Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-03
IN FOREIGN FIELDS
AN "EPIDEMICn OF RELIGION IN
CHINA-oTHER MATTERS.

The Rev. DR.. S. B. Rossiter, formerly a
New York city pastor, and now in charge
of the First Presbyterian Church in Manila,
has sent to the Presbyterian board of for
eign missions in New York an interesting
story of the work among the lepers In
Canton, China, as observed by him In a
recent visit
Outside Of Canton" he says, sis leper
village; thousand lepers congregate there
In the evening you can see the stricken
ones. clad in filthy rags, bowed with in
trinity, leaning on canes, each one carry
ing begging tray, coming from different
sections Of the city. A more wretched as
sembly of people cannot be found on the
face of the earth than a leper colony. To
this Canton colony had been sent a Chinese
girl who had previously come under the
teaching of the missionaries, at time when
she was in the hospital of the medical mis-
sion. This girl, Tn Ho by name, had been
in the leper colony about a year when
word came to the Presbyterian mission that
a missionary was wanted at the leper VIII
lage; the lepers were beginning to be-
neve.'
"One of the Presbyterian missionaries,
Rev. DR.. Andrew Beattie, although con-
Tossing that he shuddered at the possible
consequences of the contact, went into the
colony. He found that the poor girl, I'm
Flo, had prepared the way and that a
church might be formed. Twenty lepers
became members at the first, and now the
church has about one hundred members A
cha pei has heen built in the shape of an
l., with the pulpit at the intersection. On
Sundays one arm of the l. is filled with
lepers, and the other with poor people from
the vicinity.
DIR. Beattie has continued in charge Of
this work among the lepers, and the great
problem he has 10 face is what to do with
the children. Authorities are agreed that
the children of leprous parents are not ana
need not become tainted. But 1t is neces-
sary to separate them from those who
have been touched with the disease. A
school has already been commenced for
boys and it is nearly finished Here they
will be kept apart from the leprous mousse
hold But school for girls is much need
ed, and DIR. Beattie is hoping that II may
s(on become possible.
Another need of the leper colony at can
ten reports Or. Rossiter, is hospital For
tie lepers are subject to all the ills that as
sail other people, and contrary to the gem
e,al belief that leprosy Is in itself such
a dire disease that others do not attacR
those suffering from it. the lepers 90 ran
sick of the ordinary diseases and hospital
in which they may be cared for is cry.
ing necessity DIR. Beattie suggests that
a hospital be built and named for the niue
girl, I'm Ho, by whom the CHRISTIAN work
Of the colony was commenced. he says
If will soon have to be a memorial nos
initial. for she has not much longer TO hVe.
Her hands will soon drop off, and she now
ST eaks scarcely above Whisper Aof hei
throat is giving out.
L is reported by one of the missionaries
in the work of the Presbyterian 1orelen
baard that in the districts of kaomi and
Kiaochou, in China, there is sort of re-
iit;ious epidemic similar to those occurring G1in
in Europe in the middle ages. a; A pet tsd
he & started among the people that me
gSds are passing through. the skies, and
81, If besought they will provide reme,-
dies with which the sick may be n rkabe
The belief has spread Win re en- -; na the
Gssds YSu npG Of people may be seen
Keeng in in front nta Of w 9ngni as on
celse, WIZ 10 said that in one village
5e ndn neople were thus engaged. When the the
incense Is burned the ashes are sakeh a are
10 the sef TO sa m mhs result
60 naelsing to put stop to the practice'