Peiyang Woman's Hospital, Tientsin, China.Dear Miss Turner;
Indeed my friends in America have been most kind and generous to me. Your gift of Collected Papers of the Mayo Clinic came afew [sic] days ago. I have read some already. I am much interested in regional anesthesia in Gynecology and Obstetrics. I shall do my next hemorrhoidectomy with local anesthesia. Dr. McLean certainly keeps up with medicine. she still goes to Dr. Crossen's clinic when she has time. She has also sent me many magazines and I read as much as I can during my spare moments. Life is indeed a busy one here. There is so much to be done and there are so few trained workers. Your book would help me in my work also and I want to thank you for your good gift.
There seems to be some misunderstanding about the new immigration law [in] regard to Orientals coming to America. Our students are having a hard time in getting passports to come. I hope the matter would be cleared up within a short time. The best of China does not want her working class to come for it is not fair to put out American workers. The working class both of Japan and China bring new diseases to America. The cultured class of the Orient might bring much to America. Each would have come to contribute the other. My assistant and my nurse cannot come this year. They are coming in fall of 1925. By that time new immigration law would make modifications for students.
In regard to Mount Holyoke Chinese Scholarship I shall write to Miss Wooley [sic] sometime. First I want you to find out for me who is holding it and when she would be thru. I have a big niece who finishes high school next summer. She seems to be a promising girl from what her teachers say. She is good in biology and physics. She finishes at McTyeire High School 1925 and I would find out more about her ability in science when I get to Shanghai this coming fall. Just now she is spending her summer at my hospital indoing odd jobs here and there. She has said many times that she would like to take up dentistry and establish a dental clinic for children here. In sending a girl to America for so many years it is quite a responsibility. The girls do get on better when they have one preparatory year in an American School.
A good command of English is necessary for college work. Our girls cannot know English so well as American born for we do not use it daily. Our girls only use English in class rooms. For days I hardly speak one English word and I think it would be pretty hard for me now to get up and make an English speech. If I could recommend any one to Mount Holyoke College I rather recommend one I have known since childhood. I would know at least the kind of girl she is. It would indeed be a wastage of energy and time if the girl would not make use of her education.
Every country has her problems. I have said at many public gatherings as well as in private converstaions [sic]. China is in suffering for we are eating fruits of our slefishness [sic]. Our men in government are untrained and are unfit to be our leaders. I would be the first one to join in a revolution. [sic] against our government. In education we are advancing. Schools are more than crowded everywhere. If our people could all have the right kind of education we might become just as great a nation as any other country. Because education is an important element of a nation's civilization therefore I want to do my share for China. With wahtever [sic] time and energy left outside of my profession I am giving them toward this cause.
How I wish that you could spend a year in China. You must plan your next off year in China. Peking would offer you a good place for research in physiology and allied science. Get into touch with Rockfeller [sic] Institute at New York City for the authority send out many research workers yearly to different countries. The Institute pays traveling expenses as well.
I shall have Yale in mind. If ever I find out a girl of good mind combined with spirit of service I would send her there. The girl who is going to Detroit has finished high school at McTyeire and is a girl of capacity. She has worked several years and she is not able to spend more than three years for her further education.
I have been back a little over two years. Today is the day that Dr. Tsao got sick two years ago. A feeling of sadness creeps over me. The busy work helps me to forget that is sad. If my friend is living she certainly would be happy with whatever little progress I have made. She was my sister and she would watch me with loving interest.
I have started another school for poor children. Just now I am busy getting people interest[ed] in our project. It is only too bad that I do not have wings for I would like to get about faster than foot can carry me. There are so many things that I want to do. The desire to help others to a better standard is burning within me. If everything comes out as I planned we might establish another station for medical work in another village. One Ford is not suffient [sic] for our work and I hope to get another one for our stations. Our work is growing altho. slowly.
We are in need of an experienced surgeon badly. I do most of the operations myself and I feel that I should not doeverything. [sic] One cannot be perfect in every branch. It would be very hard for me to leave my work now and do more special studies abroad. But it might be possible for me to invite a surgeon who would like a vacation in China and at the same time render some service to mankind. The hospital board has been grand to me in everyway [sic] and I am giving chance to do anything within my ability.
You are moving into your new laboratory this summer. Mount Holyoke College certainly deserves such a fine buliding. Mount Holyoke women are doing things everywhere. Not long ago I mentioned to you about Nankai University. Her new laboratory is just finished. I visited it yesterday with my science teacher from McTyeire. For a minute I forgot that I was in China. Our new laboratory at Nankai is in every detail like an American uptodate [sic] science building. We have three bright young men directing this work. With this science building Nankai would be able to give premedical education, the latter would be accepted by Peking Union Medical College. We have very few girls who are majoring in science. They seem to favor history and literature.
Climate is so dry here and my corona ribbon gets dry easily. You must excuse my hurried typing.
It is indeed wonderful to have studied in America and then have friends who are always interested in my work. With love.
[Undated, but probably within a day of August 20, 1924.]