Taming Outlaws Through Medical Missions
By John J. Westrup
A MISSIONARY in China, and in other places as well, needs a thorough education. The Chinese expect him or her to know all about the Bible and theology, and to be able to treat and cure all kinds of diseases. The medical work is truly an “entering wedge,” and has appropriately been likened to the “right arm” in gospel work. SOFTENING THE HEATHEN HEART
There is nothing that softens the heart more quickly than kindness and help in distress. Often have these poor, sin-fettered souls thanked us with tears, and others have kotowed—an Eastern custom of pounding the forehead on the ground, in expression of the utmost earnestness. One instance was that of the richest and proudest son in a large city, who kotowed to me for saving his father from an early grave. In 1913, we moved the main station in Honan to a central location near the railroad. Here we built two two-story foreign houses, two schools of brick and tile, capable of seating four hundred, besides seventeen other buildings. In addition to these, a building 10x20 feet served as guest room and dispensary. And while the Chinese appreciate the school and our teaching, as also the preaching, what appeals to these heathen people the most strongly is the work done in that little 10x20 building,—the one hour a day devoted to treating the sick. This gives the name to the whole compound. It is known among the people of the community as “the hospital.” CAPTIVATES THE ARMED BANDIT
Honan has suffered from famine for the last three years, and as a result, has been greatly infested with robbers. One band numbered over 30,000, and were well armed with modern weapons. One of the leaders had been in our dispensary previous to his joining these bands of robbers, hence every man among them knew of our work in relieving the sick and suffering. The safety of the members composing the twenty churches in the province of Honan, when they encounter these plunderers, as they often do, is assured. All that is necessary is to mention that they are Seventh-day Adventists, which at once associates them with the hospital and dispensary work, and none of them are ever harmed. Thus the medical work wins the respect both of the people at large and of these outlaws as well; and having thus won their confidence, we are able to present the gospel with much greater results. In our Honan dispensary, we treated on an average 120 patients each month. The following are among the numerous maladies that had our attention: malaria and other fevers, the plague, constipation, diarrhea, enlarged spleen, boils, scab, eczema, sores and cuts, sore eyes and running eyes, acid stomach, rheumatism, sore throat, coughs, colds, la grippe, scorpion bites, etc. We often used the stomach pump to save the life of some who had been poisoned. Hundreds were saved in this way. In Chow-Chiaxow a wealthy family of seven adults, who had been poisoned by the cook’s carelessness, were saved by our use of this measure. What an opportunity is opened to us to relieve the misery and suffering among the poor, degraded people of these countries!