Notable Women of Modern ChinaBurton, Margaret E. (Margaret Ernestine)
History
Notable Women of Modern China
Burton, Margaret E. (Margaret Ernestine)
China -- Biography; Women -- Biography
This was only one of many cases of need which the hospital sought to
alleviate. A few days after Christmas of this year Dr. Stone wrote to a
friend in America: "What a busy time we had getting ready to celebrate the
joyful event! We gave a good square meal to the refugees, and let them take
home what they could not finish here. It made me feel happy to see them so
pleased, and gave us an opportunity to tell them of the greatest Gift to
mankind. Although we were so rushed that we did not even sit together to
eat our regular meals, yet we felt it was the happiest Christmas we have
ever had."
In addition to the refugees larger numbers of regular patients than ever
before were coming to the doctors for treatment. The new hospital had
hardly been opened before Miss Howe wrote, "Patients who are able to bear
their own expenses are being sent away, because the present accommodations
are already overtaxed."
Just at this time, when the doctors' growing reputation, and the increased
facilities which the new buildings afforded, were greatly enlarging both
opportunity and responsibility, the question of Dr. Kahn's going to
Nanchang to open medical work there arose. It is not surprising that at
first Dr. Stone wondered how she could spare her friend and fellow-worker,
now that the work was greater than ever before, and every indication
pointed to large growth in the future. But when she became convinced that
the opportunity at Nanchang was too great to be neglected, and that only
Dr. Kahn could meet it, she bade her God-speed and cheerfully accepted the
added burden thus laid upon her.
Left alone with the entire work in Kiukiang, Dr. Stone's hands were full
indeed, as the answer which she gave to a request for a synopsis of her
day's work shows: "We breakfast at half-past seven and then I go to the
chapel in the hospital and conduct prayers for the inmates and patients
able to attend. After prayers I make a general inspection of the hospital,
and then I teach my class of nurses. I take young native girls in their
teens and give them a thorough course of training such as they would get
in America. I translate the English books into Chinese for them, and
sometimes put the Chinese books into English too. Then I go to the
dispensary and am busy there for hours.... In the afternoons I make calls,
generally on women of rank who need my assistance and have been unable to
get to the hospital. I return home only when here seems no further work for
me that day."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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