Jesuit bishop Melchior Carneiro built China’s first hospital in Macau in 1565, where Christians and non-Christians were equally treated. After Robert Marrison came to China, he invited John Livingstone, a doctor, to open a clinic in Macau in 1820. Fifteen years later, Peter Parker, an American physician and missionary, opened the Ophthalmic Hospital in Guangzhou, which later became the Boji Hospital in 1842. Accommodating 200, the hospital included a reception room, pharmacy, operation room, and observation ward. Sun Yat-sen was once one of the interns there.
In 1838, William Lockhart founded the first western hospital in Shanghai, known as the Chinese hospital, which was the predecessor of the current Renji Hospital. The treatment was free of charge. The missionary who served with the London Missionary Society recalled that the street was crowded with patients every day.
Deborah Matilda Douw, a female missionary, was sent by the American Presbyterian Mission to Beijing. At that time, Chinese women suffered from the pains of childbirth. Midwives tried to stop the blood bleeding of the umbilical cord with ash, but many babies died of infections in the first few days after birth. Witnessing the tragedy, Douw who burst into tears raised funds in American churches to build the country’s first obstetrical-gynecological hospital in eight years. In 1885, Douw Hospital for Women and Children was established with 12 bungalows. She introduced other western medicine into the hospital, which is now Peking University Sixth Hospital. The woman founded many hospitals across China.
According to statistics collected in 1920, there were 820 hospitals and clinics in China. Some famous hospitals built by foreign missionaries are as follows:
Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Shanghai Tongji Hospital
Chengdu West China Hospital
Qilu Hospital of Shandong University
Shanghai Renji Hospital
Canton Pok Tsai Hospital
Shanghai Tongren Hospital
Shanghai Guangci Hospital (now the Ruijin Hospital)
Shanghai Pu Ren Hospital
Tsingchow Guangde Hospital
Soochow Hospital
Changsha Yali Hospital
Hangzhou Guangji Hospital (now the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine）
Tianjin Mackenzie Hospital
Fujian Yong Chun Hospital
Mackay Memorial Hospital (Taiwan)
China’s first orphanage, home for the blind, a school for the deaf and the mute, psychiatric hospital, and leprosarium all owe their founding to those missionaries.
The first foundling was founded by the Berlin Missionary Society in Hong Kong in 1840. Until 1914, there were 37 church orphanages that adopted about 2,500 orphans.
The first home for the blind was established by William H.Murray in Beijing in 1874. Braille in Mandarin was created.
The first school for the deaf and the mute was set up by Annette E. Thopson in Yantai, Shandong Province in 1898. More than ten similar homes served the disadvantaged people till 1939.
The first refuge for the insane was established by John Glasgow Kerr in 1898 and was named Canton Huiai Yi Dian Yuan.
Named the Hospital of Universal Benevolence, the first leprosarium was founded by David Duncan Main in Hangzhou in 1892. China had 51 leprosariums in 1954, 40 of which were related to churches.
Richard Timothy played a great role in China’s philanthropy. He established five orphanages which took in 100 children who were trained into skilled workers. During the great famine in 1877, Timothy rescued 70,000 people and founded seven schools for the children of the victims.
Many sources claim that the "cross" symbol of Chinese hospitals is linked with the Christian "cross", originating from the earliest "cross" sign of those hospitals built by western missionaries to China.
- Translated by Karen Luo
宣教士在中国建立的医院
最早于1565年，天主教卡内罗主教已在澳门建立了医院，不分教会内外，有病者一律诊治。马礼逊来华后，于1820年邀请李文斯顿医生在澳门开设诊所。1835年，美国宣教士伯驾医生，在广州新逗蓝，设有接待室，配药室，手术室，观察室，能容纳200人后镇，1842年，发展成为综合医院，即博济医院，孙中山就是这家医院的实习生。
1838年，英国宣教士雒维林建立上海第一家西式医院，即仁济医院的前身，一律免费诊治，他回忆说： “每一天大街上挤满了病人。”
有一位女宣教士叫道济被美国长老会派到北京，当时中国女性饱受生产之苦，当时收生婆用土灰给孩子的脐带止血，很多孩子出生后几天就感染死去了，看到此情此景，道济痛哭，她回到美国8年时间，到各个教会筹集资金，1885年，在安定门交道口，盖了12间平房，建立中国第一间中国妇产科医院，即道济医院，即今日北京第六医院，后来道济又引进除妇产科意外的西医各科，她在中国各地建立了许多医院。
据1920年的统计，建立的医院和诊所共820间，宣教士在中国建立的著名医院有：
北京协和医院 Peking Union Medical College Hospital
上海同济医院 Tongji Hospital
成都华西医院 West China Hospital
济南齐鲁医院 Qilu Hospital of Shandong University
上海仁济医院 Renji Hospital
广州博济医院 Canton Pok Tsai Hospital
上海同仁医院 Tongren Hospital
上海广慈医院 Guangci Hospital（现瑞金医院)
上海普仁医院 Pu Ren Hospital
青州广德医院 Tsingchow Guangde Hospital
苏州博习医院 Soochow Hospital
长沙雅礼医院 Yali Hospital
杭州广济医院 Hangzhou Guangji Hospital（现浙江大学附属第二医院）
天津马根济医院 Mackenzie Hospital
福建永春医馆 Yong Chun Hospital
台湾马偕医院 Mackay Memorial Hospital
宣教士在中国开拓的“第一间”不同种类的医院
中国第一批孤儿院、盲人院、聋哑学校、疯人院、麻风病院……这些与宣教士都有关系。
中国第一间育婴堂，1840年有巴陵会在香港开办，到1914年，教会办的孤儿院37所，收养孤儿约2500人。
中国第一间盲人院，1874年，由宣教士莫莱士在北京建立，并设计出一套普通话盲文。
中国第一间聋哑人学校 1898年由梅耐德在烟台建立，到1939年抗战以前，全国建立了十几所。
中国第一所疯人院，1898年，由嘉约翰医师在广州建立，名为惠爱医院。
中国第一间麻风病医院，1892年，由梅腾更在杭州建立，名为广济麻风院，1954年，全国51家麻风院，其中有40家与教会有关。
李提摩太对中国的慈善事业影响巨大，他先后建立了5个收容100名儿童的孤儿院，并将他们训练成为技术娴熟的工人。1877年大饥荒，李提摩太在山东救助了七万灾民，建立了7所灾民子女学校。李提摩太说：“真实的爱心，要比空洞的教义更伟大。”
最开始宣教士来中国时，非常看重现代医疗对人的帮助。李提摩太询问当时一位绅士时，那位中国绅士说：“最美妙之处，人的身体可以成为圣灵的殿宇”。 我国现代医学起源于教会医院，这是历史事实。因为有不少材料说到，中国医院标志的“十字”与基督教的“十字架”有着千丝万缕的联系，是起源于最初宣教士在中国建立医院时打出的十字架标志。
历史钩沉｜近代史初期 宣教士在中国建立的医院
Jesuit bishop Melchior Carneiro built China’s first hospital in Macau in 1565, where Christians and non-Christians were equally treated. After Robert Marrison came to China, he invited John Livingstone, a doctor, to open a clinic in Macau in 1820. Fifteen years later, Peter Parker, an American physician and missionary, opened the Ophthalmic Hospital in Guangzhou, which later became the Boji Hospital in 1842. Accommodating 200, the hospital included a reception room, pharmacy, operation room, and observation ward. Sun Yat-sen was once one of the interns there.
In 1838, William Lockhart founded the first western hospital in Shanghai, known as the Chinese hospital, which was the predecessor of the current Renji Hospital. The treatment was free of charge. The missionary who served with the London Missionary Society recalled that the street was crowded with patients every day.
Deborah Matilda Douw, a female missionary, was sent by the American Presbyterian Mission to Beijing. At that time, Chinese women suffered from the pains of childbirth. Midwives tried to stop the blood bleeding of the umbilical cord with ash, but many babies died of infections in the first few days after birth. Witnessing the tragedy, Douw who burst into tears raised funds in American churches to build the country’s first obstetrical-gynecological hospital in eight years. In 1885, Douw Hospital for Women and Children was established with 12 bungalows. She introduced other western medicine into the hospital, which is now Peking University Sixth Hospital. The woman founded many hospitals across China.
According to statistics collected in 1920, there were 820 hospitals and clinics in China. Some famous hospitals built by foreign missionaries are as follows:
Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Shanghai Tongji Hospital
Chengdu West China Hospital
Qilu Hospital of Shandong University
Shanghai Renji Hospital
Canton Pok Tsai Hospital
Shanghai Tongren Hospital
Shanghai Guangci Hospital (now the Ruijin Hospital)
Shanghai Pu Ren Hospital
Tsingchow Guangde Hospital
Soochow Hospital
Changsha Yali Hospital
Hangzhou Guangji Hospital (now the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine）
Tianjin Mackenzie Hospital
Fujian Yong Chun Hospital
Mackay Memorial Hospital (Taiwan)
China’s first orphanage, home for the blind, a school for the deaf and the mute, psychiatric hospital, and leprosarium all owe their founding to those missionaries.
The first foundling was founded by the Berlin Missionary Society in Hong Kong in 1840. Until 1914, there were 37 church orphanages that adopted about 2,500 orphans.
The first home for the blind was established by William H.Murray in Beijing in 1874. Braille in Mandarin was created.
The first school for the deaf and the mute was set up by Annette E. Thopson in Yantai, Shandong Province in 1898. More than ten similar homes served the disadvantaged people till 1939.
The first refuge for the insane was established by John Glasgow Kerr in 1898 and was named Canton Huiai Yi Dian Yuan.
Named the Hospital of Universal Benevolence, the first leprosarium was founded by David Duncan Main in Hangzhou in 1892. China had 51 leprosariums in 1954, 40 of which were related to churches.
Richard Timothy played a great role in China’s philanthropy. He established five orphanages which took in 100 children who were trained into skilled workers. During the great famine in 1877, Timothy rescued 70,000 people and founded seven schools for the children of the victims.
Many sources claim that the "cross" symbol of Chinese hospitals is linked with the Christian "cross", originating from the earliest "cross" sign of those hospitals built by western missionaries to China.
- Translated by Karen Luo
Hospitals Built by Missionaries in China’s Modern History
