Editorial Notes and Missionary News. THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS. This association of medical men of all nationalities meets next May for the first time in the United States of America. It takes place every alternate year and has already held five meetings in Europe. Medical men of America naturally look forward with interest to the coming meeting, and are making large preparations to receive it and improve it to the utmost. As its name indicates, it is composed of men of various nationalities, and these need not be exclusively from Europe and America, but may come from all countries where medicine is scientifically cultivated, though members of it must be delegates of local medical bodies to ensure recognition. such a cosmopolitan body, and they would without doubt be cordially received. It is an opportunity, not every day afforded, of bringing before, at least a section of the Scientific World, the Medical Missionary Work in China, which should not be lost. The appointment of the delegates, cannot come from the Missionary Boards, or from the Missions, for they are not Medical bodies; it is the Medical Missionaries themselves who must elect, or the election will not be recognized by the Congress. Might not the Medical Missionaries of China correspond with one another on the subject, and by letter elect one or more of their number. There is scarce a doubt but such an election, properly authenticated, will be accepted by the Congress. Dr. W. H. Boone, of In the coming Congress there the American Episcopal Mission, will be delegates from Japan; and Shanghai, and doubtless other the question very naturally arises Medical Missionaries from China, Why not also from China? In will be in America next spring and China however there is no Medical will be able to serve their medical Society. But, on the other hand, brethren in various ways, without there are a considerable number of any expense to the missionaries; Medical Men and Women connected but it should be borne in mind that with the various Protestant Mis- without an election by the Medical sions in China, and it is being Missionaries of China they will discussed as to whether these fail of admission to the Congress. might not combine sufficiently A delegation of at least one, and during the next few months to elect at the most probably of three, one or more delegates to the would be able to do much for approaching Congress. It would China, both in and out of the be very fitting that the pioneers Medical Congress. We trust the of Medical Science in this great matter will be successfully arEmpire should be represented in ranged. The first of Dr. Nevius' "Letters on Missions" is reprinted in China's Millions for June, with a beautiful picture of a Chinese Garden. We learn from Singapore that a Christian Union has been formed there, at 46 Raffles Place, (next door to the Brit. & For. Bible Society's Depot,) which holds a Daily Prayer meeting in its Rooms, and arranges for other meetings from time to time. Friends passing through are cordially invited to call. Rev. J. A. B. Cook is Hon. Secretary; and Mr. J. Haffenden Hon. Treasurer. says in conclusion:-"Such was his modesty that I doubt if even his most intimate friends in this country had any conception of what he had done." Rev. J. W. Lambuth, D.D. writes from Kobe on the 30th of July:-I have secured a teacher who is a Christian man and preaches. We hope to rent a preaching place next week, and if possible to have our first service in Japanese on the 8th of August, at 11 A. M. Pray for us. Mr. C. A. Colman of the American Bible Society writes:-The character蚺, Williams' Tonic Dictionary of the nám," is defined in Canton Dialect, as, " A large serpent said to be eatable." One Lord's Day, when in southern Hunan, I saw two men preparing a large snake for supper; on enquiring its name they answered, nám she. It weighed eight catties when skinned and ready for the pot. Rev. C. H. Carpenter to the papers, It would seem from a note by that he comes out at his own charges to work among the Ainos of Yesso, whom he mistakenly supposes to be" utterly neglected "-not seeming to be aware that the Church Missionary Society has work among them. The suggestion that there be a day of special prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all Foreign Missions, is meeting with extensive approval. The American Board (Congregational) has more specifically suggested the first Sunday in November next, the 7th of that month, and this also is being accepted by different missionary bodies. We regret not having received an account of the Chunking riots. On the 21st of July, the most of the Protestant missionaries and their families reached Ichang in safety, and on the 3rd of August, Mr. Copp, who had been absent on A correspondent from Chefoo writes of the gloom thrown over the missionary circle there by the sudden death of Mrs. Williamson, the wife of Rev. Dr. A. Williamson, and we but express the common sympathy of missionaries throughout China with Dr Williamson in his great bereavement. The death of the Rev. Dr. Nelson, will surprise and grieve a large circle of friends in China and elsewhere. Mr. F. McKiege attended the Seventh Day Baptist Eastern Association in June, and urged that the mission to China be reinforced soon, and if that cannot be done that the property be sold ; but the Editor of the Sabbath Recorder expresses the hope that "at no distant day Shanghai will be the head quarters of a mission that shall embrace several in-stations." We have received through Rev F. H. James, a well recommended advertisement of a collection of twelve Tables of Biblical Archæology and Natural History, prepared with great care by M. B. Tournier, and issued by the "Société genevoise des Publications religieuses." The twelve Tables with a small book of explanations are sold for twentyfive francs ($5.00) by M. A. Haas, 4 Rue Pecolat, Geneva, and at a reduced price, to pastors, teachers, &c., by applying to M. Etienne Brocher, Geneva. Mr. James says the Tables are "first-rate for teaching the Chinese." THE NEW UNION CHURCH, SHANGHAI. The dedication of this Church, on the 4th of July, was an event of no little importance in the religious history of the Commercial Centre of China. For twenty-three years the congregation had worshiped in the so-called Union Chapel in Shantung Road, in the heart of the English Concession, where of late years it has been most unpleasantly surrounded. by Chinese. The Chapel which originally cost over $10,000, having been built on ground owned by the London Mission Society, without any arrangement having been effected with the Society, the building could not be removed or sold, but belonged in law to the Missionary Society. This threw on the Church the great expense of providing a new site, as well as of erecting a new building, with no assistance from the old site and building. This heavy load has been most nobly met, as the new and beautiful building on the south side of the Soochow Creek, immediately adjoining the British Consulate, abundantly testifies. The cost of the land, the Church and Manse, and counted property, has been over $40,000.00, all which is paid save about $10,000.00, which is covered by a mortgage. The interest of the mortgage is considerably more than met by the lease of four private residences which stand upon a part of the property, and which could today be sold for more than the face of the mortgage. Practically the Church itself and the Manse, are clear of debt. The Church conveniently seats three hundred persons, and proves itself easy for speaking and hearing. Its Gothic architecture and beautiful spire, give it a very pleasant, ecclesiastical appearance; and there is every reason to hope that the Union Church of Shanghai has entered on a new period of prosperity and usefulness. MEDICAL HOSPITAL CANTON. The Chinese report of the Medical Missionary Society's Hospital at Canton, by Dr. J. E. Thomson has come to hand. The first few pages of the Report are occupied by Dr. Kerr's preface and general history of the Hospital, telling what the idea of the foreign doctors is, and how the number of patients coming for medical treatment has been increasing. Next come the general accounts of money received from different sources. The total number of patients attended by the doctors, was more than ten thousand patients, men and women, in one year. There are pictures of persons having tumors that were cured, and also illustrations of stones of different shapes and sizes. To each of these is attached a brief account of the person suffering. In the list of tumors removed there was one weighing 18 catties and 12 ounces. Towards the end of the book several proclamations issued by the authorities during the Franco-Chinese war for the protection of the churches, hospitals and free schools of the missionaries are given. Tsang, late Governor-general at Canton writes to the director of the Medical Missionary Society Hospital expressing his indebtedness to them for their attendance on the wounded soldiers in Kwangsi. Indeed, when Tsang was once sick, as the report says, he called in Dr. Kerr, and when he got well, "he was very much pleased with the foreign doctor's skill." HO CHIU KWAN. SCHOOLS OF THE METHODIST MISSION SOUTH. The Spring term of the AngloChinese College closed on the 25th July. Before the close the pupils were examined both orally and in writing. Examination papers were creditable to both pupils and teachers. Attendance and deportment very good. The Bible is the basis of instruction. It is used in the class room daily. Saturday mornings are entirely devoted to religious instruction in the English department. The College is opened and closed daily with appropriate religious exercises; all the pupils and teachers are required to be present. Religious services are conducted every Sunday morning. Attendance upon these services is voluntary. A goodly number of the pupils have attended regularly, others have attended irregularly. Some of the pupils have embraced Christianity, and united with the Church. Others are serious and thoughtful, studying the Bible and religious books with pleasure and profit. There are obstacles in the way of some openly professing faith in Christ which may be removed in time, and then there will be more professing Christians among the students. The fall session opens on the first of September. Total number of matriculations 939, which will doubtless be increased to 950 during the next session. The number of matriculations in 1884 was 212; in 1885, 137; in 1886, 86. The matriculation fee is now $25.00 for Chinese and English; for English only, for half a day, $30.00; for English only all day $50.00. G. R. LOEHR. There are in Shanghai eleven schools supported, by the Woman's Board of Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, one boarding school for girls and ten day schools. In the boarding school, during the term just closed there were twenty girls. In the day schools two hundred and twentyfive pupils were enrolled. At the annual examination, held July 26 and 27, there were in actual attendance from the eleven schools two hundred and twenty pupils-from the boarding school nineteen girls, from the day schools one hundred and twenty-eight girls and seventythree boys. Of the day schools six are girls' schools, two are boys' schools, and two are mixed. A large proportion of the children attend regularly Sunday School and preaching on Sunday. About half the time spent in school is given to the study of religious text books. Of the Chinese teachers five are men and six are women. There is no inducement offered to the children to attend school, except that they are furnished with good teachers and comfortable school rooms. The schools are all under close foreign supervision. In several of the schools the foreign teachers have daily classes. THE NESTORIAN TABLET. Mr. J. Thorne wrote from Singan Fu, on the 16th of June :— Tsing Dynasty. Lying on its side, SOOCHOW AND COREAN HOSPITAL The Nestorian Tablet is five li outside the walls of Singan Fu. The material looks to me like a dark pinkish slate-stone, fine-grained, sonorous, and in no wise flaky. It is one of five tablets in a line, in a ruined court of one hundred yards square, which again is enclosed within lines of ruined loess walls, The Third Report of the Soo800 yards by 300 yards. The high- chow Hospital under the Methodist est stone, that on the left of the Episcopal, South, is at hand. A line, is of the Ming Dynasty, the more than usually readable introother three of the Tsing, and this duction by Dr. Lambuth, followed of the Tang Dynasty. The top by a statistical Report by Dr. Park, piece is all snake or dragon, or makes the pamphlet interesting'as both of them. The Cross is very well as valuable. A plan of the faint. The marginal inscription on hospital buildings is given. The the left side is a self-glorifying member of a self-glorifying member of new patients in the superscription, done by a Chinaman Dispensary was 7,491, of old 2,253; who reset the stone in 1866. total 9,744. In the Hospital, Medical patients numbered 12, Surgical 23, Opium Habit 168; total 203. To the front of this line of tablets si an ornamented gateway of the Ming Dynasty, of marble and granite, with stone figures at either end. The First Annual Report of the A few steps to the side of this is a Corean Government Hospital, beautiful white marble, flowery- Seoul, under the care of H. N. Allen figured font, on a limestone pedestal, B. S., M. D, and J. W. Heron of the Tsing Dynasty. Three flights M. D., is a worthy record of a new of stone steps are behind and three enterprise. This institution takes in front of arches. About ten steps the place of one which had been to the front are three tablets of the in existence for several hundred |