The Penn's Grove record., 1911-06-30
The Awakening Of Persia
Described by DIR. w. S. vanneman In
Emmanuel M. e Church.

The awakening of Persia, educationally
and politically, as described by DR.. VIM.
S. Vanneman, who for 20 years has been
a medical missionary in what use to be a
country despotically ruled by one man,
and given over to Mohammedanism was
a most info. ming address, showing that
civilization is penetrating the innermost
i parts of all countries. DIR. Nannemans
address was under the auspices OF the
Women's Foreign Missionary Society, OF
the church.
He is situate at Tabriz, in the north OF
Persia. The missions there are under
the supervision of American Board of
the Presbyterian Church. Those in the
south are under the direction of the Pro-
testant Episcopal Church OF England.
This awakening OF Persia dates only
three years back, when the Shah was de-
priyed of his absolute power and the
Moslem priests lost their authority. High
and low are seeking education and the
common people have learned their pow
err. Persia knows that she must depend
OIL foreigners for leaders and they are
seeking financial advisers in America,
customs in France and military learning
from Sweden. Desire for culture is wide
spread, even the sons of princes and
governors attended the mission schools,
whose graduates are being used as teach
- -. A. 1oto@la .,l.al, -, 1T tonnltfIOG
are being established.
DR.. Vanneman sees a great opportunity
in the times. Ii Christian workers could
become advisers on constitutional law
and confer other governmental service,
| they would be as influential with the
authorities as the medical men now are
through their work.
Nearly all the evangelical work III
| Persia has been effected after the medical
work made the entering wedge. The
wisdom of the board in sending a medical
missionary with every evangelist has
| been shown not only in the saving of
| lives of missionaries and natives but i'll
the tolerance and protection it has
achieved. The physicians can enter any
home and as they are expected to tell
the rest of relatives how the patient is,
he has more opportunity than time to do
| evangelistic work. Another advantage
the physicians has is that public meet
ings in the streets are not permitted.
The physicians have become friends
with the Shah, governors OF provinces
and princes and in this way have infu-
enced them in many instances to prevent
blood shed and the spread OF pestilence.
No door is closed to the foreign physician
and the American is the prime favorlte.
Dir. Vanneman was once the medical at
tendant to the Shah who travelled by
canels in a caravan OF $50 people for 500
miles.
They have to counteract the work OF
old school Persian doctors whose studies
are taken from books 1000 years old. The
sanitary conditions are very poor. The
conduits for the water supply u m the,
surface and they catch all the refuse and
surface drainage. When cholera started
in the part Of, the city where the water
entered, it spread in a few weeks over the
entire city which shows that the epidem-
ic is spread by the water, Great help is
done by distributing pamphlets, Caution
ing the people to boil all the water that
is used. The missionaries boil all their
water used for drinking purposes.
The ~evangelistic department. of the
Presbyterian missions i'll Persia consists
OF 80 churches, go preaching places, with
5000 communicates giving about 1850
annually. About 60 primary schools and
six or eight high schools are maintained
with $500 pupils paying about $1,000
yearly. There are four hospitals and
nine ~dispensaries treating about $4,000
patients and the receipts for these amount
to $40, 900, a sum sufficient to pay all ex-
penses but the physicians salaries. The
people are charged for medical attention
according to their means. Even the
poorest must be charged a few cents or
they take the whole amount OF medicine
at once. The doctors bill is never paid
if the patient dies. The work is hamper
ed by the need OF both men and women
physicians.
Tabriz is a city OF about zoe, 900 inhabi-
tants. As there is only about one physi-
clan to 80, 600 Inhabitants the demands
OH all physicians are great. Dir. Vanne-
man has from forty to sixty patients a
day. Siuce his former visit to America,
ten years age, the Missionary Board has
built a dispensary under his direction and
is in charge. The property is probably
worth $4,000.
During the past nine months he has
| been studying the improved methods in
| the medical science at the University OF
Pennsylvania. After his return in Sep
| TENDER the Missionary Board expects to
build a hospital under his direction. A
| surgeon has been engaged to go from the
| United States to have charge of that de-
p%artment, when the building is completed
ReV. T.. "A. MllleT: Jr., tle
speaker and presided over the meeting
Mr.. Miller sang a solo, and led in prayer.
Just before the close of the meeting a
thank offering was collected which goes
into funds of the Women's Foreign Mis-
sionary Society. The doxology was sung
aud the benediction received. =
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A Feast of Snappers