Work 
 tn OII|ina 
 
 A STATEMENT TO THE ^ 
 PHYSICIANS AND 
 SURGEONS OF THE 
 METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
 CHURCH :::::: 
 
 BY THE REV. J. H. PYKE 
 
 BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 
 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 China Centennial Commission 
 150 Fifth Avenue 
 New York 
 
 WESTERN OFFICE 
 
 57 WASHINGTON STREET, CHICAGO 
 1908 
 
Medical Work in China 
 
 A Statement of Conditions 
 
 APPALLING China has every known disease. 
 
 And because of the vastness of the 
 Empire and the density of the population, epi- 
 demics in the most malignant form sweep over 
 wide territories unchecked. Quarantine or isola- 
 tion is unknown. There is no science of physi- 
 ology or anatomy. There is no knowledge of 
 hygiene or sanitation. There is no study of the 
 origin or causes of disease. 
 
 DISEASE and When a Chinese is stricken with 
 DEMONS disease, the cause is attributed to 
 the malign influence of evil spirits, and the most 
 potent remedy is supposed to be the propitiation 
 of these spirits. With much noise and vile concoc- 
 tions an attempt is made to dispossess the evil 
 spirit. There are no capable Chinese physicians 
 excepting those of the missions, but the land is 
 full of quacks, and the sick and dying suffer 
 greatly from the cruel, barbarous practices of 
 these impostors. 
 
 The shadow of death from sickness, famine, 
 and the plague always hangs over the terrified 
 natives. Having no knowledge of God or of the 
 Redeemer, no Christian faith, no Father’s love, 
 no future hope, their only comfort is the thought 
 that there is no help, and what is must be, and 
 must be endured. The consolation of fatalism 
 and stoicism is their guardian angel. 
 
WATER SUP- A concrete case or two will em- 
 
 phasize conditions. Tientsin is a 
 
 OPEN SEWERS Province of Chihli, 
 
 North China, having a population of 750,000 to 
 1,000,000. This multitude get all of their water 
 from the Pei Ho River and Grand Canal which 
 flow through the city. As these streams are the 
 open sewers for both the city and the large boat 
 population, the daily water supply of these peo- 
 ple is full of the germs of all manner of conta- 
 gious diseases. 
 
 The Lanchow District of the North China 
 Conference is about as healthy as any locality of 
 that part of the Empire. It includes four large 
 cities on the Lan River, Lao Ting, Lan Chou, 
 Yung Ping, Chien An, and many large towns 
 and villages. Contaminated as is the river water 
 it is nevertheless purer than the water from any 
 well in the whole region. Safety is found only 
 in never drinking unboiled water. There is onl}^ 
 one house in the entire District that an American 
 would consider safe or healthy for his family. 
 Most of the houses, of earth and thatch, are old 
 and germ infected. The floors are of brick or 
 earth thereby giving malaria a clear field. 
 
 "WHITE The “white plague,” or consump- 
 
 PLAGUE tion, is prevalent and deadly 
 throughout China. As the germ theory is un- 
 known, no precaution is taken to prevent the 
 spread of the disease. The sick and the well 
 live and sleep huddled together in poorly venti- 
 lated, and in cold weather unventilated, rooms or 
 huts. The results are apparent. The end of the 
 sufferer is hastened and victims are multi- 
 plied. 
 
GREAT Our medical missionaries go forth 
 
 to counteract all this. Entering 
 MENTS OF . , , , . , 
 
 MEDICAL *** through the ministrations of 
 
 MISSIONARIES hospitals, dispensaries and coun- 
 try medical evangelistic work, 
 they disarm prejudice, open doors, and win many 
 souls for Christ. They follow the example of 
 the Master, who went about doing good, and 
 stand for practical Christianity and the best in 
 Western civilization. 
 
 Already our physicians and surgeons in the 
 Chinese Empire have accomplished much, both 
 in healing the sick and in telling the Gospel 
 story. Everywhere doors have opened to them 
 that have been closed to evangelist and teacher. 
 The opportunities now existing there for conse- 
 crated medical skill are practically limitless. 
 
 The home Church has sent these consecrated 
 men. They are bearing our part of the burden. 
 Hear their call! 
 
 Messages from the Fields 
 
 WILEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 
 
 Kucheng, via Foochow, China 
 
 "We have but one amputating knife and that has a 
 wooden handle. Last week I had to use my pocket hy- 
 podermic syringe to inject antidiptheritic serum in a 
 laryngeal diptheritic case because we have not a single 
 serum syringe. I have two important cases, one is a 
 question of tuberculosis, the other of diphtheria. Both 
 need a microscopic examination, but I cannot do this. 
 There is an old microscope here, a cheap one, but it has 
 no high power lens or Abbe condenser. We have no ster- 
 ilizer for instruments or dressings. No centrifuge or 
 urinary test apparatus for urine examination and so on. 
 Brethren, I plead for a fair chance to do the work you 
 have sent me out to this far away land to do.” 
 
 Thomas H. Coole, M. D. 
 
 METHODIST EPISCOPAL HOSPITAL 
 
 Ch'Angli Hsien, China. 
 
 "With about 10,000,000 people, with students and 
 helpers to train, with a hospital full all the time (often 
 having 30 in-patients), the difficult operating, all this 
 
District to itinerate, all these sicknesses to heal anti souls 
 to save, sorely do 1 need another Medical Missionary as 
 colleague, an outfit for country work, and support of 
 Dispensaries and medical .studentsand dispensers.” 
 
 Joseph L. Keeler, M. D. 
 
 JOHN L. HOPKINS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 
 
 Peking, China. 
 
 "Very little equipment has been added to the hospi ■ 
 tal during the past year, though we are very much i>' 
 need of many things in order to get the best results- 
 Electrical apparatus, in the shape of batteries and an X- 
 ray machine, are badly needed. Many cases could be 
 much more satisfactorily treated if we had such appar- 
 atus. The operating room, too, needs a very much better 
 equipment than is now at hand. 
 
 Nehemiah S. Hopkins. M. D. 
 
 George D. N. L )W'ry, M. D. 
 
 PHILANDER SMITH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL 
 
 Nanking. China. 
 
 "The training of nurses, both men and women, has 
 show'll some result, and we liave tried to secure in all 
 departments a maximum of cleanliness and convenience 
 for the execution of daily duties. Both men and women 
 in China have the needed qualities to make good nurses, 
 but much time and strength must necessarily be expend- 
 ed in this training, because of the different native cus- 
 toms of caring for the sick, which to us seem almost no 
 care whatever.” 
 
 Mrs. Christiana W. Hall, Supt. 
 
 CHUNKING GENERAL HOSPITAL 
 
 Chunking. China. 
 
 “We are glad to report an awakening among the 
 progressive, wealthy Chinese. This year Mr. Yea, Mana- 
 ger of China Merchants, has come forw-ard and offered to 
 pay all cost in vaccinating the children of the city and 
 surrounding country, and has billed the city over his 
 own name with posters setting forth the advantages of 
 foreign vaccine over the native, and urging the people to 
 come to us to be vaccinated. This man lias endowed a 
 bed by a gift of $500.00.” 
 
 J. H. McCartney', M. D. 
 
 TAIAN MEDICAL WORK 
 
 Taian, China. 
 
 "They have knocked their heads on each of the six 
 tiiousand stone steps, have climbed to the top on their hands 
 and knees, and in pain have kowtow'ed totheirgods, only to 
 be scorned. The priests have robbed them, and as a last 
 resort they come to us, fearing, perhaps, that we too will 
 treat them no'’better. The.se cases are usually of the 
 w'orst type, and often nothing can be done. Others that 
 might be helped will not stay, being suspicious of us and 
 our place. Yet a few who would not stay last year for 
 operations, this year came back and requested to stay till 
 they are cured.” 
 
 Charles E. Ensign, M. D. 
 
What Can Be Done 
 
 What can a medical missionary do at the 
 present time in China? Give him a hospital 
 costing $7,000 to $10,000 and like those now la- 
 boring on the field he will — 
 
 DISPENSARY Prescribe and dispense medicine 
 WORK jjj dispensaries, chapels and on the 
 
 streets to 10,000 people annuallj', (some physi- 
 cians with their assistants have reached 30,000) 
 each of whom has the opportunity of hearing the 
 Gospel for an hour or more. The preaching is 
 done while the patient waits his turn for treat- 
 ment. 
 
 HOSPITAL Take into the hospital for opera- 
 WORK treatment 500 patients 
 
 who remain two weeks on an average. Most of 
 these are cured and thus given a new lease of life 
 and efficiency. All hear the Gospel daily, at- 
 tend prayer meeting, and are talked to and 
 prayed with personally. Many are converted 
 and saved to go out to save others by publish- 
 ing the good news of salvation and the beneficent 
 works of the “Jesus” Church. 
 
 MEDICAL Train native assistants and. 
 
 COLLEGES with medical colleagues of other 
 
 missions, found medical colleges. Peking has a 
 large Union Medical College and other cities are 
 planning similar institutions. These prepare 
 and send out native physicians who will do for 
 China what, in one generation, Japanese physi- 
 cians have done for the people, the army and navy 
 of Japan, thereby greatly lessening the sum total 
 of suffering and prolonging life and service. 
 
LECTURES Lecture and give addresses on 
 medicine and disease; write pamphlets and tracts 
 and translate foreign books on sanitary and hy- 
 gienic truth. 
 
 The Christian Physician’s Opportunity 
 
 To teach the Chinese how to avoid dis- 
 ease and premature death, and how to be healthy 
 strong, happy and useful; to lead them in cam- 
 paigns of hygiene and sanitation; to heal the 
 sick, to give sight to the blind and hearing to 
 the deaf; to make the lame walk; and to lead 
 immortal souls out of darkness into the light of 
 Jesus Christ — this is the opportunity of the con- 
 secrated physician and surgeon in this land of 
 ignorance and disease. 
 
 The Methodist Episcopal Church during the 
 next twelve months ought to send to China ten 
 earnest, Christian physicians. 
 
 Bishop J. W. Bashford writes: “Medical 
 missionary work affords a unique opportunity at 
 the present time for reaching all classes of so- 
 ciety; it also links Christianity with the best that 
 Western science has to offer and thus gives it 
 prestige among the Chinese. So thoroughly are 
 the higher class Chinese coming to recognize the 
 value of medical work that at some cities, such 
 as Antau and Nanchang, they are offering to 
 build hospitals for our church, if we will supply 
 the physicians. Here is a splendid opportunity 
 to do the Master’s work in China today.” 
 
1906 Statistics of Hospitals in Cb:na under the Board of Foreign Missions, Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 
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