The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-04-24
GREAT MEDICAL
MISSION IN INDIA
Fine New American Hospital Opened,
In Charge of Dr. Harriet E. Parker,
Formerly of East Putney

The American hospital for women and
children in Madura, India, has just moved
into its beautiful new buildings made pos
sibe by the gifts of American women III
the Atlantic states through the Woman's'
board Of missions The large hospital
plant was dedicated on February Is, and
it was a Boston woman, Miss Helen b. |
Calder, the home secretary of that board, |
who united the flower wreath stretched |
across the front door of each of its three
blocks, thus declaring the hospital form
ally opened
In consulting any tourists handbook Of
India, one learns that the most famous
building in Madura is the great temple |
of the Goddess Menarchee in the heart Of
the city. This temple is conspicous for
darkness, for filth, for superstition, for
misery and for unaduterated evil. But
American women. have now placed an
other conspicuous building on the map of
Madura, not far from this heather TEN
plea building whose cleaning white
walls are symbols Of light, Of cleanliness,
of scientific knowledge, OF relief from
pain and Of spiritual ministry. At thcl
dedication ceremonies Mrs y. Rama Rao,
a Christian Indian woman, wife OF g1T-
eminent official, voiced the love and graft
tude of the women of India for this
generous gift from America. Though wei
are separated by great distances" she said,
yet we can JOIN hands in the greatest
fellowship looking forward To the comlngI
Of the Kingdom Of Righteousness.
British officials had part in the pro-
gramme. for the British government gave
grant amounting to about one fourth Of
Il. al I.
| 2G0. 600 rupees, or 100000 al present rate
present and brought gifts Of silver to en-
dow A special ward for their caste The
hospital nurses in full official uniform
white sari. with broad blue stripe and
narrower bands on tie sleeves to show
! the class. sang a lyric of invocation and a
hymn Of dedication. enc Of the most in-
tcrosting features of the program WAS
the story told in Tamil by Iekathamh2l,
young Hinaiu girl, OF the children bed
endowed by Mr.. and Mrs. +. \. Harvey
| Of RroolIiue, Mass, as a memorial u then
little daughter.
The main building, in shape like the let
ter +. is in three connecting blocks g.
voted to medical. surgical and maternity
wards 1t IS very innTesive IN rs SPA
cionsness with its high arcbed windows
and wide verandas. \ smaller, two-Ster'
building serves as dispensory which last
i wear gave something like $1,000 treatments
jOther buildings included I'm the hospit1
Iplant are an isolation ward, hostel toI
/ patients friends, morguc, laundry
kitchens and quarters FOR nurses and ser
wants.
The American doctor in Charge IS Or
Harriet + Parker. native OF East Put
nev Vt. who has for - years given hel
skin and her love 10 the women an,
! children Of India Associated with he1
i an American missionary nurse, Mis-
, Mary Rogers. of Mcdiord. Mass. To
: gcfher with aoodly staff of Indian unrse'
and compounders.
III In region about half as large as New
4 lnrand and With q population q lfifeeI
) millions. or twice that Of New England
z there is no other mission hospital for Wo
men and no other woman doctor. Their
= are government or municipal hospitals io'
q women and children in Southern INDIA
! lat they ara stated with male doctors
since the drain of the war many ST thes
are Indians. OWING to the secus'on y
women and the preiudiccs and customs %
Iof the land only the very poorest womel
or those in tho immediate vicinity WI
come to such a hospital. DR., Tar er +
IN sore need Of associates to helm in th'
! cares of this big new hospital. Her
! must be american women doctors and sNr
qpons who would welcome this chane
: To minister to tie millions OF india ~
stead of to the scores at home.