Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-15
MEDICAL MISSION IN CHINA.

Miss Kate woodhun, M. h., Delivers
 an Extremely Interesting Lecture
 on Medical Mission Work in China |
 -Bigotry and superstition.
 Center church chapel was crowded yes | terday afternoon with ladies of the New | Haven branch of the Congregational For eign Missionary society to listen to the lecture on China by Miss Dr. Kate Wood l hull, who has been In China number of l years as medical missionary. She spoke of the excellent work that is being done by the medical missionaries in that benighted country of heathendom. This ia almost the only way that the Chinese can be reached. Their minds are so packed full of the superstihons of the Buddhist re- hgion, that they arc allow to accept any new ideas. Miss Woodruff told number of remarkable instances of the supersti tions of this curious people.
 One woman who had manifested consid- erable interest in the work that was being done by the missionaries would not join the church and no urging could get her to. At last 1t came out that she was sverse to being baptized by man, thinking that she
 would be forever disgracsd if @ man bap- tized her. She fell sick once and became quite Respondent. She said that she was the second wife of g man and that accord ing to their superstitions the spirit of the first wife troubled the second wife and made her sick. We cured her, however, and got good many of these strange and peculiar notions out of her head.
 In speaking of this great work of giving this people the truth we feel that one great idea Is to give them knowledge of Jesus Christ. But 1t is 8 hard struggle. 1 Our principal hold is through our knowl- l edge of medicine. When some of the family falls sick the native priest is sent | for first, and after he has burnt innumer-
 able pieces of idol paper and tapped on
 his bowls for 8 long time, and still death is staring them in the face, then they are l very glad to send for us And when they l find that the foreign missionaries possess | a knowledge which they do not, then they are very willing to acknowledge that there is something good outside of China. ! The women when they are young all bind and lace their fest, restraining them from growth 30 that they are practically crip- | ples. When they embrace Christianity they unbind their feet. It takes some time
 for them to get 30 they can walk, but they
 are perseverent and gradually they become l able to go around.
 Thus in giving them this time happiness
 I think that the medical mission work Is
 most effective. China differs from Japan in that there is little or no prejudice against
 women. In Japan @ woman is not allowed to practice medicine at all, but in China as
 soon as girl has 8 sufficient degree of
 knowledge she is taken right into the dis
 pensary.
 wish could write more letters to in.
 terest the people at home in this medical
 missionary work. But our work is rather
 a matter of fact, plodding life There are
 no thrilling events happening. It is {
 struggle against odds. Miss Woodruff
 then exhibited little button on which wal
 the inscription: 'I will abstain from wine
 opium and tobacco" It was in Chimes,
 characters. She said in continuation:
 Wine drinking is not such crying svi there ss the use of opium. It is really part of their national life, and it is hart
 to bring even good many of the Christian ) people to believe that it is anything bu
 right They use wine at all their feasts but some gre now substituting the un l fermented juice of a certain fruit tha ; grows there. Miss Woodruff also exhibit cd fancy satin scroll bearing Chines t characters in gilt and tinsel. This wa 2 presented to her by about twenty of he Chinese friends, each of whom gave abou t $1 apiece toward 1t. She eaid that sh :; thought & great deal of it on that account a l ss most of them earned $4 per month an :: bought their food, besides giving this sur ? for her scroll. One of the character ' translated means: "This is 8 good perso 1. giving life to others" She also exhibite l. several msrvelously small shoes worn b
 | Chinese women.