M. I. Ting M. D.
Peiyang Women's Hospital
Tientsin.My dear Miss Turner;
It was so good of you to write to me during your vacation. Your first part of the letter reached me just in time to remind me of having too many irons on the stove. Toward the end of June I was tired physically and mentally so I took a short vacation at seaside.
Then again another vacationAfter two months work I had to take another vacation. Dr. Chu altho. arrived in time to take up my work in September. As soon [as] she arrived at Tientsin she had tonsillitis. I was forced to give up my plan at Peking. Now she is at Peking to have her tonsils out. Usually one has to wait six weeks for operation after tonsillitis because of fear of infection to respiratory tract. Dr. Giang could have taken up my work. I was too tired too. Somehow it is very hard to get away. Now I begin to realize the situation of my friend Dr. Tsao. She worked ten years and never succeeded to get away for a year of rest. But I would get a year in 1930. If the board should refuse my request then I would leave this hospital and go into private practice on my return from postgraduate study. Medicine is a progressive science and so many new inventions for treatmetns are being in use. I long for a stop of my work and learn somemore. [sic]People in America are fortunate. With peace and prosperity a nation can advance in music, literature, art scinece [sic] etc. They are bricks that are necessary for national civilization. But China is torn internally and externally. Our shoulders are full of burdens, our hearts are broken and our spirits are low. There is no end of this fighting and our people are taxed to extreme. We of the middle class are feeling the high cost of living and the strain of bearing this load of heavy tax further. Our poor millions will have to face starvation. We are an oppressed people for we have no freedom either of speech or press. To the outside world who know nothing of China's aspiration say that China is red. Many innocent young students have died for a cause. We still believe that right will win. We do have to have patience in this world.
In regard to your experiment on circulatory control I think that you would find a difference between robust and delicate girls. From myown [sic] experience I can stand fatigue better after a meal than before. I fainted once after a hard forcep case. It happened for I had not eaten anything for eight hours. If bathing follows with a drop in body temperature, then I also think there is a diffenerce [sic] with different group of girls. Children with slight causes would upset their heat centers and have high temperatures. These ready fluctuations of temperature are probably due to the extreme instability of the heat-regulating mechanism.
Recently I have been thinking of spending a part of my time for writing. During my five years work at Tientsin I would say that North is fifty years behind South. People are ignorant. Just this week I had two cases of eclampsia and one case of post-partum haemorrhage. Patients do not come to us until almost beyond help. Of one case of eclampsia we were able to save the mother, of the other the baby. Of the post-partum haemorrhage I just arrived in time to prevent many foolish deeds which would cause the death of patuent [sic] directly and indirectly. Curative work is more spetacular [sic] but preventive medicine is the goal to which we must start now. We might not be able to see results this generation. Edward Bok said when we leave this world we ought to make it more beautiful for others to come. I could get one of the leading Tientsin newspapers to publish my articles. Last term Nankai High School asked me to give a series of health talks to their girls. This term we are planning to do more individual work to these girls. After each physical examination we put down our positive findings. Then we would take each girl individually and tell her how to remedy her defect. Trachoma is on the decrease among these students. As far as health condition is concerened [sic] we are a century behind America. Those of us who have been abroad cannot push ideas to our elders too quickly. They resent our suggestions if not tactfully done.
I hope that your doctor would make your back more comfortable. I know nothing about bone condition. A brace helps in immobilization which is necessary for repair. In America you have so many places to go for vacation. If you are near I would send you a ricksha for the latter would be very comfortable for riding. No automobile is allowed at Peitaiho so we go about in rickshas or on donkies.
Kindly remember me to Miss Purington and Miss Greene. Soo Ying asked to be remembered to you. She has a baby girl of five months now. She is a busy mother of two children. I see her quite often as she comes in for professional service.
My niece has at last come to America. She has entered Barnard College. Her husband is studying at Columbia. I did not want her to get married so young but I have no voice over my family affairs. My friend has gone to Carleton College, Minnesota.
With much love.
Yours lovingly.
M. I. Ting.October 7th, 1927.