[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Peiyang Woman's Hospital
Tientsin, China.October 2nd, 1933
My dear Miss Turner:
Your good letter written at Woods Hole came to me afew [sic] days ago. I was so happy to know that you were enjoying your work and that you were able to have some social life inspite [sic] of the fact that you had to be at hospital for your back. I was happy to know that you had Dr. Krogh and Mrs. Krogh at college.
We had a fair summer. In the early part of the summer we could not get to beach at all as Japanese soldiers flooded all districts North of Tientsin. My girls were getting very thin in July so I had an American doctor to take them to beach for me thru American protection. They were there for two weeks then train resumed its normal schedule after withdrawing of Japanese soldiers. I was able to be at our little cottage for three week ends. They were happy days as I did enjoy to be with my girls. They were with someone who spoke English to them all summer. They have learned much also.
Abby is quite good in her reading. She is reading Peter Rabbit and Mary Jean Cinderella. They know most of the words except few long ones. They will write to you when they finish their reading. I have sent them to our regular primary school for our government requires this of every child. Unless a child is a graduate of such a school she is not entitled to enter high school. Then I also notice that my two girls would not study Chinese as English is getting much easier for them. As a language Chinese is harder than English. So I think for the present this is the best plan for them any way. Mary Jean is in the third grade and Abby second grade.
We have started our work for nurses also. Twenty four junior high school graduates tried our entrance examinations and sixteen passed. I feel that we are getting better garde [sic] students every year. Nursing is looked upon as a good profession now. We are increasing our standard from time to time. By 1938 we will only take senior high school gardauates. [sic] At P. U. M. C. they have students to study two years at Yenching University for prenursing course and then three years at hospital. At end of five years B. S. degree is given.
Our work is also progressing. We have ten doctors, thirty nurses, one busines [sic] manager, one pharmacist, one technician on our staff. There will be three residents in hospital this year. Last year we had only two and I found the work was too heavy. It is a happy task to see the growth of this little hospital.
We have opened another Maternity and Infant Welfare Station at Tientsin. We have four such stations now. Our obstetrical nurses are doing good work under our supervision. We had more than two hundred cases last year at these three stations. China must have immediate help for her people. I just had a call to establish such a station in a village outside of Tientsin but we are unable to send them any help now. It takes six years to train such a class of nurses. The number is taken according to cases we have. A student must have four years nursing training and two years obstetrical training before a diploma for Midwifery is given. We try to give one hundred cases to each student before she is allowed to do herown [sic] work. Some say that we require too high a stndard. [sic] But I think that is better to have few well trained than a number of half baked people.
Our new building is really up and it is being finished with interior decoration now. We hope to have the use of it December the first. We want to do much prophylactic work among our children in this new building. My little book has been rather useful to many parents. We expect to do Schick and Dick tests on large scale this coming spring. I do not remember of sending you my annual report but I will just give you few numbers here.
Clinic patients for the year 18220 Hospital Inpatients. 832 Operations 141 Obstetrical cases in hospital 356 Obstetrical cases outside at home 200 Income $46.139.44 Expnediture [sic] 35714.89 Balance for improvements 10414.55 In our hospital laboratory we have done routine examinations of blood, urine and stool on every inpatient Of all obstetrical cases we have done prental [sic] and postnatal work except emergency cases. We have thirty Caesarean sections for the year. We lost three mothers in three cases of eclampsia - they were really too late in coming to us but all three babies were saved. We had one special intersting [sic] case of ectopic pregnancy came to full term. I have read in books but never seen such a case. This was the first case I have seen. But we lost mother and baby in this case as the case came in such a shock condition. Patient died of haemorrhage. We are now able to do blood transfusion also. This is the only hospital at Tientsin that can do blood transfusion for we have typed our donors so we could get them anytime for emergency. Recently I had a very ineresting case of hemophelia and pregnancy. I was unable to get horse serum that night and I use human blood right away. I was able to save the mother. I will stop right now about hospital work as I do not want to tire you out.
I am writing to Miss Greene for a young student whom I think wuld [sic] be a right applicant for Mount Holyoke College. The young student is Barbara Yen [MHC 1938] daughter of Dr. W. W. Yen. Barbara is such a fine serious student that I like to see her to get to myown [sic] college. She has one older brother in England, another older brother at West Point. Barbara finishes high school summer of 1934. Dr. W. W. Yen is a fine stateman in the true sense of the word. No one in China or abroad questions his moral standard. He is a man of high learning all his boys and girls are delightful in their manners. Mrs. Yen is a woman of old Chinese culture but with some knowledge of English and French. She has kept up everything in pace with her illustrious husband. She is most humble and considerate to everybody. By look one would think that her children would just do as they please. But she is very firm with them. It is Mrs. Yen who disciplines her children rather than Dr. Yen. I am very happy to write a note of introduction for this young student as she is a fine all round girl.
I close this letter with much love. I am writing at hospital office now otherwise my children would want to send their love to you also.
P.S. Norah Walin's book, The Hour of Exile I can get it from my frind here. Thank you for telling me. I shall read it one week end.
With much love.
Yours lovingly,
Me-iung.