Monday, September 10, 2012

David Abeel-- Medical Missionary in Amoy?

David Abeel Founder of Amoy Mission
 A Prof. in Zhejiang has posed an interesting question.  Did David Abeel, father of the Amoy Mission, personally engaged in medical work.  I post my reply on the blog, in the hopes that someone more knowledgeable than I will have more insights.

The answer, I think, should be yes--though we cannot infer this directly, as far as I can tell, from David Abeel's memoirs.  But given Abeel's two years of medical training, and his appreciation of medical work, it is likely that not only was the Amoy medical work the first in China, but Abeel assisted in Amoy's medical work.  Consider the passage below, in which the medical work was said to have been undertaken by Cumming, Hepburn and Abeel.  (Source: "The Missionary Review of the World," Vol. V., January to December, 1892, p. 215 (Pierson, Arthur T., Editor-in-, Chief, Funk & Wagnalls, NY).

"Medical Work--When our mission was first founded the medical department was the strongest factor for a short time.  In 1843 there were two regularly certified physicians--Drs. Cumming and J.C. Hepburn--connected with the mission, and Dr. Abeel had studied medicine for the greater part of two years.  Dr. Abeel left Amoy in 1844, Dr. Hepburn in 1845, Dr. Cumming in 1847.  This work was not taken up again until Dr. T. May Kiog, an educated Chinese lady-physician, came to Amoy in 1889, and Dr. J.A. Otte, a few months after in January, 1888."

The Ricci Institute's brief biography of Abeel notes that he "merged his medical studies with Christian ministry."  It is unlikely that Abeel did not use his medical talents in Amoy, given that he had "commented upon the desperate need for medical services by  the persons living in the Amoy area" (Hoff, Marvin D., "The Reformed Church in America: Structures for Mission, Issues 14-16. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., MI, 1985, p. 39

Abeel's Memoirs may be silent on his involvement in the medical work simply because of a bias of many Western supporters of missions, who objected to "wasting" funds on any work but that of saving the soul--a bias against the "social gospel" that exists to this day.  Abeel alluded to this bias himself when he wrote of his moving experience at Dr. Parker's Canton medical clinic in 1838 (Abeel's Memoir, p. 178):

""If those who have questioned the propriety of medical practice among the heathen were to pass a day in this hospital, they would be impressed with the mercy of God in opening so wide a door of usefulness to this guarded empire." (Williamson, Rev. G.R., "Memoir of the Rev. David Abeel," D.D., Robert Carter, NY, 1848).

In summary, given Dr. Abeel's training, and his appreciation of medical work, it is unlikely that this resourceful mission pioneer did not use his medical skills to aid Doctors Cumming and Hepburn with their work in Amoy.  If anyone has other information on Abeel's medical work in Amoy, we'd be glad to hear of it!
 
Bill Brown               Xiamen University           
www.amoymagic.com

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Philip Wilson Pitcher Brief Biography (Amoy Missionary)

Several have inquired about the life of Reverend Philip Wilson Pitcher, who was part of the Amoy Mission and wrote "Fifty Years in Amoy," (click for full text) and "In and About Amoy," (available at archive.org), two of my favorite old books on Amoy (now Xiamen).  Pitcher is my favorite Old Amoy Author, second only to John MacGowan, who wrote half a dozen books (all of which are chock full of delightful old China photographs).

Below is the only information I could find about Pitcher's life, taken from the 1916 edition of Officers of Rutgers College.

Philip Wilson Pitcher
 Born at Upper Red Hook, N.Y., Jan. 31, 1856, Clergyman, R. C.A. [Reformed Church of America--

formerly Dutch Reformed Mission] Missionary to China, Principal Boys' Academy, Author "Fifty Years in Amoy," etc. New Brunswick Seminary, 1883, A.M. (Rutgers, 1885). Died, July 21, 1915.
 

Source: Catalogue of the officers and alumni of Rutgers College (Originally Queen's College) in New Brunswick, N.J.,1766 to 1916
Compiled by Rev. John Howard Raven, 1891, Biographer of the Alumni Association, Trenton, N.J. State Gazette Publishing Company, Printers, 1916


Bill Brown  
Xiamen University  
 www.amoymagic.com

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Achuen Grace Amoy (Born Amoy 1846)

Prof. Mary Chapman is researching a Chinese lady, Achuen Grace Amoy, who was born in Amoy in 1846, raised in London, and later married Edward Eaton, a silk merchant. If you have relevant information, please contact Prof. Chapman (contact info at the end of this post).  The info below is Prof. Chapman's email query:
Enjoy Amoy!
 Bill Brown


"I am doing research on a Chinese woman who was raised in London, UK beginning in 1853, rescued from circus-entertainer owners by the Strangers' Home missionaries in 1855, and trained at the Home and Colonial School before returning to Amoy in the early 1860s on board the Jason (via Sydney, Australia). She intended to work as a missionary in Amoy (Xiamen), probably with a London Missionary group. She was Presbyterian. She had multiple names: Achuen Amoy, or Achuen Grace Amoy, or Achuen Grace Amoy Trefusis. Just wondering if any of these details are useful or if any information on your site might help me learn more about her missionary work in Amoy. She was born in 1846 and later married a silk merchant Edward Eaton. Thanks."
Mary Chapman


Dr. Mary Chapman
Associate Professor and M.A. Advisor
Department of English
University of British Columbia
#510-1873 East Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

E-mail: mary.chapman@ubc.ca
http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/~mchapman

http://www.arts.ubc.ca/


Dr. Chapman is Co-editor with Angela Mills of *Treacherous Texts: US Suffrage Literature 1846-1946*

http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/treacherous_texts.html

Winner of the 2011 Susan Koppelman Prize for Best Anthology in Feminist Popular Studies
Now available in paperback!


Bill Brown


 Xiamen University         www.amoymagic.com