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Show because there wasn't anything left to eat. He did what most children in such a situation do: he looked for one of those rare trees and climbed it to eat the leaves. Poor little boy! He fell down and was admitted to the children's ward with a perforated wound in his abdomen. The extent of this essay does not permit me to tell more about work in the hospital even though I would like to tell about strange experiences, unusual cases, examples of courage, tragedy and joy, successes, and misfortunes, as a doctor sees them all most daily. But I cannot leave my beloved subject without mentioning the superintendent of the hospitals in Tehchow and Lintsing, Dr. Alma Cooke, because of her spirit which strengthens us if we weaken, because of her unselfishness, and because of her love for the sick. Illiteracy is so extensive in China not only because Chinese is more difficult to read and write but also because there are not enough schools. The mission station in Tehchow has a big co-educational school. The growing proportion of girls (more than one third) counts as an especial success because girls are so much less valuable in Chinese eyes than boys that in the past nobody ever thought it worth while to give a girl an education. This has widely changed. In China too there are now lady doctors, well trained nurses, lady teachers, business secretaries, and many other well educated lady workers. Our boys and girls have, beside their regular school schedule, athletics and music: they have a literary society and a Christian Fellowship. The school employs well educated Chinese teachers and there is no doubt that the pupils get excellent instruction and have the opportunity to obtain considerable knowledge in all subjects. But still nearly unknown in China is the system which takes care not only for delivering a certain amount of knowledge but for the whole life of a boarding student. In this respect only a first step has been taken. Twice a year each student receives a physical examination and as far as possible pathological findings get corrected. The biggest job in this line is long-lasting eye treatment for trachoma. In suspicious cases temperatures and weight are watched for some time and X-rays are taken. It is astonishing, marvelous, in what good condition the pupils are. Caries of a tooth is seldom found, their skins are tanned, they are well-proportioned, almost never too big or too small, seldom too thin or too fat. It remains a secret how these good conditions are obtained under most moderate living conditions especially as far as their food is concerned. This, year after year, consists of millet, soya beans, and a very limited amount of vegetables. The only explanation is that China is a natural Sparta. Only the very strong ones, those with the best constitutions, reach school age; others die as babies or small children of starvation or of diseases in which the country is so rich. But |