127 N. State Street,
Ann Arbor,
Michigan.My dear Miss Turner:-
The only way to get things done is to do them right away. This is Friday night. I have been studying or working in hospital since morning. I want to have a little talk with you this evening. I am glad you like my picture. I had my every day clothes on and I even didn't brush my hair. A boy in my class took it at front of my house. He is with me in same section of practical work.
I was so glad to have your Christmas note. I was at Kansas City, Mo. for Christmas vacation. There I made many new friends. I spent my whole with a friend. I did not get to see the city very much. There was snow storm and can strike at the same time. I enjoyed a quiet vacation. During my absence, one of our Chinese girls died of Influenza and double pneumonia. Poor girl was sick only for six days. I felt it was selfish to be away. She started her sickness after I went away. It was a sad vacation for all of us. The other girls have been more careful since she died. I have been very careful this year. I come into contact with these patients. I wear things that are washable and I always give my hands a big scrub before meals. I sleep eight hours and half daily. I walk one hour daily. So I just feel fine. My cheeks just look so rosy and I eat like a growing boy.
My junior work is very interesting. We have Surgery, Obstetrics, Pharmacology, Medicine, Clinical Pathology, Gynecology, Pathology, Clinical Microscopy and Physical Diagnosis. We have twenty hours lecture work and about twenty hours practical work. I finished Clinical Microscopy & Physical Diagnosis at Christmas; so I only have about thirty hours now. That gives me ten hours extra for my review for final examinations. I was chosen to be in the first section. I would have more work when this semester is over. I have practical obstetrics this term. It is very hard for me to get up at night. I told my professor not to call me after twelve and before six. I like to attend all these cases, but I do not like to walk to hospital at middle of the night. There are so many negros here. I am afraid of them. I would attend the cases when spring comes. There is another medical student in my house. Her section comes in spring; so I can make up my cases.
It is nice to be a junior. We have so many privileges. We can go to all the wards and examine the patients. We can attend all the surgical cases if we have time. At first I thought the patients might object to have a foreigner, but to my surprise they like me real well. The nurses are very kind to me indeed. When I go up to the women's medical ward there is a nurse who gives me something to eat every time. It is nice to be a foreigner sometimes. The patients just want to talk to me because they are interested in me. They want to know everything about me. They ask many questions. They just cannot understand how I can learn to speak the English language. I told them I had to study hard.
I am so sorry you had the Spanish Influenza also. We had to wear masks during October, November. I mean everybody in class. Nobody could stay in class without a mask. The professors were very strict. None of the medical students got influenza.
Dr. McLean has been very sick. She has not written me since Thanksgiving. We children - that is her Chinese daughters want her to take a trip to China. Two of her daughters are practicing in China. Both of them are at hand of hospitals. One in Foochow & other in Tientsin. I do not know if she would be able to accept the invitation or not. One of these two doctors is my friend Dr. Tsao. She is in a government hospital now. She is in Tientsin. That is near Peking. May be that will be my location also. You must visit me when I go back to China. I will take you to see our capital, the great wall, the grand canal etc.
I do want to come East. That is my first home in America. I like New England. I have a year and half in this University. After that I want to come East for some more work. By the way Dr. McLean does not want me to study public health after my graduation. She wants me to take a year in hospital, then go back to China. After I practice for two years, I can come bck for first graduate work again. She told me that I am too young to decide anything now. Besides she said that I must adap[t] myself to the condition of my people. She said that she has no objection only she wants me to do a little general work before first graduate then I would be able to appreciate my first graduate work.
I wrote home first before I told Dr. McLean. My home people said about the same thing. I will do what is the best for my people in China. There are few who are fortunate as I to be able to study abroad. There are many physicians in China who have no business to be. After my years training I ought be able to do some thing for my people. Dr. Tsao wants me to help her. After all the only thing I want to do is to give my whole self to my country. Perhaps it is not the best thing for me to go to John [sic] Hopkins right after my graduation.
I am glad to tell you that I have no trouble with my studies at all. A first I thought I might have to take five years. I guess I can finish in four years. In fact there are only six girls left in my class including myself. Some have dropped others "flunked" out. I think I had a pretty good foundation at Mount Holyoke. I think Pathology is the hardest subject in medicine. I still think Organic is harder than Pathology. I had a beautiful time in Physological Chemistry I am going to take a course in Organic Chemistry again someday. I just could not see & understand those formulae. The girls here have the same trouble. I guess the reason is we have no corresponding ideas in Chinese.
With much love,
Me-Iung.P. S. Remember me to Mrs. Turner, Miss Griffith, Miss Stevens, Dr. Clap [sic], will you?