The Medical Objective
By ROBERT C. PARRY, M R.C.S., of the Borden Hospital,
Lanchow, Kansu
IT is from Pingliang that this letter is beingwritten. We have been hoarding with friends
of our associate organization, the Scandinavian Alliance Mission, for about five months, whilecarrying on busy medical work and taking a sharein the ordinary work of the station.
Having here a fairly well stocked dispensary withcommodious and adaptable ward accommodation asa working basis, a steadily increasing out-patientand in-patient work has been accomplished, the
new- of the coming foreign doctor being rapidlyspread far and wide.
Pingliang being a large military emporium nearthe Kansu-Shettsi border, we have heen able, in some measure, to supply the appalling lack of proper medical care and treatment for the woundedand sick among the soldiers. Shortly after arri
there was some -harp fighting between the Kansutroops and robber hand- who coming suddenly andin superior numbers quickly overpowered and severer) handled the local garrisons. A battalion commander and man} officers and men were killed,
while a large number were wounded. Reinforcement- were rapidly assembled from all direction-;
hut the main body of the enemy having achievedtheir objective had already moved on. These events brought a fair number of patientswith gunshot wound- into our wards, all ni whommade good recoveries, except one poor fellow.
Me had been several days on the road and arrivedin a deplorable condition with the hones above andbelow one ankle joint completely shattered. Thewounds were foul beyond description, while thegeneral condition of the man was already serious.
All our efforts to save the limb were in vain, but,
being of the persuasion (a- many Chinese are) that
it was necessarj to preserve the "four limbs andhundred members" >>t the body intact to attain life and happiness hereafter, the poor man deliberate!)
faced death rather than consent to our amputatinghi- leg. Quietly hut firmly he refused our advice,
while he angrily retorted to the friendly exhortation- of his officer and matt'-. "Cut my throat
first !" One day while telling him of the love and atoningdeath of Jesus, I saw his face light up as thoughwith intelligent appreciation of the precious truth.
But the next day he was gone and we had no opportunity of knowing whether he had laid hold oneternal life through the "hioken body" of theSavior in place of the vain faith in the integrity of
his own mortal frame.
The Gospel is daily preached to the patients andtheir friends from city and country who assemblein the little street chapel while awaiting treatment.That bodies and souls may he saved for Christ's
eternal Kingdom is our prayer and objecti