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 131 
 
MEDICAL MISSIONARY WORK 
 IN THE DELTA 
 
 Caroline C. Lawrence, M. D. 
 
 Beginning of the Work in Tanta 
 
 When one thinks what “The Delta” means in 
 size and population, and how few of its six 
 millions of inhabitants have yet been reached, a 
 fitter title would be “The Possibilities,” or more 
 enthusiastically, “The Future of Medical Work 
 in the Delta.” Some years ago a beginning was 
 made in Tanta. This city is the geographical 
 center — the hub of the Delta. Eeligiously it is 
 the mecca of Egypt, and to its famous shrine 
 come the faithful when en route for their Arabian 
 jiilgrimage. It’s a great mosque which has risen 
 over the bones of the canonized Ahmed. Said 
 El Bedani is one of the emissaries of Islam. So 
 as a multiplier of opportunities and a removal 
 of prejudices the medical work was undertaken — 
 an adjunct to the formal evangelizing agencies. 
 
 Clinics in Tanta 
 
 The practice here is many-sided — among all 
 classes and many nationalities. Indeed, Egypt 
 is so cosmopolitan that one longs to be a polyglot. 
 There are daily clinics, to which come the poor 
 of the city and the peasants from the near vil- 
 lages. In the gathering time an earnest, tactful 
 Bible woman reads and explains the Scriptures. 
 The patients are largely Moslem, and here, for 
 the first time, they learn of our Saviour and His 
 salvation. 
 
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Home Visiting 
 
 There is also home visiting among the poor. 
 Often the native mid-wives send for help in a 
 dilfieult ease, and many an anxious hour has been 
 spent in some little, dark, dirty room fighting for 
 a life. There are calls, too, in the homes of the 
 better class, and an increasing number to the 
 harems of the rich. We have also what might 
 be called a private practice among the resident 
 English and European. Despite the oriental set- 
 ting it is much what such a practice would be at 
 home. Financially the work is a great help, and 
 haply it is not without its missionary and philan- 
 thropic value. Often calls come from neighbor- 
 ing towns and villages to foreign and native 
 patients. These are readily accessible because 
 of Tanta’s numerous radiating railways. 
 
 The Egyptian Peasants 
 
 The most ideally missionary work is this among 
 the peasants in the daily clinics. These are the 
 men, and women, too, “with the hoe” — the sun- 
 browned children of Father Nile, who live on his 
 bounty, and, in turn, by their labor make his 
 country the marvel of the nations. They have 
 as yet been little influenced by the Westernism 
 which is making the new Egypt of the cities and 
 towns. The church reaches them in part by the 
 colporteurs, but largely through the medical 
 work. With simple habits and food, an out-of- 
 door life, and a purifying all-flooding sunshine 
 from year’s end to year’s end, it would seem 
 that the Egyptian peasant had little need of 
 medical attention. But a race-long instinct gath- 
 
 4 
 
ers them into villages of dark, closely-huddled 
 mud houses and stagnant, green bordering pools. 
 Parents, children, camels, donkeys, buffalos, 
 sheep and poultry make a “happy” family under 
 one low roof. Germs, especially of eye diseases, 
 lu.xuriate. Long hours of work in summer heat 
 and in the dampness of the irrigated fields causes 
 illness and disease. 
 
 Description of a Typical Clinic 
 So it is that, of a forenoon, there will be gath- 
 ered into a typical clinic a goodly number of 
 men, women and children. As we approach the 
 building a group will be seen in a shady spot 
 socially eating, while a solemn donkey or two 
 browse on stray bits of provender. Would that 
 I could give you a pen picture of types and indi- 
 viduals. The men in their brown cloaks of home- 
 spun goats’ wool, the women in ragged print 
 gowns or coarse indigo-dyed slips and head cover- 
 ings, the children in abbreviated models of their 
 elders’ costumes, the babies in odds and ends. 
 As the doctor enters the waiting-room there is a 
 scrambling to their feet of the groups of women 
 sitting on the floor and of their lords of creation 
 occupying the benches; and a chorus of greetings 
 in rich colloquial Arabic: “May your day be 
 happy!” “May your morning be like cream!” 
 or — the equivalent of what’s “The top of the 
 morning to yez! ” Stepping over crawling babies 
 and avoiding dirty toddlers, who are yet in the 
 wobbly stage, the doctor opens the office door. 
 There is a rush to be first inside and eloquent ap- 
 peals for immediate attention: “My home is far 
 away,” “I have been here since dawn,” etc. 
 
But a deaf ear is turned, and they are told that 
 no one will be treated until after the Bible les- 
 son and prayer. So they good-naturedly settle 
 down again and gossip together until the evan- 
 gelist appears. Gathering the people about him 
 he reads the Bible stories and parables, and trans- 
 poses them into homely, every-day Arabic. One 
 day a graphic description is given of the won- 
 derful clinics held by the Great Physician with 
 a leading up to the need of healing sin-sick souls. 
 Again it is the parables. Thus patiently the 
 story which we have to tell them is unfolded. 
 The audience shows its appreciation by responses 
 of approval and surprise. Indeed it has the 
 sound of a good old Methodist meeting. With 
 the audience there is no question of creed or in- 
 terpretation. It is the painstaking, oft-repeated 
 instillation of the essential doctrines — the reality 
 of sinfulness, the need of repentance, salvation 
 through Christ, etc. Maybe an old, half-blind 
 Sheik, who sits nodding over his staff, on hear- 
 ing the name of Christ, will wake up and chal- 
 lenge the statement of his being the Son of God. 
 This is the orthodox Moslem’s objection. The 
 Koran is appealed to, and the noisy arguer made 
 to acknowledge that the Koran says that Christ 
 is from the Spirit of God. He is silenced, but, 
 alas, not convinced. But no amount of arguing 
 or polemic encounter will suffice to bring one of 
 their needy souls to a saving knowledge of the 
 Saviour. It comes only through the quiet work- 
 ing of the Spirit and the secret germinating of 
 seed dropped into hearts prepared by such hum- 
 ble meetings, or by the colporteur, as, traveling 
 
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from village to village, he has wayside and home 
 talks, or by those silent missionaries, the Bible 
 and religious books. 
 
 Peasant Children 
 
 The patients are admitted to the treatment 
 room by fours and fives. Often it is a child 
 which is brought. These little folks, when one 
 is able to overlook the dirt and flies and other 
 evidences of a neglected toilet, are interesting 
 specimens. They learn the world from a perch 
 on their mother’s shoulder. Here they sit, their 
 eyes and head unprotected from the sun, while 
 the mother goes about her work selling in the 
 market, driving a donkey, picking cotton, etc. 
 The little one naps and wakes regardless of the 
 jolting, the heat and the flies. They are given 
 the choice of the family menu. Babies cut their 
 teeth on green cucumbers, so it is logical that 
 they should have a double portion of the ills of 
 childhood. Thousands of them never live out 
 their first year. 
 
 The doctor and the Bible woman have little 
 personal talks in the intervals of treatment. 
 Through patient listening to the tale of physical 
 ills the life stories are drawn out — the comedy 
 and the tragedy. With the medicine is given 
 advice, sympathy, a word of interest in their 
 little world, or timely appeal for a thought of 
 the Christian’s Saviour. The men are generally 
 able to repeat the substance of the evangelist’s 
 talk with such embellishments as their knowledge 
 of the Koran may afford. The women at first, 
 when asked what they have heard, will say: “Do 
 I know, O Sitt? I am but a donkey. I have no 
 
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mind.” But in time the mind is rediscovered. 
 The evidence of a bettering influence is seen. 
 The children are brought with washed faces and 
 clean dresses; they are more gentle to each other; 
 less eager to be served first; more affection- 
 ate and grateful to the doctor. One forlorn 
 body, who, with her brown, bright-eyed baby 
 eagerly greeted us each morning, calling down 
 all the blessings of the prophet on our heads, 
 impulsively exclaimed, “I am happier since com- 
 ing to you and do not cry so much.” “Do you 
 pray?” I asked. “No; I can’t.” “Why?” 
 ‘ ‘ My husband was angry and pushed me from 
 the roof. My knee was hurt and I cannot bend 
 it.” This but illustrates the difficulty and the 
 primary character of our teaching among these 
 daughters who “sit in the darkness” of Islam. 
 After the patients have gotten their treatment 
 they go away home — passing along the dykes, 
 through the far stretching green fields in the set- 
 ting sunlight to their villages. What do they 
 carry with them? This land with its marvelous- 
 ly fertile fields and its millions of lowly tillers 
 must some day be Immanuel’s land. God grant 
 that medical missions may at least have an hum- 
 ble part in this glorious transformation. 
 
 Perhaps in medicine more than in any other 
 form of mission work, is the opportunity richer 
 in which to show Christ to those who know Him 
 not. Medicine should be a most gracious, win- 
 ning and valuable hand-maiden in missionary 
 work. It wants but the inspiration of the great 
 Master Physician who by His example has for 
 all time glorified and made .divine the healing art. 
 
A DAY’S EXPERIENCE WITH A DOCTOR 
 IN EGYPT 
 Miss E. Dorcas Teas 
 
 One evening Dr. Henry received a telegram 
 from a village not far from Assiut to visit a man 
 who for weeks had been suffering with an abeess 
 of the liver. He had previously been advised 
 to have an operation performed, but had refused 
 it. However, when his friends despaired of his 
 recovery, and he himself was alarmed over his 
 condition, the call came to the doctor: “Come 
 at once and operate.” 
 
 Early the next morning, after the important 
 cases in the hospital were cared for, instruments, 
 basins, towels, dressings, chloroform, etc., were 
 carefully packed and the two doctors and myself, 
 as nurse, started off on our errand of mercy. 
 
 An hour’s ride by rail brought us to the sta- 
 tion, where we had to look around for some kind 
 of beasts to carry us and our precious baggage 
 to the sick man’s home. Presently two donkeys 
 came in sight, neither having saddle or bridle. 
 Having been advised before leaving Assiut to 
 prepare for such an emergency, I had taken my 
 side saddle with me, and the donkey boy, after 
 much persuasion, provided me with a bridle. 
 
 Dr. Henry mounted the second donkey, which 
 had only a cloth thrown over it for a saddle, 
 with a stick in his hand to guide the little animal 
 as he traveled along. The horse brought for Dr. 
 McLaughlin had on it a grotesque-like saddle, 
 with stirrups to it like tin shoes. Considering 
 the times and circumstances, we rode off in real 
 
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Eg3’ptian style, with a native in charge of our 
 baggage, who “vowed” he would take special 
 care of it. It was not long, however, until hear- 
 ing a “thud” back of us we looked around and 
 saw the man, baggage, donkey and all rolling 
 down the slope from the railroad track. We had 
 a feeling of uneasiness lest bottles were broken 
 and instruments injured, but after helping the 
 man once more to mount bis donkey, with the 
 assurance that all our things were safe, we re- 
 sumed our journey in a manner much like Abra- 
 ham must have done in his day; although boys 
 running alongside of travelers to urge the don- 
 kej's along may be of a more recent usage. An 
 hour and a quarter’s ride brought us to the so- 
 called home of the patient. To describe the 
 poor emaciated man we need only to say that he 
 looked like a mummy, thousands of years old. 
 Now and then he breathed and would whisper a 
 word or two, beseeching the doctors to help him. 
 With his thin face covered with dirt, he put on 
 such a look of pleading that one could not resist 
 trying to help relieve his suffering. However, 
 he was too weak to endure an operation. 
 
 The surroundings of this home were all in 
 keeping with the appearance of the man. It was 
 large, with numerous courts, or enclosures of 
 brick walls, some being roofed over and others 
 open to the clear blue sky, which, in its purity, 
 was striking in its contrast to the place and 
 people who occupied the same apartments with 
 the cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. 
 
 All occupants seemed alike indifferent to the 
 luxury' of the bath, which cannot be said of all 
 
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Egyptians. While tliere are those who give great 
 attention to cleanliness, many fear water where 
 there is sickness, and the poor patient is left day 
 after day, until as in the ease mentioned, layer 
 after layer of dirt had accumulated, making him 
 appear as if wrapped in mummy cloth many years 
 old. As it was found to be too late to give re- 
 lief through an operation for which we had come 
 prepared, we were invited cordially to sit down 
 on the pretty rugs that were spread for us on 
 the ground. There being no drug store nearer 
 than three hours ride from the house. Dr. Henry 
 took from his ever-ready saddle-bag of medicine 
 some powders, and while preparing them he 
 talked with the patient about the condition of 
 his soul. It was said that he was rich in this 
 world’s goods, but, oh, how poor he was in the 
 “treasures laid up above!’’ 
 
 He was afraid to appear before his God, al- 
 though he called himself a Christian. But this 
 name means very little to many thousands in the 
 Coptic church of Egypt. They are quite as ig- 
 norant as the Mohammedans who are sitting in 
 gross darkness and know not the true Light. The 
 sick man asked to be prayed for, and it was 
 pitiful to see his long, thin, grimy fingers clutch- 
 ing at the hands of those near him as he eagerly 
 asked if there was not some chance j^et to have 
 the operation. 
 
 In the meantime a number of blind, half-blind, 
 lame and sick persons, who had learned of the 
 doctor’s presence, crowded in to claim his atten- 
 tion, until it was difficult for him to administer 
 to anyone. 
 
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True hospitality is a characteristic of the 
 Egyptians, and it was not lacking on this occa- 
 sion. A bountiful repast was spread in the best 
 manner, and we were cordially invited to sit 
 down and partake. Even while eating the sick 
 ones gathered around the doctor, notwithstanding 
 the family tried to keep them away, and pre- 
 scriptions were written and given out as rapidly 
 as possible. Some were able to pay for these, 
 but to the poor they were given free of charge. 
 During the time the doctor lost no opportunity 
 to present the need of the sin-sick souls. 
 
 At last the hour approached for our return 
 to the station to take the train for Assiut. There 
 was great difficulty in extricating ourselves from 
 the crowd, and as we mounted our animals we 
 were obliged to be almost rude in order to get 
 started. Many, however, followed us out of the 
 little town and through the fields, making us 
 anxious lest the train would leave us. As “all 
 things come to an end," so did our journey, and 
 we found ourselves back home, hot and weary. 
 Yet we rejoiced that we had been able during 
 the long day to speak to many about their soul’s 
 salvation. After a hurried visit to the hospital, 
 as the evening shades gathered around us, we 
 thought of the Master who walked through 
 Galilee and Samaria teaching and preaching and 
 healing the people, with the prayer in our hearts 
 that He would teach those with whom we had 
 met — -who were like “sheep without a shepherd.’’ 
 
 INTERURBAN PRESS PlTTSbURGH. PA.