Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
SHANGHAI MEDICINE.
Christian Missionaries Who Run a
DispenSary in That City,
THEY DESCRIBE 1T In PITTSBURG.
Celestial Feet Bound So That Toes Drop Of
When Loosed.
NOTICEABLE FAITH WHEN CONVERTED


tions, which are the direct sources OF edu-
eating and furthering the interests OF all
peopIe. q descriptive lecture treating those
of an almost isolated land will doubtless
proye full of features to a reading public.
Yesterday afternoon the lecture room of
the Y. NJ. C. A. was moderately we'll filled
with benevolent ladies to listen to the talks
of DIR. Elizabeth Reifsnyder and Miss Eliza.
beth McKechnie, of Shanghai, China, who
have had charge of the Margaret Williamson
Hospital and Dispensary for the treatment
of the sore and afflicted of that Chinese city.
Their experience dates back six years and
their efforts to relieve the poverty-stricken
patients of their ills, in conjunction with
teaching Christianity to the heather, have
met with unqualified success and reflect
credit upon these brave volunteer women,
who left their homes to accomplish an end
which at one time was thought impractic-
able.
UP TO MODERN METHODS.
Before the building of the Margaret Will
hanson Dispensary for Women and Chill
dren, the lady whose name it takes
having donated 8 sufficient amount
for its erection, the methods of
medical treatment in China were
primitive, and, now that the feasibility of
the scheme has proven so encouraging, steps
are on foot for the addition of several build
ings in order to succor the suffering and
cure the sick.
The institution is now operated under the
auspices of the Women's Missionary So
ciety, the first of the kind organized. To
show with what success the dispensary has
met, it NAV be said that over 90 900 patients
were prescribed for by DR.. Reitsnvder and
Miss McKechnie during the past year.
The doctor, who is a graduate of Phila-
delphia medical college, is very intelli-
gent lady, and clearly demonstrated, during
her talk, that she was well acquainted with
the Chinese and their customs, and was
deeply desirous of having our philanthropic
people become benefactors of a race which
sorely needed every modern means of culti-
walton from Christian standpoint.
The lady prefaced her remarks with
description of China, its vast acreage and
number of inhabitants, the geographical
situation and climate, and
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
of the people who have denounced heathen-
ism for the Christian faith since 1853
Then there were only 353 converts, and now
81 555 have been added to the fold of
Christianity.
"Just th1nkl' said she; ''there are over
loo, 900 ministers of the gospel in this
country alone, while for those vast provinces,
inhabited by upward of 4 600, 900 souls, only
1,123 missionaries are there to teach the
Christian faith. Do you not think, dear
people, that it is a part of your mission, as
Christians, to aid and abet us in our en-
deavors to save these ignorant people? As
ameans of promoting our plans in Shanghai,
as l said before, we have established a
hospital, dispensary, boarding and day
schools. We at first encountered many
difficulties; but, in a great measure, have
overcome the most of these, and, spurred
by the fattering success so far achieved, we
came back to our mother country to tell of
our conquests and to interest you all in this
most laudable work in a foreign land. If
we have patience and faithfully work, sue
cess cannot fail to shed its sunny rays upon
us all.
''In our hospital and schools, one great
evil, which has been a cruel custom in
China for years-that of foot binding-we
are earnestly endeavoring to eradicate. This
is supposed to exist only among the higher
class of people, but such is not the case, as
the poorest also practice the heathenish
binding to as great an extent as do those in
the upper walks of life. The mother-in-law
takes the child and binds it in its innocent
infancy; and once bound, always bound.
TOES THAT DROP OFF.
"When foot-bound child comes into our
institution, we Immediately release the fet-
tiers; but the deformIty has, as a rule, so set
itself that there is no specific and many
times the inverted toes drop off from morti-
fcation. The feet of the Chinese girls are,
when Eot bound, shapely and beautiful as
are also their hands.
Here the speaker showed a shoe not over
three inches in length, which was worn by
woman patient who entered the hospital for
treatment. She said when this person
walked it Just looked like goat stepping.
After the people are once Christianized theV
give up the practice of binding, unless their
relations are heathens and compel them to
continue it. Continuing, the doctor said:
The dispensary is the largest part of our
work, and we always have a large and at
tentive audience, some of whom come from a
great distance to be treated The people who
live afar of, having heard of our great cures,
travel in little boats on the canals-the latter
system cannot be excelled in the world, per-
haps. We see from 100 to 200 patients daily,
and write a prescription for everv one of
them, which they take to Miss McKechnie,
who, as practical phsrmaceutist, fills them.
They ask innumerable questions as to their all
ments, thinking the prescription gives all the
details of their disease. The Chinese drugs are
all in the crude state; consequently they have
such a drug. We treat all classes alike-silk
and rags the same. From the former we ask
stipulated price, and, if the appli-
the same by marking the prescription
mo cash." The middle class of people pre-
dominate in our hospital, and many farmers
also seek treatment from us. We have gained
the confidence of the people from our mode
and success in treating them, and, aside from
the virtue there is in our curative powers we
have converted many to Christianity; and it is
with this one point L would impress you, that
the hospital dispensary and school combined is
me most expeditions way to gain access to
their hearts and therein spread the gospel.
THE DISPENSING MISSIONARY.
After DIR. Reifsnyder had finished she in
troduced Mrs. McKechnie, the dispensing
missionary in the Williamson Hospital.
She is kindly-faced lady, with wavy gray
hair, which strikingly contrasts with her
dark, intelligent eye. She spoke at length
upon the practical part of her work, and
how she kept busy the convalescent pa
tients in the hospital by making pills, put
ting up powders, etc. Said she:
IT takes us all forenoon to prepare the medi-
cines used in the afternoon, and then we are
sometines behind in our work. 1t is very labor
ions Great crowds come to us with imploring
looks upon their faces, to ascertain their all
ments We have done away with the use of
nottles- as some of the people attempt to keen
them One day a little fellow came up to the
window with prescription, and 1 asked him
for his bottle. he naq none. told him to go
and get one at home. No, he had none at home;
or no reeentacle of any kind made him wait
and he thinking he would notreceive his medi-
cine, became uneasy, ana, aIter search. found
a bottle which he had secreted up his sleeve.
Another one came-2 lazy in silks and satins.
I asked her for money, which she protested she
nae not; but, after nao maoe ner walt tEe