In Portugal by C. E. RENTFRO

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 11, 1906

In Portugal

By C. E. RENTFRO

C. E. RENTFRO

Our hearts burn within us as we see the woeful ignorance of this people. I have been thinking how to make this country speak for itself. Surely a country with over five million people, four million of whom can not read, ought to be great enough cry to call for the last warning message. This country has not recovered from the effects of the Spanish Inquisition. Ignorance is a drawback to the successful combating of disease, as well as to the teaching of the truth.

Recently I read in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VII, that “our books are to be translated and published in many different languages.” And following this statement are the names of a few, among them the Portuguese. We have a monthly sixteen-page paper published in Brazil, but we are in need of more than this. Then, too, it is a long distance from Brazil to Portugal. Seeing this people’s need of education on health subjects, we would be glad to publish a sixteen-page health tract. But I am told, “Go slowly,” for the money does not come in fast enough. How can we go slowly, when Jesus is coming soon, and five million people in this corner are unwarned?

The geographical position of Portugal, with other causes, has kept even other denominations from entering this country more rapidly. We as people with the last warning message should not delay longer. We are glad to know of some hearts that are burning to come to the aid of this people. These desire to move intelligently in entering a new field.

For this reason, I have tried to find a few statistics outside of my own observations. Portugal is slow in publishing these, so the most that I can do is to give some of the year 1892, with a few comparisons.

The number of deaths by disease: General diseases, 34,611; nervous diseases, 3,817; diseases of the organs of circulation, 3,985; of the respiratory organs, 10,050; of the digestive organs, 5,943; children, different diseases, 4,150; accidents, 669; voluntary, 161; criminal, 100; not classified, 41,282; total, 104,768. This is over one fiftieth of the population of that date. But the ranks are filled up with the birth of 146,541, of which 19,288 were illegitimate.

Of those who can neither read nor write, 1,762,842 are males, and 2,238,115 are females. It is evident that the women are secondary in the affairs of Portugal; they are more the slaves of mankind. We see many women and girls doing the hardest and the dirtiest work. The boy is trained for the shop, for commercial work, for the life of a soldier, or for a place in the standing army.

The educational figures have improved by probably two per cent, but those of disease run the downward way. In 1903, reports were called for on the cases of tuberculosis, and only a few physicians responded. There was in this count 3,379 cases; but as the majority of the doctors did not report, a conservative guess was made of ten thousand cases. This is about one in every five hundred persons in the kingdom. We can see, nevertheless, from the figures given above, that a great army of people is dying every year. There is no doubt in my mind that for the time we have been here, an army of over one hundred thousand persons has died, without knowing the real virtue of the cross of Christ.

Another interesting thing to me is the number of emigrations every year. During 1892 there was a total of 21,325, and there must have been nearly the same number every year since. Of these, 2,141 went to the United States of America, and 17,321 to Brazil. Why can not we send the truth with these people? Right at the source of the outflow is the place to start the work of preparing people who in emigrating will carry the truth wherever they go. I hope some dear Christian friends will see something forcible in some of these figures and suggestions.

To combat the diseases already mentioned, are quite a number of institutions, or sanatoriums. But many who can not afford a doctor must die. Although it is very difficult for a foreign doctor to begin practise, yet one of our physicians could, by judicious managing with some native doctor, gain a prestige which would carry him through. Nurses can, without much trouble, find plenty to do without the doctor; and with a doctor they could do very well. We know this by experience.

Some of the habits of this people are

not inclined to benefit the health. As there are many vineyards, they have sufficient wine, which is cheap. For the country people, some wine with coarse bread is the chief diet. Every village has its wine shop, and on the feast days, of which there are many, the people congregate, the men carrying a long staff; and when enough wine is imbibed, a general fight ensues, and these clubs come in good play when one defends himself from the attacks of another.

A great variety of fruit abounds here; but either because there is not sufficient to supply the demand, or because of a tax to be paid on going through Lisbon, it is quite expensive, with the exception of grapes in their season. The people lack the glass jars, or even the tin cans, to preserve fruit properly. If we had such, we might live quite cheaply. Of coarser products, there is no lack. Fish is a favorite article of diet, as many of the men living along the coast are fishermen. Dried codfish and sardines are used by many.

Not wishing to disparage the work in other fields, I wish to compare Portugal with China, where, with their companions, are my wife’s sister and my own. If I am not mistaken, almost everywhere there the Bible may be freely circulated. The truth flies like fire in dry grass, among people who have not been deceived by a mock religion. Counting the different Protestant denominations, there are more missionaries in China, to the same number of people, than there are in Portugal. Here, we must contend against the laws; there, they are free. Here is a mock religion of Christ; there is heathenism. Without the real truth, both are lost. But, as is said by many, a professor of religion is harder to reach than an out-and-out heathen. It is true that we have daily papers, railways, and many facilities that might be used; yet the government watches “heretics.” Truly Portugal is needy.

With our limited resources, we are doing what we can. It does not seem practicable to begin selling literature until I have a good conversational use of the language. For a few months I had five hours a week with a teacher, and one month ten hours a week. During this time I translated twenty numbers of The Family Bible Teacher. I should like to have the twenty-eight numbers in a small book, later on. In the meantime, we have made friends with many Portuguese, who are reading the papers. Last week a girl of fifteen years bought a Bible, and is eagerly reading it. Who will help us, by gifts of lives and means for Portugal? May God bless the great cause.