDg themselves to Medical Missionary work, 
 who may need such help, and by providing means for training them for that 
 work. 
 
 III. By supporting as many Medical Missionaries at various Mission stations, 
 as the funds at its disposal will admit, and by supplying the several Evan- 
 gelical Missionary Societies with properly qualified Medical Missionaries. 
 
 The Society’s Training Institution at 39 Cowgate is distinct from the 
 ‘Miller Memorial Home,’ 5G George Square, where the Students reside, and 
 which was purchased for the Society by funds raised by subscription, as a 
 Memorial to the late Professor of Surgery in the Edinburgh University, 
 whose name it bears. 
 
 The Training Institution and Dispensary combines several objects, each of 
 them of great importance. 
 
 I. It is an extensive Local Charity, ministering, on an average, to about 
 8000 poor patients annually. 
 
 II. It is a valuable Evangelistic Agency, reaching a class otherwise in- 
 accessible. 
 
 III. It is an Agency which encourages Christian work amongst Medical 
 Students generally. 
 
 IV. It is a Training Institution for Medical Missionary Students for the 
 whole world. The Society, which is the only one of its kind, has at present 
 thirteen Students, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Congregational, and Baptist, in 
 course of preparation for Medical Missionary service. 
 
 The number of applicants for the training afforded by the Society is increas- 
 ing year by year ; still the demand for Medical Missionaries is greater than 
 the supply. 
 
 The premises in which the Society carries on its work are quite inadequate. 
 They are damp and old, and having been recently surrounded with lofty 
 buildings, light is excluded and the ventilation is very imperfect, besides 
 which, the property does not belong to the Society. 
 
 Moreover, the Directors, for some time past, have had in view the urgent 
 demand there is for a well-trained Nursing Agency, as an auxiliary to Evan- 
 gelistic effort, both at Home and Abroad ; and the only obstacle in the way of 
 providing means for the efficient training of such an Agency is the very 
 limited accommodation at their Institution, 39 Cowgate. 
 
 The aid which the pioneers of the Gospel and of civilisation derive from a 
 knowledge of Medicine has been emphatically stated in the writings and 
 illustrated hy the life-work of Dr. Livingstone, whose loss the nation mourns ; 
 and the Directors of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society feel that no 
 more appropriate memorial to the late lamented missionary traveller (himself 
 a corresponding member of the Society for eighteen years) could be devised, 
 than a substantial and commodious building, suitable for carrying on the 
 Society’s operations, and worthy of the cause he so nobly maintained. 
 
The Directors, having received the hearty consent of the family of the 
 late Dr. Livingstone, and the warm sympathy of his friend Sir Bartle Frere, 
 have determined, in order to meet the urgent claims of the cause, and, at the 
 same time, honour the name and memory of one of its brightest ornaments, 
 to erect a Livingstone Memorial Medical Mission Training Institution, which 
 will serve to embody in a practical and enduring form the grand object of his 
 life. 
 
 To enable them to do so, the sum of £10,000 will be required; and they now 
 appeal to the friends of Missions, and to the admirers of the great missionary 
 explorer everywhere, to aid them in this undertaking. 
 
 Contributions will be received by Dr. A. G. Miller, 15 Shandwick Place, 
 who has been appointed by the Society Treasurer for this object, and by the 
 Rev. John Lowe, F.R.C.S., Superintendent, Mission House, 56 George Square, 
 Edinburgh, and will be acknowledged in the Society’s Quarterly Paper , a copy 
 of which will be forwarded to each subscriber, also in the newspapers in 
 which this appeal appears. 
 
 The following extracts from letters received from W. Oswell Livingstone, 
 Esq. (Dr. Livingstone’s son), and from the Kight Honourable Sir Bartle Frere, 
 bhow their warm sympathy with the proposal of the Directors. 
 
 Mr. Livingstone writes:— 
 
 ‘ T have consulted my brother and sisters about the matter contained in your 
 letter of the 9th inst., and we all consider your letter as a mark of esteem 
 towards our beloved father, and as an evidence of your kindly sympathy with 
 us in our affliction. 
 
 ‘We are sure that no monument could be raised which would be more in 
 keeping with the aim which our father had during his arduous life, and which 
 would be so valuable to mankind, and so lasting, as the one which your pro- 
 posal embodies. 
 
 ‘ Allow me to express our thanks to the gentlemen who have been so kind 
 as to consult us regarding a Mission in which we all take so much interest, 
 and also a hope that your wishes may be speedily accomplished.’ 
 
 Sir Bartle Frere writes :— 
 
 ‘I have always felt that the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society was 
 doing a great work, and am very glad to hear that you propose to enlarge its 
 sphere of usefulness. ... I think there could not be a more fitting memorial 
 to your great fellow-countryman ; and with such an example before them, I 
 think the Students of the Medical Missionary Society must prosper wherever 
 they are sent ; and I think the thorough training of good nurses, to co-operate 
 with the Missionaries abroad, is all that is needed to perfect the work of the 
 Society.’ 
 
 The Viscountess Strangford writes : — 
 
 ‘ While assuring you of my hearty good wishes for the success of Memorial 
 Medical Mission, — the Memorial of that great and good man whose life will be 
 a bright example for many a long year to come, — I am glad to take the oppor- 
 tunity of earnestly entreating you to make a powerful effort now in pushing 
 forward the agency of Trained Nurses, to be provided at your Missions. Not 
 the Missions of these countries, but the Missions planted in all those wide 
 lands where no medical man ever reaches the sick woman ; where the women 
 sicken, suffer, and die, untended and unrelieved; where no assistance to body 
 or soul can be afforded, save by one of their own sex; and where a woman, 
 trained to even but little experience of nursing, may daily prevent years of 
 suffering and disease; besides seizing the frequent opportunities thus, and 
 thus alone, given of setting these poor creatures’ feet on the path that leadeth 
 to eternal life.’