Elmer Coulston to Family - Jul. 1, 1933

Public
Analytics
Author
Subject
Language
Related url
Part Of
Source
AARK Identifier
  • 20213767
Place of publication
  • Zhangjiakou, Hebei, China
Rights statement
  • In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Date Issued
  • 07-01-1933
Publication GeoCode
  • 40.76744,114.88644
Date created
  • 1933-07-01
Description
  • Summary: Elmer to parents. 1933 Jul 1, Kalgan, China. ALS, 7 pp. -- Comments about how long it has taken him to write, receiving letters and packages, excited to hear about Harold’s graduation and then going to Loma Linda [presumably the College of Medical Evangelists]. Speaks of being so weary and how he doesn’t know how he can keep going. Won’t get vacation this year, but is not going to let Leatha work all summer like she did the year before. Sent Leatha off to Peiping to rest. Mr. Erich arrived from Mukden to set up the x-ray equipment and instruct Elmer on its use, but the generator is not providing enough current. Tells how Elder Christensen has been sick for three weeks and so he and his family are going for a month’s vacation at the beach. Have had several important Chinese officials at the hospital – General Fang Chen Wu came to rest for five days. Elmer went with him to review troops and then visit a temple. General Fang promised to make a good offering for a boy’s dormitory. Received a call from General Feng Yu Hsiang to come treat a soldier who was shot in the stomach. Speaks of difficulty in going to Mongolia but his good relations with the military helps. Treating morphine and opium-addicted soldiers, and others.
  • Transcription: Kalgan, China July 1, 1933 Dear folks, The last time that I waited so long before writing to you I determined to be a better and write oftener, but here I find it is three weeks again since I wrote last. I received Dad’s good letter several weeks ago, and this week Mother’s two letters came, and also the first package of prints for quilts. I am so interested to hear about the preparations for Harold’s graduation and his going to Loma Linda. I can live with him all his experiences, for it seems such a little time ago that I was preparing to do the same things. This time I really have an excuse for not writing, because my pen has not been in working order. Perhaps you noticed in my last letter that it wasn’t feeding very well. Yesterday I repaired it & gave it a thorough cleaning so it works better now. Oh, but I am so weary; that I don’t See how I can keep on, but the work must be done. Somehow I am rested thru the night - 2 - so I can take up my work every morning. It doesn’t look as though we can get any vacation this year altho we both need it so much. I am not going to let Leatha work This summer even if we have to get more help. About 10 days ago I sent Leatha to Peiping for she would not rest as long as She saw work to be done, and her bladder caused so much trouble when she got tired. I had a letter this morning that she is coming back tomorrow night and I will be one happy boy, for it is so lonely here. Last Sunday night Mr. Erick and His family arrived from Mukden, to be here for several weeks in order to start the x-ray and give me instructions. Now we find that the generator is not giving enough current so we have to enquire about what to do. Elder Christensen has been sick for three weeks with streptococcic sore throat, and is still running a PM fever, even when he stays in bed. They are going to T’singtao tomorrow night for a month’s vacation at the beach, lucky folks. - 3 – It has been so exciting in the hospital recently, with so many big officials. About two weeks ago General Fang Chen Wu, a powerful war lord who has been leading 50,000 troops against the Japanese in Chahar & Jehol, came to the hospital, rested here five days, eating his meals at our house. With him he had six body guards, and every day many prominent visitors called on him. He enjoyed very much studying English with me. Since he left, he has come back many times, twice to eat with us, and other times to talk English and ride the bicycle. Last Sunday morning at 6:30, he called me by telephone to come with him to Tsë ?? Shan where there is a large temple. I went by bicycle to his place, and he had me stand with him while he reviewed troops. Then we mounted horses and rode to the temple. It was a beautiful clear morning and I enjoyed the outing very much. At the temple he provided a lunch – and we rested several hours before re- turning. At the foot of the mountain his car was waiting for us and brought us back. He has promised to make the hospital a good offering for a boy’s dormitory. -4- Tuesday afternoon while I was at the clinic in the north city a car called for me from General Feng Yü Hsiang, for an officer there had shot himself in the abdomen while putting a pistol in his vest pocket. When I arrived at the hospital I found the bullet had entered at an angle missing the intestines but had entered the bladder for there was blood in his urine & he couldn’t void. I wanted to operate but his friends wanted to wait for his wife to come from Peiping. The next day his condition was excellent except that he vomited a little, no blood in the urine & no fever. That night at 7 o’clock I gave him an intravenous saline injection & he seemed much better, but a little later I found that he had pulled out the retention catheter for draining the urine from the bladder, & he complained of pain over the bladder. He went into shock at 10 PM and died ½ hr later. This morning his wife, sister & brother- In-law came to get a death certificate, and were very courteous & nice about it. If I had known how they were, so intelligent & reasonable -5- I might have operated on him against his friends counsel. They live on the same street as our mission in Peiping, speak excellent English, and are very cultured people. This officer was a special envoy from General Liu Knei T’ang a rebel leader under Manchu-kuo, who was ne- gotiating with Fen Yü Hsiang for his return to allegiance to China. The night that he came in I went to general headquarters and reported directly to Feng Yü Hsiang about his condition. He is a most difficult man to see, but he dropped everything to talk to me. Several weeks ago General Feng had indigestion, called me out to see him and when I left presented with a beautiful thermos bottle with a hand made leather case & carrying strap. The medical work certainly opens the doors to these people. This past week Elder Appel & Mr. Christian came up to drive into Mongolia because Elder Christian was sick and we are building a mission there this summer. I went to General Tang, had him make a military pass, and incidentally he made me wait & have breakfast with him. Usually it is a lot of red tape to go to Mongolia, because -7- Of bandits and squeeze for the officials, but Instead of costing $40.00 and taking several days, it cost them $2.00 and it was all done in less than an hour, thanks to the military pass. During May we thought we had reached the peak of our income when we took in $1300.00, but during June we have taken in about $1600.00 Mex. About two weeks ago an officer under Feng Chen Hai, a morphine addict for 15 years came in, practically dying. He was scars from head to foot from abscesses formed in taking the morphine. He was used 20.00 dollars of morphine every day. I was a little afraid to give him the cure because he was so weak, but there was no choice for he was dying. We took it away from him & started the cure, the same that they gave Chang Hsüeh Liang. The first few days he couldn’t eat anything, but after 4 days the craving left him, and he began to eat. Now he is gradually gaining back his strength. The day after this man came in, another officer in charge of 2,000 soldiers came in for the opium cure, paid us $100.00 Mex. He was here just four days, got rid of the accursed opium, left prais- ing the hospital & promising a gift to the hospital. This man had been out of the hospital just ½ hr when a woman was brought in who had been shot by her 8 yr old boy, playing with his father’s revolver. She also was a morphine addict therefore she had to take the cure in order to stay for treatment of the wound. Now she is rid of the opium, eating much & getting fat, and her husband is coming soon to be freed of opium. So it is that the Lord brings us people in their great need when we can help them. The last 3-4 nights it has been after midnight when I have slept & then up at 5 AM. Have 2 clinics now. Today received appointment as Chief physician & surgeon to the Chahar provincial prison, which pays the hospital $40.00 a month. I have many outcalls all the time, and my bicycle makes it very handy indeed, but it is very tiring on these hot days. We have had quite a bit of rain so Our garden is flourishing. In my spare moments I weed the garden. Enjoy our green onions, radishes & lettuce so much. Another patients with a bullet wound in the leg came in. Pray for our work here. Lovingly, Elmer.
Abstract
  • Elmer to parents. 1933 Jul 1, Kalgan, China. ALS, 7 pp. -- Comments about how long it has taken him to write, receiving letters and packages, excited to hear about Harold’s graduation and then going to Loma Linda [presumably the College of Medical Evangelists]. Speaks of being so weary and how he doesn’t know how he can keep going. Won’t get vacation this year, but is not going to let Leatha work all summer like she did the year before. Sent Leatha off to Peiping to rest. Mr. Erich arrived from Mukden to set up the x-ray equipment and instruct Elmer on its use, but the generator is not providing enough current. Tells how Elder Christensen has been sick for three weeks and so he and his family are going for a month’s vacation at the beach. Have had several important Chinese officials at the hospital – General Fang Chen Wu came to rest for five days. Elmer went with him to review troops and then visit a temple. General Fang promised to make a good offering for a boy’s dormitory. Received a call from General Feng Yu Hsiang to come treat a soldier who was shot in the stomach. Speaks of difficulty in going to Mongolia but his good relations with the military helps. Treating morphine and opium-addicted soldiers, and others.
In Collection:
Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details 20213767.ARCHIVAL.pdf 2022-01-24 Public
file details 20213767.X1.ARCHIVAL.pdf.TN.jpg 2022-01-24 Public
file details 20213767.TN.jpg 2022-01-24 Public
file details 20213767.RAW.txt 2023-02-04 Public