The Medical Missionary in China: a narrative of twenty years' experience

Preface

. The object with which these pages have been written is to show that a medical missionary's work in a heathen land has a powerful influence in affecting the minds of the people among whom he may labour, and that such work is very valuable in giving facilities for the more direct preaching of the Gospel. The experiment of medical missions has been fully tried in China, and the experience of many years has demonstrated that the agency has been successful, that the labour spent has not been hi vain, and that the success of the past gives reason to hope for still better things for the future. Doubtless China has been a good field for the trial of medical missions, and I feel assured that were they entered upon also in India they would have the same beneficial tendency, and help the various missions to a great extent.

It is true, that in India there are many niilitary, as well as resident and civil surgeons, who have given freely of their talent and labour for the good of the natives, and it has been supposed that this met the case, but it probably does not to any great extent. The medical missionary VI

PREFACE.

. ought to be clearly identified with the mission station, so that it might be seen and known that the work is done as work for Christ ; and if it be carried on efficiently, by a properly qualified man, it will not be without good result. I would say unhesitatingly, that whenever the work has failed in eliciting the goodwill and sympathy of the natives, it has resulted from the medical missionary not making his hospital his chief work, giving to it his most earnest strength, and doing his work with sufficient energy. It is for this reason I urgently advise that the medical missionary be strictly a layman, for as a layman he can do all teaching and preaching that he has opportunity and ability for ; but he ought to have no responsibility as a pastor, or he will become distracted from his own hue of operation, and thus be less willing to undergo the drudgery of his hospital ; and without the continuous work and effort there, he cannot expect to have a wide influence.

Admitting most fully, as previously stated, the great good that all missionaries may do by the exercise of common sense in the use of a medicine chest, when no better aid is available, yet if the medical missionary is ordained, either a good surgeon or a good pastor is spoiled. I have seen this in Protestant and in Romish missions ; a man attempts to follow two professions, and always fails signally in one, sometimes in both, and thus loses rather than gains influence and power for good. In describing the work of the various medical mis-

PREFACE.

. VII sionaries who have engaged in this department of la bour, the attempt has been made to give due pro minence to each individual, and at the same time to make the history as continuous as possible. The cases quoted have been taken from a large number which have been reported from year to year at the different sta tions ; the principle of selection has been to notice those in which the use of the hospital or dispensary has been a valuable aid to general mission work ; or in which some characteristic trait of the Chinese mind may have been brought out and developed. The writer is well aware that there is httle in the Avork of direct professional interest, and also that the remarks on the diseases of the climate have been necessarily disjointed and not in proper continuity ; but while making the selections from the reports of the medical missionaries, it was judged best to attend chiefly to the history, and keep that in its integrity, allowing the remarks on disease, &c, to fall into their natural place in the account, rather than bring all professional remarks into one place, which would have broken the thread of the narrative.

Thus it is hoped that his reference to the work at each station has been kept distinct, and the indivi duality of each missionary maintained. Enough has been said to show that the object with which medical missionaries were sent out has been fully met, and that the wished for result has in large measure been attained. CONTENTS.

Chapter I

Curiosity respecting China. — Policy of Russia. — Her Acquisitions of Chinese Territory. — March of the English and French Armies. — Results of the Capture of Pekin. — Advantages of the Author. — Education among the Chinese. — School. — Private Tutors. — Examinations. — Degrees. — Employment of literary Men. — Military Education. — Religion ...... Page 1

Chapter II

Benevolent Institutions in Shanghai. — The She-e-kung-keuh. — The Tung-jin-tang. — Foundling Hospital. — The Kew-ting-keuh. — Punishments and Prisons. — Criminals. — Pirates. — Executions. — Sanitary Arrangements. — Cholera ..... 23

Chapter III

Tea Halls in Shanghai, and in the Villages. — Refreshments provided gratuitously. — Bathing Houses. — Suicides and Inquests. — Use of Arsenic. — Attempts to assassinate. — Native Remedies . 42 CHAPTER TV. Steaming Bread. — Production of Rice. — Beans. — Manufacture of Soy. — Pulse-curd. — Oil from Cotton-seed. — Varnish. — Method of collecting and using it. — Tea-chest Lining. — Bamboos. — Watch-springs. — Fancy Articles. — Casting*copper Cash. — Silver Coin. — Gold X CONTENTS.

Chapter V

Manufacture of Needles, Files, Boilers. — Iron Edge-tools. — Sharpening Razors. — Cleaning the Cotton Pod. — Pipe-metal. — Ivory and Wood Carving. — Enamel. — Feather Ornaments. — Beautifying Powder. — Water-jars. — Ice-houses. — Hatching Ducks. — Carrier Pigeons. — Fortune-telling by a Hen. — Factitious Fowls. — Popular Art. — Gas and Sugar Toys. — Barley-sugar. — The Ginseng Merchant Page 85

Chapter VI

State of Medical Science in China. — Drugs. — Qualifications of the Medical Missionary. — Account of the Medical Missions to China. — Dr. Morrison. — Dr. Parker. — Dr. Hobson. — Howqua, the Hong Merchant, and the Hospital at Canton. — Other Hospitals . . . . . . . . . .111

Chapter VII

Medical Education of Chinese Youths. — Medical Missionary Societies. — Professor Miller's Lecture. — Medical Treatises. — Dr. Hobson. — Hospital Practice at Canton .... 138 CHAPTER Vm. Chinese Gratitude. — Mr. Olyphant. — Hospital Patients. — Lunatic Asylums. — Diseases. — Native Physicians. — Religious Instruction to the Chinese. — Hostilities. — Chinese Medicines . . 173

Chapter IX

The Hospital at Hong-kong. — Principal Maladies that affect the Chinese. — Beneficial Effects of the Hospitals established at Amoy, Fu-chau, and Ningpo. — Cholera ..... 202

Chapter X

Shanghai. — Opening of the Port. — Establishment of a Hospital Native Medical Treatise on Vaccination — Chinese Patients. State of the Cities. — Attendance on the Sick. — Self-mutilation of Beggars.— Earthquake at Shanghai. — Curious Customs. — Jugglers swallowing Needles. — Hydrophobia. — Drought. — Superciliousness of Government Officials — Grateful Testimonials to the Author .......... CONTENTS. XI

CHAPTER XL

The Triads capture Shanghai. — Their Chief. — The City invested by the Imperialists. — Traitorous Provision Sellers. — The Wounded in Hospital. — Progress of the Siege. — Attack on the Foreign Settlement repulsed. — Imperialists defeated. — The French attack the City. — Famine.— Flight of the Triads. — Conflagration. — The City rebuilt Page 289

Chapter XII

Evil Effects arising from bandaging the Feet of Female Children. — Origin of the Custom. — European Works translated into Chinese. — Muirhead's Geography. — Milner's History of England. — Chinese Arithmetic. — Chinese Mathematicians. — Botany. — Herschel's Astronomy. — Medical Mission at Loo-choo. — Chinese Arms ; the Gingall ; Fire-balls ; Fire-pots and Stink-pots ; Rockets ■ 334

Chapter XIII

Diplomatic Missions. — War of 1839. — Evasions of the Treaty of Nanking. — Insults and Assassinations of Foreigners. — Mr. Parkes the Consul, and the Affair of the Lorcha. — Lord Elgin appointed Minister-Plenipotentiary. — Military Expedition of England and France. — Treaty of Tien-tsin. — Repulse at the Peiho Forts. — Second combined Expedition. — March of the Allies upon Pekin. Treacherous Seizure of Mr. Parkes and his Companions. — Capture of Pekin. — Destruction of the Emperor's Palace. — Convention. — Grave Error on the part of Lord Elgin. — Rebellion in the Chinese Empire Our Policy . . . . . . . 363