Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-05-06
LETTER FROM DIR. HARRIET PARKER
East Putney Girl, Medical Missionary in
India Gives Account of Itneracy for
Dispensing Medicine.

! Many people in Windham county and
| elsewhere are always interested in any
| news that comes from DR.. Harriet E. Par
/ ker, formerly of East Putney, who has
charge Of the woman's department of the
! medical mission in Madura, India, main
famed by the American Board of Com
mlssioners for Foreign Missions In the
May issue of the Vermont Missionary is
an abstract from letter from Dr. Par
ker telling of a trip from Madura 70
Aruppukottai She writes:
thursday morning We went in two
covered carts with my compounder, Mrs.
Pakkiam Coilpllai, and nurse Santhai
and lad. Missalmani, and medicines and
other necessaries to Kalurani. 1t is six
miles and the bullocks made il in two
ana half hours. a furlong farther along
is little church in the village of Nat
tampau where there is a congregation Of
CHRISTIANS drawn from a very low class
We deposited our personal effects there
ate the contents of a tin, and returned
to the Nadar school. BY evening we-had
seen ia patients. Nearly all of these
were Hindus and mostly the Madras them
selves, who are inclined toward Chris
tlanity Their teacher is a Christian and
mas charge of the little church in the
neighboring village. A few of the ont
caste people, not being allowed inside.
came to the back window and called to us
for medicine. We gave II to them and
after our recess for tea stayed on the YER
anda to see the others who were waiting
After the rice and pepper water we
slept CD. Those low-caste people keen
many pigs, which grunted or squealed
according to their age; also MANY dogs
which parked and growled and pigs, dogs
ana men slept all around the church Fri
day morning we began receiving patients
there and although the Madras had not
allowed the Pariahs in their school. peo-
PIE OF hisher caste came to us in the
church.
Saturday morning we went three miles
In another direction to Koilankulam. This
had been wicked place, a home OF vio
lence and murder. Just the day before
we came there was a quarrel and a man
carried to Aruppukottai severely injured.
Mission efforts there have had reverses
but now there is a Christian community
a good building which serves as church
and school, and a teacher living next
door 1t was my first visit there. We had
lI9 patients there, but were disappointed
that they did not come from certain
nelshboring villages which are hard to
reach with Christian influences. Another
Visit when they know us better may reach
a wider circle
we try to give enough medicine TO he
or real use, or urge them to go to the
hospitals, If further treatment is needed
Sunday was passed at Aruppukottai
ana some or the residents, Christians and |
5chool children, came for medicine Three |
tongue-tied children were enabled to talk |
more freely
we cannot regret the rains that linn
ted our itineracy because they had been |
u enormous benefit to that region. For
our years there has been drouth This
s not rice land irrigated from tanks but
and FOR dry cultivation" bearing cot
on and various grains, dependent on
mowers, Last year crop after crop came
Up and died down again. Even now tbe
am has come a little late and there are
hin spots in the green fields; stilI they
make fine show of green"