Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1910 — WOMAN’S PLACE IN CHINA. [ARTICLE]

WOMAN’S PLACE IN CHINA.

Ineceaa of Feminine Doctor)—Miaofanarri Breach of Etlueette. In China, as in other Eastern countries, it is Imperatively necessary if women are to be reached to reach them py women, writes Lady Florence Cecil In the Woman’s Though not absolutely secluded as in Indian zenanas, a Chinese woman is practically unapproachable to men who are not near relatives; she does it is true, turn her back and avert her face when a stranger appears, as a Korean woman does, neither does she veil her face as a Mohammedan woman would do; but nevertheless she is kept apart from intercourse with men, and to listen freely to male teachers, though far more possible in these latter days of emancipation than it ever was before, is still a difficulty and an Impropriety.

A Chinaman’s best friend never thinks of asking after his wife or daughters; they do not appear if he entertains guests; the higher class women are seldom seen driving out, much less walking about’ the streets. A missionary of many years’ experience told me of a breach of etiquette he once made in bowing to a lady whose husband he knew Intimately; she hurried by, blushing deeply, and returning no sign of recognition to so unmannerly a salutation; he never attempted such a thing again, henceforth ignoring any Chinese lady he might happen to meet.

Medical work among them can best be undertaken by women. In point of fact the Chinese women flock by thousands to the women’s hospitals carried on by lady doctors and nurses. One lady doctor told me she had dealt with as many as 5,000 out-patient cases in a month; another lady doctor worked with her, as well as a staff of Chinese nurses under her enxtlrely trained by herself. As their shyness of foreign men and distrust of the motives of missionaries- wear off the women do, Indeed, freely attend hospitals staffed by male doctors, but undoubtedly this particular field of women’s work will always-continue to need many laborers. MUch, too, has been done in the way of training and teaching _ young Chinese women, both as doctors and nurses; they are teachable creatures, very docile and eager to learn, deftfingered, neat and soft-voiced—all excellent qualities in nurse or woman—but no Oriental can entirely believe in the absolute necessity for rigid cleanliness and for antiseptic precautions. A surgeon told me that one of his most onerous duties was to insist on his students obeying the ordinary regulations of an .operating room or to make them understand that they must wash their hands again if they stroked their heads or touched their queues, or again that' they must not open a note in the middle of an operation; consequently the lady in charge of a hospital has arduous work in perpetual supervision of everything, even to the smallest details.