Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-18
Council Bluffs
Dr. MEAN HONE FROM SIAN
Omaha Missionary Talks Interest
ingly Of Work in that Kingdom.
GREAT PROGRESS BEING MADE
Medical work which stays
of Smallpox and Cures other
Diseases Appeals strongly g..
to the Natives.

DAseAAts ApPchAA SNFOhkAE q.
to the Natives.
Our work there is not only to teach
Christianity, but TO train the nation in
modern wayss and I believe we are doing
1t successfully. az evidenced by the estab-
lishment OF schools and hospitals BY the
government. Before the advent Of the mis-
sionaries sent there by. the Presbyterian
church forty years ago there was no such
thing as a school or a hospital in the king
dom OF SIAM said DR.. j., w. Mexican, a
medical missionary who has just returned
to the United states from Siam on a years
vacation, DR.. Mexican and wife are visit
ing at the home OF Mrs. McKean's sister,
Mrs. H. s. Campbell. 62s Sixth avenue.
Twenty years ago DR.. Mexican. then a
practiclng physician in Omaha. which he
still calls his home. as when back here six
years ago he voted there. went to Siam as
. medical missionary under the Presby-
terrain Board OF Missions. This 10 his third
vacation since entering that work. His
daughter Miss Kate Mexican, is a student
In the couneil Bluffs High school. Since.
coming to Council Bluffs she has made
her home with her aunt. Mrs. Campbell.
Miss McfSeen was born In the city of Chi
enmat, Slam, where her parents have been
stationed for the last twenty years. and
last Saturday was their first meeting in
six years. DR.. MeKean's son. who was also
born IN SIAM is a student at Wooster (O.)
university, and a married daughter, born
In the United States, lives in Adrian, Mich.
DIR. and Mrs. Mexican visited their son and
married daughter on their way to Council
Bluffs.
sfxty-six Days Trip.
Dr. and Mrs, Mexican were two months
ana six days 10 making the, Journey from
Chienmai, Siam. to the United States.
Chienmai is nearly 700 miles from
Bangkok, the capital of Slam, and the
Journey has to be made by water. as there
are no railrqads in that far-off countr,
which is virtually on the other side Of the
globe. From Bangkok DR.. Mexican and
wife took the Mediterranean route home
FIRST going by steamer to Singapore. from
there to Ceylon' and then to Alden. and
from there through the suez canal to Port
said, where the steamer was taken. 10
NAPLES, ltaLy, and from there direct to
New York. They left their home in. Chieng-
maj on February 19 and reached New York
on, April rs. .4.
siam is' becoming an enlightened ma
tlon,' said DR.. Mexican, "and while the
growth of Christianity is slow It is healthy.
II has always, until recently, been a .nation
of gamblers, but the king, who. although
a Buddhist, Is an enlightened man. has
oanished gambling, and this means a loss
of many millions of revenue to the govern
ment from this source. This we naturally
consider a great step in the right dir cotton
Within the last five years slavery has been
| ahnliQhAd Thtn
ally. The royal family, the mobiles and the
wealthy people maintain numerous polyga-
nous wives, but the common people do not
practice polygamy. The people of Siam
are Buddhists. The king of Siam is today
the only ,reigning monarch who is a Budd.
hist. but he Is liberal minded and appreci-
ates the work of the missionaries in his
country. He fully realizes that the mis-
sionsrtes are there for the good of his
people. and not for craft"
Medical Work Appeals to Natives.
DR.. McKean has lately interested himself
In the condition of the repers, who are
numerous In that country. Recently.
through the offices Of the kings brother,
Prince Damrong, who is minister Of the
interior and the real power, the doctor
says. behind the throne, the missionaries
at Chienmai were granted an island as an
asylum for lepers. While home on mis-
vacation DIR, Mexican expects to secure
funds for erecting the necessary buildings
on this island. "once we get this work
under way the wealthy men of Siam will
n aintain It," said DR.. Mexican.
The medical work of the ries
has always strongly appealed 70 the people
1 ~ I'D ~ - aaIA -. sNuF
lish hospitals In every town where we
locate. We also build schools and churches.
In Chienmai we have a church membership
Of about 1850. Smallpox has always been
a terrible scourge in that country and 1t
wipes out entire villages and communities.
The vaccination work we are doing is
remedying this great evil TO a large extent.
About four years no, findirg It very diff
cult to secure sufficient and proper vaccine.
ell of which had to be obtained from this
country, started a vaccine, laboratory In
Chienmal. alternatives are Instructed how
to administer II, and they go out through
the country vacclnatiRg the children, re-
turning 10 me every month for further, in
struction. In the last four years by. this
method we have vaccirated over 5000
people.
malaria 10 another great trouble in that
country. but when the missionaries i'm
ported iarse quantities OF q%uinine the king
and the government at once realized the
beI efits TO be secured from II and now
the government has quinine on sale in
every town and hsnlet in the kingdom
Where DR.: Mexican and his wife are 10
Gated there are but "a few Europeans, Eng
lishmeu who are engaged TN the business
OF exporting teak wood. which Is one OF the
most valuable, commodities OF that country
In Bangkok, however, there is a large
European colony. .-
Dr. McKean expects 20 remsFh: IN Council
Bluffs for several weeks before going east.