Chapter XVI

THE TRAINING OF NATIVE MEDICAL MISSIONARIES.

It is now very generally believed, by those interested in the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom, that, if Heathendom is ever to be brought over to Christ, it must be by _native agents_. Dr. Elmslie was fully convinced of this before he went to Kashmir, and his Indian experience deepened the conviction. He set himself, therefore, to excogitate a plan whereby native medical missionaries might be trained on the spot. He drew up a paper on the subject, which embodies much thought and careful investigation, and submitted it to the Conference of the Church Mission, and also to the Punjaub Medical Missionary Society. The following, without the introductory sentences, is Dr. Elmslie's paper:–

"It may interest this Conference to know that, during the past year, I have been asked to aid in establishing a medical mission at no fewer than eight different stations in this extensive province.... To obtain, at present, European medical missionaries for these numerous stations in the Punjaub being all but hopeless, it behoves us to look around and see whether or not we cannot, from the material which we already possess, supply, in a great measure at least, our wants in this respect.

"No one, even for a moment, will maintain that a native agent is, in all points, equal to a European one; but every one will readily admit that, as to command of the vernacular, and an intimate acquaintance with the manners, customs, and modes of thought of the inhabitants of this colossal Empire, the former is greatly superior to the latter. What, therefore, is lost in one way is gained in another; and while we are, on no account, to slacken our efforts to import as many European agents as we can find, and as the means at our command will allow, it is manifestly wise and expedient on our part, to do our very utmost to rear an efficient native medical mission agency.

"Though the different missions in the Punjaub are young, compared with those of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, nevertheless, I am led to believe that, with comparative ease, a little band of students, in every way qualified as to head and heart, could be mustered from among them.

"Since my arrival in India, I have heard more than one experienced missionary complain of the considerable difficulty met with in finding agreeable and suitable employment for their better gifted and educated converts. If facilities were afforded to this class of native Christians to study medicine, with the view of devoting themselves to missionary work in the capacity of doctors, it is highly probable that this difficulty would, in some measure at least, be obviated, and much direct Christian power and influence would be utilised and retained within the pale of the Church, which, as things now are, is, comparatively speaking, lost to her; for, I am given to understand, that many of the young native Christians of good parts enter Government employ as writers, &c., after quitting the higher mission schools and colleges, and thus, of course, their direct influence and help are, to a great extent, lost to the Church. This, we think, is more than she can at present afford. She requires to husband her resources, and turn them to the very best account. But further, on this head, in all probability, and that at no very distant day, there will be lucrative and influential openings in the large and prosperous cities of the Punjaub for private native physicians and surgeons, who have been educated by European teachers, as we find to be the case in the other large cities of the Empire,–for example, in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, &c.; and it is unquestionably most desirable that these openings, when they do occur, should be occupied by native Christian men, whose example and influence will be on the side of Christianity, and not by heathens, who will perpetuate and thicken the awful surrounding darkness.

"With respect to the young medical missionary students, it is imperatively incumbent on the ordained missionaries, in charge of the missions from which they are respectively sent, to see well to it that they are really converted men, so far as they are able to judge, and have, more or less, a desire to serve God in direct mission work. Next to this all-important and indispensable qualification, I think the medical mission students, before beginning their proper professional studies, should possess a competent knowledge of the English language, and be well grounded in the Hindu and Mohammedan controversies, so that, when favourable opportunities present themselves to them in their intercourse with the people, they may be able, in a clear, quiet, and affectionate manner, to give a reason for the faith that is in them, and to show the glaring errors and absurdities of Hinduism, and the religion of the false prophet. That they may do this efficiently, it is absolutely necessary for the students to be intimately acquainted with their Bibles.

"But, having found young men suitable, so far as we can judge, as to faith and mental attainments, the next question that forces itself upon our notice for consideration is, How are we to give these young men such a medical education, as will be likely to command the respect and patronage of their bigoted and adverse fellow-countrymen? At first sight, this is a question which it is not easy to answer. Medicine, both as a science and art, has of late years been so extended and developed in every branch, that we hold it to be now utterly impossible for one man, as formerly, to teach it efficiently and comprehensively. To do so requires a staff of able teachers, an expensive apparatus, and, more or less, suitable accommodation, all of which would entail such an enormous amount of expense, as would put it completely out of our power to possess an establishment, solely and exclusively, for medical mission purposes. But, most fortunately for the feasibility of our scheme, such an establishment already exists, and we need only to avail ourselves of its advantages, to procure from it all that we can desire.

"In the Government Medical College, Lahore, with its experienced and Christian Principal, Dr. Scriven, and his able colleagues, we possess a medical school in every way suited to our present purpose. So much regarding the medical mission students, and how they are to receive a medical education that will really fit them for the very responsible duties of their profession.

"But further, with whom are the medical students to reside, during their stay in the capital and attendance at college? Who is to be their helper, counsellor, and true friend, when they are far away from those who had previously been all that to them? And who, above all things, is to cherish the missionary spirit in them, and show them how to apply their medical and surgical knowledge and skill to the spread of the gospel? It appears to me that no one is nearly so well qualified for this most important work as one who is himself performing the functions of the medical missionary. In addition to the discharge of this duty, the medical missionary would have ample time to carry on extensive medical mission work in Lahore. Indeed, for the proper and complete training of the medical missionary students, it is unquestionably indispensable that he should do so. As some difficulty may be experienced, at least for some time, in finding a suitable agent for this important post, and as the necessary funds for carrying on this part of the present plan may not be realisable just now, one of the American missionaries resident in Lahore might be requested to allow the students to live in his compound, and to take a friendly and Christian interest in them, till a medical missionary arrives from home to assume the whole superintendence.

"With reference to the extent of medical education which our students should receive, I am of opinion that we should qualify them for becoming practitioners, equal in attainments, at least, to the Government sub-assistant surgeons.

"That we may get and retain the very best of the young men belonging to the respective missions of the Punjaub, it is necessary, we think, to hold out to them adequate inducements as to status and salary. Unless we do so, we are likely to get inferior men, and, it is probable, the whole scheme may thereby prove a failure. It is to be hoped, however, that the Punjaub Medical Missionary Society, especially, will look to this point.

"I am very happy to be able to inform this meeting, that already some progress has been made in collecting funds to defray the necessary expenses of this scheme in its embryo beginnings. Dr. Henderson, one of the Professors of the Lahore Medical College, undertook, at the commencement of last hot season, to collect as much money as would be sufficient for three scholarships of twelve rupees each a month, for one year. I have little doubt that, if suitable young men come forward, we shall soon find ourselves in the possession of funds, amply sufficient, to defray the increased expenditure. From the little I know of the Punjaub, I feel fully convinced, that our fellow-countrymen only require to have a really needful and feasible scheme presented to them, to elicit their generous liberality.

"Such, then, is a very brief and rough outline of the scheme I have to propose respecting medical missions in this province. And I trust, if it meet the approval of those now present, we shall soon see at Lahore, a little band of Christian young men, preparing themselves for this comparatively new and important sphere of Christian usefulness."

The scheme was very cordially approved by the members of the Conference, and of the P. M. M. Society, and Sir Donald M‛Leod also spoke warmly in its behalf.

"I have," he said, "carefully read the paper, drawn up by Dr. Elmslie, on the subject of training native Christian youths for the duties of medical missionaries; which paper was recently read by him at a Conference of the Church Missionary Society, held at Amritsar, as well as before a meeting of the Punjaub Medical Missionary Society.

"I have long been convinced, that medical missions are eminently suitable and appropriate in the present circumstances of India, and calculated, accordingly, to prove of the very greatest value and importance here; and as I have, on many occasions, recorded my opinion to this effect, I need not enlarge on it in this place.

"Holding, then, this opinion, I highly approve of Dr. Elmslie's proposal, which I think likely, if carried out, to enable us to extend medical missions much more rapidly and widely than we can hope to do in any other way, at the same time that it adds another most important and appropriate mode of employing and providing support for our native Christians, to the very few which have, as yet, suggested themselves; thus helping largely towards the solution of one of the most difficult problems we have to solve, in respect to the heterogeneous bodies of native Christians assembled, under the existing system, at our mission stations."

Dr. Elmslie wished the native Christians to be educated up to the standard of sub-assistant surgeon. "And I entirely agree with Dr. Elmslie," writes Sir Donald M‛Leod, "in considering this to be a very essential point."

The reader will observe that Dr. Elsmlie's paper altogether ignores the valuable services which, as matter of fact, have been rendered to the cause of medical missions, by "_non-qualified_" Christian natives in Madagascar, Travancore, Madras, and other places. It is a valuable document, notwithstanding, and will doubtless get due attention when the subject of the training of native medical evangelists, and native medical missionaries, receives the comprehensive and exhaustive treatment which its importance merits.