The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-30
"MEDICAL WORK
Principal Topic Considered by the
Ecumenical Conference.

New York. April 20-The general top
ie for discussion at the morning session
of the Ecumenical conference in Car
negie hall today was Medical work"
number of interesting papers were read
treating of this branch of mission du-
ties in its various phases. The devo-
tional exercises which preceded the
business session were conducted by Dr..
Henry Foster of the Clifton Springs
sanitarium-
Medical work; it's relation to mis-
sionary work; practical proofs of its
value, Importance and results was dis
cussed in papers by the Rev. DR.. Geo.
T. HoSl, professor OF surgery or the
Syrian Protestant college, and DR.. G. f.
Hartford Battersby of the Livingstone
Medical college, England.
DR.. Post said:
I'VE believe that the first aim Of med
ical missions should be the relief Of suf-
fering from motives of brotherhood.
Medical missions are the pioneers of
evangelism. They can be planted
where no other branch of evangelical
work is possible. They are founded on
need which is universal and felt by
all.
''The doctor therefore, has immediate
and welcome access to vast numbers
who neither wish nor will have any in
tercourse with other missionaries Were
the offices of the doctor merely a bribe
to induce men to listen to the gospel
they would lose their power to draw
/
a necessary outcome to the humanity
which Christ taught and loved
Those living in Christian lands can
nave little conception of the extent and
power OF quackery in the unevangelized
world. The abject fear of the unknown
on the side of the people and the devil
| ish cunning and malice of the sorcerers
and the medicine men or witch doctors
/ nave given to the latter an incredible
! power for evil"
! DR.. F. Howard Taylor, Of the China
| inland mission, read a paper on Quail
| hcations for Medical Work" and Dr.
| o. r. Avison, of Seoul, Korea, read the
concluding paper on Comfy In Medi-
| cal work"
DR.. Avison made strong plea for
the best medical service possible under
/ the circumstances. There are" he
/ said, three principal methods of car
rying on medical work on the mission
/ notwithstanding visiting patients at
| their homes and working from an estab-
lished position through a dispensary
| and hospital An efficient hospital re-
quires good buildings, good equipments,
| a strong staff Of workers and sufficient
/ ly large yearly income to supply neces-
! sary medicines, surgical dressings and
| food. All the hospitals so far estab-
| lished in Korea are deficient in all these
/ respects and seemed oppressed with the
| knowledge that so far as the country
! is concerned the medical work has ac-
| complished only a small portion of What
I believe it is capable of doing"
Chancellor McCracken, of the New
| York university, presided at the Madi-
son avenue Reformed church, where
Literary Work was under discussion
The following programme was carried
out:
1.-THE Extent and Value of Literary
Work in Mission Fields" by Rev. Tim
othey Richard, of China; Literary
Workers." a paper by Rev. J. s. Me
Donald. read by Rev. J. Farley Daley
of Glasgow.
Christian Literary Work in Mission
Fields" was discussed by Rev. Richard
Lovett, Of London
THE Foreign Work of the American
Tract Society was the title of an ad-
dress by Rev. DR.. D. J. Burreu. Othel
papers were 1.-The Christian Literary
Society of Indiana" by Rev. George r
Patterson, secretary OF the society
1.-THE Publishing Center at Beyrout,
by the Rev. H. w Hurlbut, of Cleve
land. O.; THE Publishing Center a
Constantinople,' by Rev DR.. E. NJ
Bliss, and THE Society for the Diffus
ing of Christian and General knowledge
among the Chinese" by Rev. u. z
Sheffield of China.
At the Fifth avenue Presbyterian
church Periodicals and Reports of So
cieties" General Missionary Litera
ture'' and Religious and Secular Press
were discussed by Rev. DR.. E. E. Strong
Mrs. J. G. Gracey and Rev. A. Wood
ruff HalSey. D. D.