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NURSINGINMISSION STATIONS EGYPT BY FRANCESJACKSONBENNETT Assiut Training College, American Mission, Assiut, UpperEgypt As each winter comes round, many and various are thevisitors who from many lands pour into Egypt, anxious to visither ancient cities and seeforthemselvesthe great andworld-famed tombsand temples for which theland for many centuries hasbeen noted.Norare any ever disappointed for from Alexandria, withits catacombs, Pompey'sPillar, etc., to Assuan, with its islands and temple ruins, to say nothing of that moder marvel, the great and mightydam, towhich the Egypt of today owesher wealthand glory, thelandabounds withinterest. Yes, and for many sheholds aninterestof another, ofamore spiritual sort, for fromearliesttimeshavenotthe peoples of Egypt been preeminently religious? Her very ruins are an answer tothe question, for almost all that remain to the present day are those of temples, etc., dedicated to the pagangods, the onlygods withwhomtheancient Egyptian seemsto have been acquainted, and wonderful indeed were their ritual and beliefs. While the worship ofthese gods wasstillatits height, andmenwere everywhereprostrating themselvesbefore them, a verycommonplace thing occurred.A weary, travel-worn party of a man, a woman and a tinychild,passing overthe Egyptianborder, took refuge inher land. Yet thatwas in truth a mightyday for Egypt. Little did she then reck thatthat tiny child would one daychange thecurrent ofher thought, the character of her people. Forty-fiveyears later Egypt receivedanothervisitor.Thelittle child had long since returned tohis native land, had grown, had liveda life of spotless purity, and had died thedeath ofa criminal, dying that others might live, and one of his followers, anxious to spread abroad the story of that matchless love, went down into Egypt there to proclaim the story of life through thecross of his Master.Itis said thatfor several years St.Mark lived and labored in Egypt, where from the very first he seems tohave found a willing hearing and, in his own life-time, had the joy of seeing many turn from heathen darkness and embrace the Light of Life.He became the first bishop of the Church (Coptic) of Egypt: that Church which only about200 years laterwasto spread through the 366 Nursing inMissionStations wholeNile Valley, until Egypt became practically aChristian country, and toher early great thinkers and writers theChristian world of today owes much. Saints Anthony,George andAthanasiuswhosememorieswehave learned to revere, were numbered among her sons, andfromthe great Christian School inAlexandria knowledge and learning were spread far and wide. Assiuthas more thanonce stoodoutas a religious center.As early as thethird century ithad itsown bishop and we read thatin 307 A.D., Meletius,bishop of Assiut, isaccusedof having causedschisminthe Church byintroducing "ritualisticobservancesofan unseemly charac- ter," and in other waysbringing thecensure of the clergy upon himself, I COLLEGEBUILDINGS,ASSIUT,AMERICANMISSION,TAKENFROMTHENORTH BANKOFTHEIBRAHEMIACANAL in-so-much that, attheCouncilof Nicea, 325 A.D., hewas stripped of manyprivileges andallowedtoretainbutanominal dignity; while the remains ofmonasteriesinthemountains nearbypoint tothe religious nature of its people. However, asdoubtlessweall know, theChurch of Egyptherself, as thecenturies went by, weakened byheresy andschism within, and by terrible persecutionswithout,gradually losther brightness untilatthe beginning of the last century her life was ata very low ebb.It was then thatthewesternbranchesofChrist'sChurch arosetoasenseoftheir responsibility and sent missionaries back tothe land which had in earlier daysinspired them.ThustheUnited Presbyterian ChurchofNorth America and theChurch Missionary Society,etc., of England, both had 367 TheAmerican Journalof Nursing the honor and joy of holding out helping hands to the people of the Land of theNile. Abouttheyear 1865, theAmerican Mission, in spite of many diffi- culties, established a small school in Assiut, for which purpose, noother building being obtainable, it rented a donkey stable!As the years went by that school, by the blessing of God, grew until today itowns much land and several very fine buildings where almost 1000 boys and girls are daily taught and turned into educated, useful citizens. Anyone who is interested enough to study the wonderful history of these schools shouldl read Dr. Watson's book, "TheAmerican Mission in Egypt.' Nottheleast interesting part of the work is that brancl (levote(dto the healing of the sick.Almiosttwenty years ago, Dr. Henry commenced medical work in Assiut.Inthosedaysthere were far fewer dloctorsil Egypt thanthere are today,and itwas not always easyatfirst to get the people totrusthim sufficiently tocometohisclinics!However. little by littlethework grew, until finally so many camle thatthle small nativehouse theninuse proved quite inadequate and hecastaboutto seehowhe might widenhisborders.Itwasseveralyears,however, before he was able tobuild the present large hospital withits150 beds, a hospital whichisalmost self-supporting and alwaysgrowing, foras the years go by one notices a new room here, a new bit of land enclose(l there, and yet it is still all so insufficient, as anyone would feelwho was ableto pay itavisitaboutthemonthofJuneor July-busymonths those when, with a shade temperature varying from F.100? to 110?, the patients crowd in so thatextra beds have to be placed on the porches so thatnone need be turned away. Numbers of major operations are performed, manyhaving come to the hospital in pain and fear, with little or no hope, and having returne(l to their homes well and rejoicing. Also, in the daily clinic, hundreds of poor men and women are treated. Of course the medical work is, as it should be, but a means to an end, the mostearnest desire ofeverydoctor being thatwhile healing theillness of his many patients he may be used of God to bring health and comfort also totheir sin-sick souls, and many we believe within thewalls of the hospital havefoundthat peace whichtheworldcannot give neither indeed can ittakeaway. 368