Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-28
MEDICAL MISSIONARY GOES TO
HIS AID
MANAGES TO SAVE LIFE
Native Physician Promptly Jailed by
Authorities, Who Declare That
Such a Man at Liberty
ls Dangerous

bpeCldl TO lHe tleIdlu-
NEW YORK, Aug. 27.--A report just
received from DIR. Ernest @. Wander
burgh, medical missionary at Slang
tan, Human, China, affords an inter-
esting comparison of Chinese and
American surgical methods. DR.. Van
derburgh has charge of two dlspensar-
les and hospital maintained by the
Presbyterian board of foreign missions
at the Chinese city named. The dis
pensaries are in different parts of the
city, and as the doctor was leaving one
to go to the other, he was called to
come quickly and help a Chinese doc
tor who had got into trouble.
"Ths Chinese doctor" writes DR..
Vanderburgh had heard of the opera
tions which had been performed in the
Presbyterian hospital, and he thought
that he must do some operations to
make his name great, and not let the
foreign devil doctor get all his patients
away from him. So when a big, strap
ping fellow of about % years came
along and wanted him to remove a
tumor from his knee, the doctor looked
it over sharpened his knife and cut
we'll iiesQ7s'1e-. supposed tumor. Then
the Ibor doctors troubles began. He
couldn't stop the blood, got scared and
sent for me. AS it happened I was
near by. When L came near enough to
see the patient he was sitting on
bolI nxy
two Chinese doctors were using raw
silk and powder, trying to stop the
blood The mans shoe was full of
blood, and a pool of it had also formed
on the stone floor.
II told them to put the man in a
chair and carry him to the hospital at
the same time sending for Mr. Locke
to give the chloroform. We operated
and found mass of varicosed veins at
the bottom of this tumor which was
about four inches in diameter. There
was also an artery running into the
diseased area. After some hunting we
found and tied the bleeding vessels, and
as they were diseased they had to be
would hold. Then we sewed him up
and soon saw him safe in bed and dorg
well.
Native Physician Locked Up
"In the meantime word came that the
poor Chinese doctor had been put into
prison. We all thought that that was
hard, and l sent over my card and
asked that he be released now that the
man operated upon was out of danger.
The official sent back word that a man
like that should not be at large, but
that he would send him out of prison
with a soldier to watch him. So he was
watched for two or three days. They
now tell me that If the mgn had died
the Chinese doctor might have been
badly punished or even killed for IL.
Three days later, as 1 was on my way
to the dispensary, a man began bowling
and scraping profusely. When he came
up found it was the poor doctor, who
begged me to go with him to the
yamen, to have him released He said
they had taken all his money and his
medicines, and if l did not go and en-
treat for him there was no telling
what might happen to him. So I went
with him, but the official wouldn't
make any promises. However, when
left he let the doctor go with me,
and the poor fellow followed me about
three miles, all through the main
street, he was so fearful the officers
would catch him again.
"The unfortunate doctor has now
gone for good; left these parts, pow
ders, drugs and banners, and the doc
tor who helped him comes out every
day and in other ways shows his
friendship" At the hospital and dis
pensaries under Dr. Vanderpurg's care
there were treated in the last year
1885 patients, besides S2 in-patients, 10
major operations and SO minor opera
tions were performed. Many visits
were made by the doctor to the peo-
pie in their homes.