The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-21
ROCKEFELLER PLAN FOR
HOSPITALS IN CHINA
Foundation Decides to Equip
Three Great Medical Mis-
sion Colleges.

uN'Ihtu W pul iuNo opVi hlioli
a plan for the adequate education OF
the Oh n so nation in the Western
science Of medicine by c mpletely
equipping and main aiming three great
medical mission colleges IN chi De. Pc
and probably Cheng-tu In the west
have been chosen as the points at
which q BEGINNING viii he m ode.
This news indicates hat ;he i'oun-
dalton has discovered one objective for
the use Of tho Rockefeller millions
that will scarcely b. resented by any
body. Only persons who have per
sonal knowledge Of the medical needs
Of China can apprehend how impor-
tant is this Humanitarian project.
1t has been common knowledge
among mission leaders for years past
that some such project has teen un-
der contemplation and ostigation
and that II will no; end with China.
The intimation Ia current that a scien-
tifc survey Of the habitable glohes
medical needs In I o be made by the
Foundation in cooperation with exist
ing missionary agencies. Undoubtedly
the greatest single work Of social SER
vice possible to man would be 10
stamp out the ~preventable diseases
which are at present taking oil OF
human life, especially in lands whore
Western civilization has not yet 10
come dominant.
Certainly the task Is a.luring
China, with her four hundred million
deCimating scourges. sixty D r cent
Of the children die before they reach
2 years of age. Smallpox Is COM
moner there than measles in the West
Blindness Is prevalent. And what is
tn OF China IL also true OF Corel
parts Of India, Turkey and Africa
No estimate can be made Of the havoc
wrought in all these lands by pre-
ventable disease. The pr paglnda o
medical mi ions has given the WORD
some glimpse Of the conditions thai
await remedy.
The three centres chosen for the
Foundations beginnings in China are
already in successful operation a
union medical colleges and hospitals
The missions OF various de lomina'
tons have got together in common
medical enterprises. Doctors for tn,
united work are supplied by the vari'
Gus boards. Thus. without denomina.
tionallsm. the Rockefellrr Foundation
can put the Of It's million:
behind colleges and hospitals now es'
tablishei and successful.
Everybody remembers the Contro,
versy raised by Or. Washington Glad
den over the acceptance OF 'tainteC
money" from the Rockefe,'ers ny th'
American Boari OF Missions. Til.
possible difficulty Is e present IL
the case OF a denominational no I'd
subject, as &, In. 10 the supervision -
local CHURCHES and their members. II
he case II union enterprises. Of {
more defin 'tely humanitarian charac
ter, such as these medical centres. tn,
usual objection would scarcely HI
heard. while the Foundation woulS
doubtless want a voice in deterrninin M
the standard. II no, 'he admins "a
ton. OF the medical colleges aJ d hos
p.t4ls, the actual responsibility woul,
remain with n missions.
The one lack Of medical m ssiun'
to-day is IN ney and l. is eas lie
10 ge, men than mIney. Luck ~ aie
quate support has prevented the mis-
sion boards from s-tt ng forth % tn.
o~verthronged profession In Americ.
the claims and possibilities Z a medi
cal career In those regions OF n.
aarth uhlSk = a ON bt,uA r1inip Ih
new access Il practically unllmitel r
sources will enable the missions e
provide fullest facilities, IN The wa,
OF building. equipment, supple an.
personnel.
For a long time there was in con
temptation he possihili v OF endnw n.
colleges and uni ers ties in ChuG
Now attention has been focused on IN
medical needs. The aim OF III F'oun
dalton Is 10 train UP a generation -
two Of fully equipped Chinese ply
sicians. Even he Rockefeller million
are Inadequate to providing for,ts.
doctors for all of China. There need
to be produced a sufficient number q
thoroughly trained Chinese physician
to maintain a s lf-supporting and self
directing medical prof ~ on for IL
whole nation. That Is why the inter
est centres upon med! al college
rather than upon h spiti!s,
In return. there will inevitably h
contributions 10 western medic,
science, Nowhere on earth are Their
such opportunities for scientific re
$ arch by the physician as IN Chine
Known AMI unknown diseases al
there in abundance. The beglurin
that Is to be made in Ptk!n il Ike
To have consequences AT preset ur
imagined. incidentally II VIII he on
more tie between Amori0a and China
Already he American Medical Ass,
citation has had its attention dire te
10 the twentieth century Ia SIX ~ MAX
ing n survey Of the worlds prevent
abb d seases with a teW t. tn
eradication. Such a pro poet fair
stagGeis the imaginati n. The Fund
ami the organization and the directio
Of this projec' vii doubtless com
rom the proposed worldwide mcdlc'
missions OF tho Rockefeller Fonnda
ton,
Missions have moved since the moo
est days OF william Carey,