Peiyang Women's Hospital, Tientsin, China.My dear Miss Turner;
Just now my coworker Dr. Chu has gone to Shanghai for her vacation and I am alone in office. After a day's work I feel that I can spend this time talking rather than reading. Five more months I shall sail for America and the time is indeed getting nearer everyday. We also just had the good news from Michigan that a woman professor of Nankai University has been awarded a scholarship of eight hundred dollars for post-graduate study for year 1929-30. Her name is Miss Soo-Hoo. She has indeed done good work among our students. She has given ten years of service since her coming to China. I used the word coming for she was born in America. She had her M. A. from University of California and this time she wills tudy to get her doctor's degree in English. She has the chair of English at Nankai University. She is leaving in May by way of Europe. I hope to have that pleasure on my return.
So far we have gotten two young doctors from P. U. M. C. and I am giving them some English two evenings a week. They had thier [sic] courses in Chinese and had postgraduate study at Peking. They would be able to take care of our out-patient department. Dr. Chu will give her time mostly to surgical cases. The latter is really very clever with her hands. We are trying to get another doctor from Michigan University who graduated two years ago and is doing work in tuberculosis. Work for the prevention against tuberculosis is mostly needed in China. Her name is Dr. Ren. I have known this girl many years and I hope that she would come back to us. I think that we have a good staff now of seven doctors, five registered nurses, one technician and one druggist. When I think back of seven years ago I had many amusing experiences. My first summer at this hospital there were Dr. Chu, a nurse and myself. We took turns to be "Jack of all trades." We have not given time to quantity of our work but we have improved in the quality of our work. These years of war added strain upon us. It is gratifying that our workers have shared every strain cheerfully. I am happy to leave my work for I know they will carry it on with their usual courage.
In regard to my post- graduate work I do not know what plan Michigan University has for me. I think I would be given chances to study and to observe at other hospitals also. Ofcourse [sic] our University Hospital now is of twelve hundred beds. The Department of Pediatrcs [sic] has always been a very strong one. Dr. Cowie is a classmate of Dr. Ida Kahn. He has always been interested in oriental students. Even during my undergarduate [sic] days he was anxious for me to learn everything he could possibly teach me. When I get to Ann Arbor I would let you know my further plans. If I should go to Boston I would like to do some studying at Harvard also. I shall be glad to be introduced to your friends there.
Tientsin has just established her Board of Health. Now all doctors are required to register and those without diplomas must pass government examinations. Those have graduated from inferior schools must also take examinations. I had taken my State Board 1920 so I had only to register. Ofcourse [sic] there are many opositions. [sic] However we know that the present government is anxious to establish everything on modern basis. There is another sign of progress that is the Education Program. I know of a friend who has charge of one hundred half day schools. There are already twenty four hundred people studying in these free schools. Our country as a whole is far from being peaceful. I am afraid that we of this generation would not be able to see peace. We must bury every military leader in order to have peace. The military party is still giving trouble to our National Government here and there.
I would come to Mount Holyoke College either Christmas or spring vacation. I shall be very careful with use of my year or else I would not be able to get in everything I desire.
With much love.
Yours lovingly,
M. I. Ting.March 25th, 1929.