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 By I)R. EM I LIE BRETT HA 11 Ell 
 
 Hospital at Kityang 
 
MEDICAL WORK IN CHINA. 
 By Dr. Emilie Bretthauer. 
 
 [Note. — Dr. Bretthauer wrote the following sketch from her experience in the Han- 
 yang Hospital, Central China, but the conditions which it describes are so charcteristic 
 of China in general that it may well stand as an introduction to our medical work in 
 China.] 
 
 Perhaps we shall be asked at the start, “ Why do medical work in China at all?” 
 In answer to such a question, we should reply that there are many reasons, but that, 
 first of all, there is the Master’s own example. He preached; He healed. Some, like 
 blind Bartimaeus, He healed after they had first believed; but there were others, like 
 the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda, whom Jesus healed before they so much as 
 knew the name of their benefactor. Some of those whom Jesus healed, like the nine 
 lepers, never even came back to say “Thank you.” So it was not always with the idea 
 of making converts that Jesus healed the sick, but out of His love for suffering humanity. 
 His disciples Jesus sent to follow in His steps — “to preach the kingdom of God and to 
 heal the sick.” Thus missions and medicine are vitally related in the plans and purposes 
 of world evangelization. 
 
 The knowledge of medicine gives the opportunity for presenting the gospel. It is 
 not always easy to bring people under the influence of the gospel message, especially a 
 people like the Chinese, who for ages long have thought that everything worth having 
 was right in China. True, their religions do not satisfy them, but how is one to prove 
 to them that there is anything better? Was there not a time when one of the Chinese 
 Emperors whose soul was not satisfied with the Chinese religion (Confucianism and 
 Taoism), and who had heard that India had perhaps a better religion, sent his emissaries 
 to investigate? What did they bring back to China with them? Buddhism with its host 
 of idols — and who can estimate the harm done China by Buddhism! Sometimes China 
 is spoken of as a land of idol worship, but one must not forget that there were no idols 
 in China until they were brought into the country. So if a new religion is to be 
 introduced into China, proof must be given to the people that it is not going to do harm 
 like Buddhism, but that it is going to do China good. It is just here that medical work 
 
is such a powerful breaker down of prejudice. For even though a father may mistrust 
 the religion of the foreigner, he will bring his sick child to the foreign doctor. The 
 husband will bring his sick wife, yes, even a thousand Chinese miles, in the hope that 
 the doctor may heal her. Then, when they remain with us for a little while and learn 
 to trust us, we can tell them about Jesus and they will listen willingly. One evening 
 at the close of our prayer-meeting in the Hanyang chapel a man who had never been 
 there before came over to me and said, “Doctor, I have come to investigate your religion. 
 Nothing was farther from my mind when a short time ago I brought my sick wife to 
 the hospital. You are all so kind to her there, even though she is an entire stranger 
 to you. She tells me that in your prayers to the true God you mention her name and 
 in many ways show your love for her.” When this man had learned more about Jesus, 
 he accepted Him as his Saviour and together with his wife is journeying on to heaven. 
 
 The great need of the suffering women and children is another thing which earnestly 
 calls upon us to carry on medical work. In America there is much sickness; one has 
 only to go to one of the large hospitals in any of our cities to realize that. Now, if this 
 is so in our country, where so much is done to prevent and cure disease and alleviate 
 suffering, can you imagine what the conditions must be in a country like China? Tn 
 China we find all the diseases that there are in America, but in a much more aggravated 
 form. Added to the list with which we are familiar there are also many diseases 
 ordinarily not found in America, such as typhus-fever, dengue, kala-azar, beri-beri, 
 leprosy, plague and cholera. Tumors of all kinds are plentiful. Accidents are of 
 frequent occurrence. When we consider all the suffering brought on by these conditions 
 we see that the need is simply appalling. 
 
 A great deal of suffering is also brought on by the ignorance of the native doctors. 
 While we admit that the Chinese have systems of medicine and surgery, one only needs 
 to take one look at them to see that they are wholly inadequate. In the Chinese medical 
 books we read that the body is composed of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. These 
 five elements must be in proper proportions. If anyone gets sick it is because one of the 
 elements exists in too great proportions. How their doctors are going to find out which 
 one is out of proportion one would very much like to know. Scientific medicine is not 
 a thing that is native to China. We need not wonder if the native doctors are not able 
 to cope with the situation, for their system of medicine is old. very old. In reading 
 over the text-book of medicine which the more intelligent of the native doctors use, we 
 
find that the book was printed 900 years ago. It was revised 149 years ago. It contains 
 many prescriptions just as they were used 3,000 years ago. In practice we find the 
 native doctors using all sorts of nauseating things, bones of birds: bones, horns and 
 teeth of animals ; skins of the elephant ; snakes, tortoises, scorpions, centipedes ; snails 
 and other things too disgusting to mention, are all made into medicine. In Central 
 China there are not many tigers, but one was killed not so very long ago and brought 
 to Hankow. The owner of the carcass made a great deal of money out of it. It cer- 
 tainly was a sight to see all the men flock to the place to buy a little piece of the flesh 
 
 or bones in order to make medicine out of it. 
 
 In surgery there is usually positive harm done. If there is an abscess deep down 
 somewhere and the pus has burrowed its way out to the skin, the opening is immediately 
 closed by a plaster, thus preventing a cure. This we see every day. I had been in 
 China but a short time when I had my introduction to another method of surgery — 
 the burning of the skin at different places with a glowing pith lampwick. The child, a 
 baby still in arms, had had convulsions, and the parents called in the native surgeon 
 to do his work. Subsequently they brought the little patient to us. A few doses of 
 quinine and he was rid of his convulsions; but the ulcers, which formed wherever the 
 skin had been burned, took several months to heal. 
 
 Another thing that causes much suffering, and even death, is the puncturing of 
 diseased parts by the “needle.” This instrument of torture resembles an ordinary 
 steel knitting needle. Sometimes it is heated just before being plunged into the part, 
 and then it is not nearly so deadly, though if it penetrates a vital part or a blood vessel 
 certain death ensues. Whether hot or cold, of course it is used without any anaes- 
 thetic. One cannot be in China for even a few days without seeing the evil effects 
 
 of this dread instrument. The proper practice of surgery, with all its important asepsis 
 and antisepsis, remains for us to give the Chinese. 
 
 Another need that calls to us is the lack of nurses. Of nursing the Chinese know 
 nothing. We were called to see a woman very sick with typhoid fever. We found her 
 in a semi-conscious condition, sitting in a chair, and a relative trying to feed her rice, 
 vegetables and meat. Another time we were called to a child with smallpox. The 
 mother held the child, whose body was entirely covered by smallpox pustules, in her arms. 
 The other seven children were running back and forth to her. When it was time to get 
 dinner she put the child into the cradle and prepared the meal. We find the same with 
 
measles, chicken-pox, scarlet fever, diphtheria, consumption ; in fact, all the contagious 
 diseases. No attempt is made to isolate these diseases. It is not that they do not care, but 
 they do not know. In the dispensary a mother brought her baby for diarrhoea; while she 
 was telling us about him he was munching peanuts. When anyone is taken sick no one 
 would think of getting a nurse; in fact, outside of foreign hospitals nurses are unknown. 
 
 Another urgent call comes to us through the ignorance of native midwives. Oh, 
 the agony which the poor women suffer in childbirth ! The care of woman in her hour 
 of greatest need is entirely in the hands of native midwives — and they? Oh, how ignorant 
 they are! When we are called to one of these women our usual experience is that four or 
 five midwives have already had their turn. So not only is it for us to do for the patient 
 what Nature was unable to do, but we must also try to counteract what these midwives, in 
 their ignorance, have brought about. Need I tell you that many of the women die 
 undelivered? The need for doctors is great! 
 
 The superstition of the people is another thing which shows the need for medical 
 mission work. The people believe that disease is brought on by evil spirits, and conse- 
 quently when anyone gets sick the priest is called in to drive away the evil spirit. So 
 not only does the patient suffer from her disease, from having quarts of nauseating 
 mixture poured down her throat, from the lack of being properly nursed, but her poor 
 body is also racked by the awful din of the drums and cymbals of the priests. In their 
 superstition the people feel the dread of the power of the evil spirits. In our medical 
 mission work they feel the love of God. Oh, how the women and children need Christian 
 doctors and Christian nurses to love them and care for them! 
 
 In our work evangelisation and doctoring go hand in hand in all departments. The 
 work is divided into three departments: Out-Patient, In-Patient and Nurses’ Training 
 School. The Out-Patient Department includes the work in the dispensary, in the office, 
 and professional visits to the homes of the natives. 
 
 In the dispensary a good many women receive their introduction to Christianity. 
 A Chinese woman rarely comes alone ; a relative or two, or even three, must come along 
 to see what is going on, so it does not take long before there is a whole room full of 
 women who are listening to the gospel message. Some of them come a long time before 
 dispensary hours, even so much as four hours before. During the time of waiting the 
 Bible woman speaks personally to each patient as she comes in, and when they are all 
 gathered together she preaches to them until the arrival of the doctor. The doctor 
 
with the native nurses then sees to the physical wants of the patients. She sees each 
 patient herself and speaks words of consolation or cheer as well as prescribes medicine. 
 A large number of the patients in the dispensary are of the poorer classes, some even 
 of the beggars from the street. 
 
 As the more well-to-do Chinese women do not care to mix with the poorer classes, 
 we have arranged for them to come to the doctor’s office, paying, of course, a larger fee. 
 These patients are received by a tactful native nurse, and over the inevitable cup of tea 
 their minds are led from the usual polite talk to that which is nearest and dearest to our 
 hearts. While they tell us of their ills, we tell them of Him who is able to save the 
 soul as well as to heal the body. 
 
 As to the calls at the homes, these include all classes, from those of the very poorest 
 to those of the highest officials. Here is an unusual opportunity for telling of Jesus. 
 As soon as the doctor and native nurses enter the house, if it is of a poor woman, say 
 a hut, all the women of the neighboring huts come crowding in, so there is soon an 
 audience as large as one cares to have. These people are good listeners, too. The most 
 of these calls are to women who are in the throes of childbirth, women who have been 
 in labor for several days. The native midwives have done their best — we should say 
 their worst — the native doctor, too, has prescribed, although of course not seen the 
 woman ; yet the baby remains unborn. Then the doctor and her assistant, with the 
 help of God, gives the family a living child ; or, if called too late for that, at least saves 
 the life of the woman. Who would not listen under such circumstances? The doctor 
 is the talk of the neighborhood for days, and out from among these women there are 
 always some who come to the regular services at the church. 
 
 If we are called to the home of one of the better class of women we esteem it an 
 even greater privilege, for while the women of the neighborhood cannot crowd in, the 
 households are often very large. We attended a child of a very high official and were 
 called a number of times. During the first few visits all the relatives who lived in the 
 house, and they were many, came in to see us. In the course of subsequent visits a 
 great many relatives from other parts of the city, and some even from neighboring cities, 
 took the journey just to see what the doctor was doing. We think it well worth while 
 to tell these people of Him who died for them. 
 
 In the hospital women and children are brought under the influence of the gospel 
 for a much longer period, some even for months. It is our special opportunity for the 
 
Dr. Bretthauer and Convalescing Patients 
 
children. When we think of how closely the life of a Chinese child is connected with 
 idol worship, one can readily see what an impression it must make on the receptive 
 child mind to live in a place where there are no idols — where no one frightens him with 
 gruesome idol stories, but where everyone is kind and loving to him. Children so soon 
 know when they are loved, and are willing to be taught. It is a real joy to go into the 
 ward and listen to the children sing gospel songs and recite Scripture verses. Oh, it 
 pays to teach the children about Jesus! When they are first brought to us some of the 
 children are afraid to stay with us, but they soon get over their fear, and then they do 
 not want to leave us. There was little Joe, for instance. He came to us at two years 
 of age, not yet able to walk or talk. He learned to do both while with us. He had 
 some very' bad ulcers which took about three months to heal. The day came when he 
 was all well and his father came to take him home — but Joe was nowhere to be found! 
 The frightened nurses said that Joe had been in the ward five minutes before the father 
 came. The door-keeper said that Joe had not left the hospital by the front door. In 
 the kitchen and the laundry no one had seen the youngster. The nurses were getting 
 frantic in their search, when there, all cuddled up on the pantry shelf, was our little Joe. 
 He had pulled all the bowls in front of him so that no one should suspect his hiding 
 place! A little girl of twelve whose leg we had to amputate kept pulling off her bandages. 
 We explained to her that if she pulled off the bandages her leg would never get well. 
 Still off they came. After a while the little girl said, “I pull the bandages off because 
 I do not want to have my leg get well, for when I am well I must leave here, and I want 
 to stay in the hospital all the time.” These little ones do not forget what they learn 
 in the hospital. We were in the ward one day talking to a little boy of ten who was 
 cured and ready to go home. We told him always to remember Jesus. In the presence 
 of the ward full of people he said, “I know that it was the true God who made me well, 
 For two years we all prayed to the idols and gave them much money to make me well, 
 but they did not hear us. Here in the hospital someone has prayed to the true God for 
 me every day, and He has made me well. I know that God loves me.” This child’s 
 mother bitterly opposed his coming to the foreigners and yielded only when she saw 
 that her boy was about to depart for another world. Since then his mother and we 
 have become good friends. 
 
 “Hope” is another little child who comes to my mind at this time. He was left 
 motherless at one year. When he was four his father brought him to us with extensive 
 
sores. Hope was like other children, hut differed greatly in one respect, and that was 
 that he did not know how to laugh. His father told us that the boy had not laughed 
 once in the four years of his life. Poor little fellow, how he did make our hearts ache! 
 Such a melancholy little face and only four years old! Of course everybody tried to 
 make him laugh, but it was slow work teaching him. Finally, after some weeks of 
 patient effort, we were rewarded by his first “ha-ha.” After that he became one of our 
 happiest little patients. 
 
 Little Pearl was one of the dearest little girls that anyone could wish to see. She 
 was very sick with typhoid fever. When she was well enough we gave her a little doll 
 with which to play. Pearl had never seen a doll before and did not know what to do 
 with it, so we showed her how to play with it and she soon learned to love “Dollie.” 
 
 Do you remember Chii? She was a poor little blind girl who was put out into the 
 street to beg. When the cold winter came her feet became frost-bitten and shortly after 
 actually rotten, so that to save her life we had to amputate both legs. While with us 
 she learned to sing hymns and recite Scripture verses. All day long, except while eating, 
 this child would sing so happily, “Jesus Loves Me.” When she was well we succeeded 
 in getting her into a blind school, and only a short time ago we had a letter from her 
 telling how happy she was in Jesus. 
 
 Saddest of all child life in China is that of the slave girls, some of whom we always 
 have with us. At another time perhaps we can tell you something about them. 
 
 There is so much that is interesting to tell about the children, but we must hasten 
 on, for the hospital is also the place to give the gospel to the women and to relieve them 
 of their pains. At first when the women come into the hospital a good many of them 
 are blankly amazed when we tell them of Jesus. Such phrases as “the forgiveness 
 of sin,” “eternal salvation,” “joy in the Saviour,” “God is love,” are not in their 
 vocabulary, and we must teach them in the most simple way. But when the light dawns 
 what a joy is theirs! I shall never forget the tears of joy which Mrs. Li wept. A year 
 before she came to us she was taken with a severe attack of smallpox. In the course 
 of time she recovered, but oh, poor woman! her elbow joints had grown stiff so that 
 both arms were stretched out and could not be bent ! Then her husband did not want 
 her any more and left her. She did not blame him. “For,” she said, “of what use was 
 I to him?” We operated and gave her relief. It was at first difficult for her to under- 
 stand how God would love her when she had nothing to give Him. But after she was 
 
with us a while it became clear to her. “It is just the same as with the doctor,” she said. 
 “She has shown her love for me when she knew I had nothing to give in return.” 
 
 Mrs. Tsen was brought on a bamboo couch from one of the neighboring cities. 
 “Nothing is the matter with me,” she said, “only I cannot walk. I have taken a great 
 deal of Chinese medicine but it did not help me any.” On examination we found that 
 she had broken both bones in her leg — quite sufficient to prevent her walking. 
 
 Then there was Mrs. Wong, a young woman of thirty, who had developed cataracts 
 on both eyes so that she was totally blind. After we removed the cataracts she was a 
 happy woman indeed, and her husband was even happier. 
 
 Just one more and then we must stop. Mrs. Tsen had a severe illness and needed 
 hospital treatment. She hesitated long, “because,” she said, “I have been told that the 
 foreign people cut out the hearts and the eyes of the Chinese, so it is not safe to have 
 anything to do with them.” However, she decided to come into the hospital and have 
 her operation. After she went back home she did much to overcome prejudice in her 
 village. “I am an example of the love which these Christian people have for the Chinese,” 
 she was wont to say. 
 
 In connection with our medical work it is always our aim to have a Nurses’ Training 
 School. During a recent trip two of our missionaries reported that they were greatly 
 impressed everywhere with the great need for native trained workers. So many cities 
 without any foreign missionaries, without any churches, without any Christian schools, 
 without any hospitals or doctors ! 
 
 The need of more educated women is especially felt, for only the women of China 
 can solve the problem of meeting the needs of the Chinese women. 
 
 Price 5 Cents. 
 
 Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society 
 Publication Dept., 450 E. 30th St., Chicago, 111 . 
 
 3500-4-26-16