Elmer Coulston to Family - May 20, 1933

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AARK Identifier
  • 20213763
Place of publication
  • Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
Rights statement
  • In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Date Issued
  • 05/20/1933
Publication GeoCode
  • 40.76744,114.88644
Date created
  • 1933-05-20
Description
  • Summary: Elmer to folks at home. 1933 May 20, Kalgan, China. AL, 6 pp. -- Expresses his interest in his brother Harold’s medical school plans – should be on his way soon to Loma Linda. Inquires whether Lawrence will be going there as well. The weather is cold; he has planted 6 dozen tomato plants, but doesn’t expect many to survive. Discusses the hospital’s finances - the Division Committee took away their budget thus they have had to be self-supporting. The clinic averages 35-40 patients every afternoon. Talks of a couple of patients who had been at death’s door, but now recovered. Enjoying the Victrola on which they play Stephen Foster records. Would like to have some hymns and pipe organ pieces. Speaks of the Russian nurse that Harry Miller brought from Shanghai, and about Dr. Miller’s work and connections within the Chinese government. Elmer and Leatha went to Peiping on business. Working on their yard and garden.
  • Transcription: Kalgan, China May 20, 1933 Dear folks at home, Your letters came a week ago, and tonight I came to my senses when I figured up that it has been a month since I last wrote to you. I guess that is the longest that I have ever neglected writing to you, but I shall try to be more faithful after this. Leatha has written, but I can’t find the opportunity. I was so interested in Harold’s letters to you, but so far haven’t received any direct from him. I figure that about this time he should be finishing his premedic at E.M.C., and in a short time he will be on the way to Loma Linda. Is Lawrence planning on going there too? I think you mentioned once that Uncle Paul & Aunt Linnie were thinking about it. He couldn’t choose a better place, but he must realize that it is a Christian mission- ary college. Here it is almost the first of June and it is still so cold here that we think of wearing winter clothes to keep warm. Three days ago I put out 6 doz tomato plants, but it is so cold and there has been such a strong wind that not many of them will survive. - 2 - So much has happened that I don’t know where to begin. Our hospital business has not been very brisk, altho we are busy from morning till night, with very little time at home. Our treasurer tells me that last year we had $2000.00 Mex (about $500 Gold) operating gain which we paid back to the mission on our budget. Just two weeks ago an action came from the Division Committee taking away our budget for this year, telling us to do the best we can without any outside help. During the first 4 months of this year without the use of our budget we have a small gain, which means that we are already self-supporting. Dr. Miller tells me this is remarkable progress for the first year. Our patronage although quite small because of the unsettled conditions in the North, has been quite regular all the time. Our Clinic has flourished and prospered, having an average of 35-40 every afternoon, with 4-6 office patients every morning. Now we have rented another building in the north part of town where we plan to open one more clinic, which will serve Mongolians, Russians, and many government officials. Now that we have our bicycles we can take care of both clinics. The woman who came in with the gangrene of the leg and I amputated it, has now - 3 - fully recovered and returned to her home. We still have to do her dressing every day, but it will soon be entirely healed. When I went to see her, the mourn- ers and the full funeral cortege were gathered about the door, with the tom toms and casket all ready for her. Even after amputating the leg there was no hope for her life because she had a bad heart but she was cured thru the power of God. Another little girl came in here with T.B. of the intestines, who had eaten nothing for 20 days and even vomited water. Her funeral ar- rangements had been made and she was wearing her burial clothes when she came in. With simple hydrotherapy and proctoelysis she made a miraculous recovery, which has opened a large community of Buddhist people. Oh, we enjoy our victrola so much, it is such a feast of harmony for us after such a long time without any music other than my poor attempts on the piano. We have a collection of records of Stephen Foster which we play over and over: We are glad to have the recorder you sent, but we lack hymns and pipe organ pieces. If you have or can get some of these records we would appreciate to get some. Every minute we can get, we put on a record. - 4 - A week ago last night Dr. Miller came from Shanghai bringing a Russian graduate nurse, and a Chinese graduate nurse went back to Shanghai, already we notice such a difference for she takes more responsibility and is so capable she is staying and boarding with us but it is good company, and means so little extra expense for us. She was trained along with the Chinese nurses so she gets the same wages as they, $30.00 Mex per month. Dr. Miller has so much of interest to tell us about the advance of the work, and it is re- markable how our work is gaining credit with the high government officials. Several months ago when General Chang Hsüeh Liang resigned, Mr. Soong the foreign minister from Nanking came to Dr. Miller and said – General Chang must leave China, but he couldn’t go to any other country because he had the opium addiction, therefore he besought Dr. Miller to cure him of the habit. On certain conditions he agreed to do so, taking complete charge of General Chang’s household for 5 weeks, curing the general and his two wives. I haven’t time or space to tell of all his experiences, nevertheless he finally cured him, which they had failed to do, at P.U.M.C in Peiping and in Monkden, for which he paid our - 5 - Sanitarium $17,000 Mex. ($4500.00 Gold), and another con- tribution to help the medical work. When he sailed for Italy Dr. Calvert, Miss Osnes accompanied him. Before arrived in Rome he had gained so much that he had to get all new clothes. As a result of his (Dr. Miller’s) many contacts with government officials he has obtained many official privileges. Now, wherever he goes he can use any of the government airplanes, or go on the regular air lines at the government expense. He has the promise of a Curtis 4 passenger plane which is not being used by the government. While Chang Hsüeh Liang is in Europe, he has the free use of his Ford tri-motor transport cabin plane. Dr. Miller says that in his opinion it will not be long before we shall make regular trips to Mongolia by airplane. During the past week week Leatha & I went to Peiping for 3 days where we had some business meetings in regard to hospital meetings. business. We had a good time but we were glad to get back home, and Mrs. Christenson & their family came back the same time. We had been promised a vacation this summer but Dr. Calvert has gone and can’t go until he returns after the first of November. Therefore we have - 6 - decided to fix up our back yard so we can enjoy it this summer instead of going to the beach. For several weeks I have been putting in all my spare time in the garden, spading, weeding, & planting. Onions are coming up fine, also beets, radishes and other vegetables. Our lilacs are just out, and the peonies are coming out now. We just need rain so badly. Now we are fixing up a rock garden, and lily pond, with a bird-bath, and an arbor by the grape vines with table & chairs made from hewn stone. When it is done we shall take some pictures and send to you. It is so nice to have electric lights but they just blinked the first time so we have five minutes before they go out. Good night.
Abstract
  • Elmer to folks at home. 1933 May 20, Kalgan, China. AL, 6 pp. -- Expresses his interest in his brother Harold’s medical school plans – should be on his way soon to Loma Linda. Inquires whether Lawrence will be going there as well. The weather is cold; he has planted 6 dozen tomato plants, but doesn’t expect many to survive. Discusses the hospital’s finances - the Division Committee took away their budget thus they have had to be self-supporting. The clinic averages 35-40 patients every afternoon. Talks of a couple of patients who had been at death’s door, but now recovered. Enjoying the Victrola on which they play Stephen Foster records. Would like to have some hymns and pipe organ pieces. Speaks of the Russian nurse that Harry Miller brought from Shanghai, and about Dr. Miller’s work and connections within the Chinese government. Elmer and Leatha went to Peiping on business. Working on their yard and garden.
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