Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-09-11
LETTER FROM CHINA.
CHINKIANG, CHINA,
,July Both. 1895
EDITOR OF "STAUNToN SPECTATOR -


EDITOR OF "STAUNToN SPECTATOR :"
Dear SIR Il am doubtless the most
distant, yet none the less interested
reader of the dear old Spectator
The news it brings may be several
months on the way, and the paper
long since lost the odor of the press, yet
it comes from home, and tells me of
friends and familiar places which,
though out of sight, are, assure you
by no means out of mind.
was very sorry to hear of the small
pOx being in Staunton, yet must con-
fess that it was with DO little degree of
amusement that l read of what scare
and other places! | can we'll remem-
Der how about 10 years ago when was
teaching a small school in Beverly, w.
Va, the whole of that little town, and
l among them, were greatly affrighted
by hearing that there was probable
case of smallpox at the town of Philippi,
forty males away. | am not SO scary
now l know now the truth of what
you wrote in the issue of June 5th in
regard to vaccination. l wish to give
few instances in confirmation of your
remarks, as all your readers doubtless
know small-po is one of the most COM
mon diseases in China. Every child is
expected to take it sooner or later
The sooner the better; for if he is fated
to die with it, the sooner he dies the
more rice there will be saved. Inocu-
lation in infancy is therefore the rule
(vaccination is being introduced slowly
and no restriction whatever is placed
upon those who are suffering with the
disease or any precautions taken to
prevent others taking it from them
From January to April is the time it is
most prevalent and it is really no I'M
common thing as you go through the
towns, the streets of which are from 8
to 8 feet wide, to meet children with
their faces covered with smallpox. Or
while you are preaching in the street
chapel to have some one come in with
smallpox child in his arms and sit
down to listen. Your audience does
not object. and why should you? 1
shall never forget one case. My col
league and I were out in the country
one day preaching in the villages. We
stopped at one place where we were
invited to sit down in a large room re-
sembling somewhat large woodshed
and preach Hardly were we seated
than in came girl about Is years old
with her face one mass of fostering
sores. 1t was the worst case l ever
saw A few moments afterward man
came in with baby which was almost
as bad. My colleague, who was an old
missionary, and therefore used to such
things, did not seem to notice it. But
1 was younger, and l must confess my
first impulse was to jump and run
But l reasoned with myself-"We are
here to do the Lords work, and we
have been vaccinated, why fear" We
stood our ground (they likewise) for
nearly an hour preaching to the crowd.
1 did not feel entirely easy, however,
until 10 or Is days had elapsed and
neither of US showed any sign of in
| lection. These are not isolated cases.
Every missionary, and, indeed, every
foreigner in China, is constantly being
brought either directly or indirectly in
| contact with those who are suffering.
more or less, with smallpox; and rarely
| is it that one of us takes it. Now and
then one takes it, and generally it
proves fatal. But in nearly every case
the person has either not been vacci-
mated or has neglected to be re-vaccl-
mated in reasonable time. I agree
with you, therefore, in the remark
"You would be safe here if recently
and successfully vaccinated. even if
there were a case of small-pox in every
house." But dear Mr.. Editor, wonder
what you would say were the cholera
in town? Yet there is cholera here in
| Chinkiang to day, and what is more,
in camp of soldiers to windward of
US not more than a mile distant. But,
perhaps, you had better not publish
| this remark or some of those towns
mo rti
| is Il yearly occurrence, not only here
in Chinkiang, but in every Chinese
city; and no wonder, when one thinks
of their filthy streets and the total dis
regard of every sanitary rule. But SO
seldom does foreigner take the dis
ease that we have little or no fear of it.
The main precaution is not to eat un-
washed fruit or drink unboiled water.
Some may say this is not the genuine
cholera. Perhaps it is not. But it
can do its work in from to 6 hours
| We keep supply of what is called the
Sun Cholera Mixture" on hand, and
give it to our Chinese friends freely
| Quite number have been saved by it
| already this summer. Only this morn
| ing a man from one of our stations told
me of his having saved life by it last
night. l enclose you the prescription.
Your readers could not do better than
keep a small bottle on hand to use in
case of diarrh@a, sc. 1 for one can
heartily recommend it.
The hot weather is now upon us, but
it was long in coming. and cannot last
over a month now, so that we have
much to be thankful for.
The war affected us in ChiDkiang no
more than if it had been in some other
country-so little are the parts of this
great empire bound together. China
has been defeated, but the people do
not know it, nor has their pride been
humbled in the least.
With best wishes for the Spectator
and it's honored editor, remain yours
sincerely, JAS. E. BEAR,
South Presbyterian Mission.