[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Peiyang Women's Hospital
Tientsin, China.March 12, 1933.
My dear Miss Turner;
This is my Sunday off and I am taking this day to do some writing. I am typing on my old machine as my new one is in office. If I let this chance slip I might not be able to have another one for long time. My children are happily playing in the sun while I am at my desk. To hear their laughter and singing one would think that there is happiness everywhere. On the contrary there is much suffering around us and among us. However the only way is to walk steadily in what one thinks is the right. We must continue to teach our children that right is right and not might_although we cannot see this reasoning now.
It is impossible to tell you what Japanese invation [sic] has brought to thousands of our people. Thousands are left homesless [sic] and penniles. Young and old died of hunger and cold. It is hard to live at this age and still believe that right must win in the end. Politically I feel that we have made no progress these years. Commerce, industry, education, communication have made rapid progress. China asks nothing but a chance to develop herself. Japan is hindering us at every step.
To be sure that China is not without fault of herown. [sic] Our ward [sic] lords have brought ruin to our nation. We need no war lords but we do need leaders for constructive work. We people are one and all working for the good of our country, [sic] We have so little voice in national affairs. Just now there is a movement for getting proper civil rights for our people. We cannot continue to allow our war lords to dictate to us all the time. We people must say what kind of government we desire. Military are under tense situation. We shall continue our humble work at hospital disregard of the present situation. We have been rather busy for many hospitals have closed their doors in fear of catastrophe. Japanese air bomping [sic] burned the total district of Chepei_which is part of Greater Shanghai. People are afraid of the same fate of Tientsin. So far we see no reason to fear this catastrophe yet.
Nervously we have waited for a settled condition to build our new unit. But I think for the next decade or two China will be like her present condition. Thus we have decided to build our new unit right away instead of waiting for a better day. The new unit will be a twenty bed hospital for children. It is going to be entirely separated from other buildings with modern equipments. The old unit is going to have steam heating this coming winter instead of stoves everywhere. We are suffering on account of business depression. To have a sum lying idle in bank is better to have it used for a good purpose and at the same time giving work to many. People think that I am daring in venturing to build a new unit at this time. I am afraid this condition will last few years. There is no middle way to stand. We either have to go ahead or recede. As soon as spring is here I like to pay a visit to my poeple [sic] at Shanghai then I shall settle down for work.
I have been very busy recently for one doctor had to leave for a rest. It takes years to get a person trained. After her training she must have health for work. Our young doctor had to leave her work for her first stage tuberculosis. We as a race are poor physically. Under modern srain [sic] we seem to bear our load poorly. I know many college graduates are suffering from tuberculosis. The dorector [sic] of P. U. M. C. told me once that he found tuberculosis is the cheif [sic] disease among their graduates. Another doctor who has been away for a year did not return to us as she got a better position at Nanking. We are short of one resident. I have written to a number of Medical Schools for a resident for this coming fall. We really can do the present work under strain but I guess it pays to have a little leasure. [sic]
By the time this letter reaches [you] probably you would be having your spring vacation. The outdoor is getting warmer. Today is the first day I was out without a coat. Do you still have your garden? What are you planting this year? For the last two years I have been interested in fruit tress. [sic] I have had good success with grapes. Few years ago I planted some grape vintes on hospital ground and last year we had so many bunches for our table use.
At last my little booklet is out. It took some time to experiment the chapter on feeding. We are now using goats milk entirely for infant feeding in case mother has not enough milk for her baby. Then I also have gottten [sic] a farmer to raise goats for our usage. This farmer is delivering eighty to hundred pounds of goats milk daily to our babies. This farmer has had a good year from business point of view also. We have control of his goats. I have also had chances to try certain ideas on my two nieces. Regular healthy habits are most important with children. A number of educated persons in town have exprresed [sic] very favorably toward this little book. When our children department is completed we would have chances to do a great deal of health and prevention work. Scarlet fever and diphtheria are too prevalent on China. Scarlet fever is a very virulent disease with us as we have almost no immunity for it. It is in the field of prevention that doctors would devote thier [sic] energy.
I had a very sweet note from Miss Woolley after she received my letter in telling her A. A. U. W. meeting at my place. Do you remeber [sic] Grace Liang? She is a most gracious president of our association. At last meeting we had Dr. P. C. Chang to speak on Chinese Poetry. We have had a number of interesting programs this year. Do you remeber [sic] Miss Kao? I think she majored in Biology at college. She is married now nad lives at Tientsin. She is teaching at Nankai High School.
With much love.
Yours lovingly,
M. I. Ting.[on a separate sheet of the Peiyang Women's Hospital letterhead]
For Miss Turner
Purpura is not a disease itself. It is a form of haemorrhage into the skin. Purpura occurs in three forms_ spots, lines or small patches. The last form is called petechiae haemorrage. In treatment of purpra we first try to find the cause. There is no treatment for purpra itself.
Causes of purpura are
1 local injuries such as blows, sprins [sic], bites by insects
2 Effct [sic] of drugs and poisons: mercury, arsenic, quinin, ptomaine, etc
3 Infections: typhus fever, pyaemia, septicemia, measles, scarlet fever, etc
4 Diseases of liver, kidney, alcohol.
5 Blood Diseases: Pernicious anemia, leukemia, scurvy, haemophilia etc.
6 Malignant diseases; sarcoma and carcinoma
7 Rhumatic Fever, nephritis and purpura of unknown cause (purpura idiopathic which cause has not been discovered.[)]Treatment for purpura none except treatment of disease which gives purpura. Personally I have witnessed very severe purpura in infectious diseases and puerperium infection.
The above summary is just what comes to my mind in an answer to your question. I hope that I have answered your question clearly.
March 15th, 1933.