![Dr](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Dr._John_Glasgow_Kerr.jpg)
John Glasgow Kerr (1824–1901) was an American
medical missionary
Medical missions is the term used for Christian missionary endeavors that involve the administration of medical treatment. As has been common among missionary efforts from the 18th to 20th centuries, medical missions often involves residents of th ...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
who helped establish the
Canton Hospital, also known as the Ophthalmic Hospital, in
Canton, China
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kong ...
.
Kerr was born in
Dunkinsville, Ohio and graduated from
Jefferson Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in its earliest form in 1824, the university officially combined with Philadelphia University in 2017. To signify its heritage, the univer ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. He arrived in Canton in May 1854 with his wife to run the Huiji Dispensary of the Presbyterian Mission and the Canton Hospital (1855); Kerr served as superintendent of the hospital for 45 years. In 1859, Kerr opened Boji (boji meaning spreading benevolence) Hospital, located in Zhengsha Street in a southern suburb of Canton. In 1860, Kerr opened of the second dispensary in
Foshan
Foshan (, ), alternately romanized as Fatshan, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the ...
, later becoming the largest hospital in the city. In 1899, Kerr opened the first mental hospital in China.
During his time in Canton, Kerr treated 39,440 inpatients and 740,324 outpatients from 4,000 villages.
Early life
John Glasgow Kerr was born on November 30, 1824. After his father's death, Kerr moved to
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
to live with his uncle. In 1840, he started college in
Granville, Ohio
Granville is a Village (United States)#Ohio, village in Licking County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,646 at the United States Census 2010, 2010 census. The village is located in a rural area of rolling hills in central Ohio. It is e ...
. Kerr studied medicine at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and graduated in 1847. He married Abby Lucy Kingsbury (1829–1855) in 1853 before leaving to become a
medical missionary
Medical missions is the term used for Christian missionary endeavors that involve the administration of medical treatment. As has been common among missionary efforts from the 18th to 20th centuries, medical missions often involves residents of th ...
in China.
Career
Mission
Kerr believed that medical missionaries should influence political and social reforms. "To introduce these institutions into lands where they do not exist is an important part of the duty of medical missionaries." (Kerr, 1895, p. 11) Kerr regarded physicians as powerful and in a position of honor with the obligation to others because medicine is "a profession of benevolence." (Xu, 2011, p. 195).
Kerr also believed that American general practitioners needed to persuade the Chinese to abandon what was described as outdated and "hostile" customs in order to adopt
Western culture
Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''.
image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
and the natural laws. Kerr advocated free medical services for Chinese patients because he felt fees interfered with the healing of the sick and the spirit of Christianity.
Hospitals
= Ophthalmic Hospital
=
Dr.
Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August ...
established the Ophthalmic Hospital in Canton on November 4, 1835. After a few months, the hospital expanded to hold more than 200 people.
The hospital performed the first
ophthalmological
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
surgery, the first
ovariotomy
Oophorectomy (; from Greek , , 'egg-bearing' and , , 'a cutting out of'), historically also called ''ovariotomy'' is the surgical removal of an ovary or ovaries. The surgery is also called ovariectomy, but this term is mostly used in reference t ...
, the first lithocystotomy, the first etherization, and the first pathological anatomy in China. The hospital also had China’s first
X-ray film
X-ray detectors are devices used to measure the flux, spatial distribution, spectrum, and/or other properties of X-rays.
Detectors can be divided into two major categories: imaging detectors (such as photographic plates and X-ray film (photograp ...
shot and the first medical magazine printed.
The Ophthalmic Hospital was later called the Boji Hospital.
Kerr opened a Vaccine Department at the hospital in 1859, offering free
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
vaccinations to Cantonese children. Kerr also published informational pamphlets on the importance of
vaccinations
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
.
= Medical Missionary Society's Hospital
=
The Medical Missionary Society's Hospital was located on the
Pearl River
The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-all ...
on Yan-tsai Street in Canton. It included 10 buildings and 300 patient beds. The hospital was managed and funded by the Medical Missionary Society.. Parker opened the Medical Missionary Society's Hospital in 1839 and was succeeded by John Kerr as physician in charge.
= Mental hospital
=
Kerr retired from the Canton Hospital in 1899 to devote his time to caring for the
mentally ill
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
. In China, it was public custom to treat for the person as a whole, including mental syndromes. The most common treatments in 19th century China included:
shackles
A shackle (or shacklebolt), also known as a gyve, is a U-shaped piece of metal secured with a clevis pin or bolt across the opening, or a hinged metal loop secured with a quick-release locking pin mechanism. The term also applies to handcuffs ...
,
fetters
Legcuffs are physical restraints used on the ankles of a person to allow walking only with a restricted stride and to prevent running and effective physical resistance. Frequently used alternative terms are leg cuffs, (leg/ankle) shackles, foot ...
, herb medicines,
acupuncture
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...
, toxin liquid therapy, and magic words or formulas.
In 1872, Kerr appealed to the
Medical Missionary Society The Medical Missionary Society in China was a Protestant medical missionary society established in Canton, China, in 1838.
The first work of the society was to support the ophthalmic hospital in Canton run by Dr. Peter Parker, a medical missionar ...
to build a mental hospital in China. Between 1876 and 1880, Kerr campaigned for the necessary and rightful treatment of patients with mental illnesses in their own, designated hospitals. Kerr believed in treating and curing the mentally ill rather than isolating them from society. However, neither the city government or the Canton Medical Missionary Society wanted to fund a mental hospital.
Kerr used his own money to purchase 17 acres in
Fangcun (southwestern Canton) as a building site for the hospital. With donors and assistance, two buildings were erected . He attended to 50 patients at the hospital before his death.
The
John G. Kerr Refuge for the Insane operated until 1937.
Surgery and Hygiene
In Canton, Kerr performed around 48,918 surgeries; his specialty being
lithotomy
Lithotomy from Greek for "lithos" (stone) and "tomos" (cut), is a surgical method for removal of calculi, stones formed inside certain organs, such as the urinary tract (kidney stones), bladder (bladder stones), and gallbladder (gallstones), tha ...
and
lithotrity, the removal of
gallstones
A gallstone is a stone formed within the gallbladder from precipitated bile components. The term cholelithiasis may refer to the presence of gallstones or to any disease caused by gallstones, and choledocholithiasis refers to the presence of migr ...
from the
urinary tract
The urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pressure, con ...
,
bladder
The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...
or
kidney
The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...
. He performed surgery on both civilians and officials throughout the
Guangxi Province
Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ( ...
. The Canton Hospital was one of the first hospitals in China to practice preventive
hygienic
Hygiene is a series of practices performed to preserve health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain health and prevent the spread of diseases." Personal hygiene refer ...
measures such as separation,
disinfection
A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than st ...
, and
sterilization. Kerr helped to introduce these modern techniques during his surgeries and strived for his hospital to be a model of cleanliness for the Cantonese not only in the hospital, but in their private lives as well. There were separate rooms for patients with
contagious diseases
An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmiss ...
and the patient's clothes and utensils were sterilized, along with the operating room itself.
In 1875, Kerr published ''Weisheng yaozhi'' (Essentials to Hygiene) which highlighted the priority of preventing illnesses through good hygiene. In this novel, Kerr also argued that hygiene was not just an individual problem, a large-scale attempt to undermine unhygienic habits and lifestyles required government regulations and law enforcement as well.
Anti-Opium Campaign
Dr. Kerr played a crucial role in condemning
opium abuse in Canton. He published ''Opium Habits'' in 1889, in which he denounced opium smoking and declared distorted moral character a product of opium. Kerr opened up a ward of the Canton Hospital dedicated to treating patients (ages ranging 20–59 years) who were addicted to opium. He also attended the National Missionary Conference in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
(1890), a forum in opposition of the
opium trade
Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid m ...
. Following the conference, the Permanent Committee for the Promotion of Anti-Opium Societies was established and Kerr became a leading member.
The Committee resolved to continue their opposition to the opium traffic, urging Christians in China to arouse public opinion against it. The desire of the missionaries that their ideas be carried out caused them to form “continuation committees” that were assigned tasks to assure that action would be taken on whatever matters had been approved by the conferences.
Medical Journals
Kerr promoted medical education in China for both men and women. He taught many Chinese medical students and translated over 34 volumes of medical work into Chinese. Some of these medical students were women who trained in the Canton Hospital medical classes (1879-1899). Kerr was also elected as the first president of the CMMA (China Medical Missionary Association) in 1886 and served as the first editor of ''China Medical Missionary Journal''. In 1886, Kerr established ''Guangzhou Xinbao'' (Canton's New Newspaper) and ''Xiyi xinbao'' (Western Healing News).
Works
*
*
Legacy
![John Kerr Memorial Garden, Guangzhou](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/John_Kerr_Memorial_Garden%2C_Guangzhou.jpg)
Kerr died in Canton at age 77, after spending 47 years in that city.
He was buried in the Protestant cemetery outside Canton.
Thousands of mourners attended his funeral. However, during 1950's, the cemetery was removed for the purpose of town development. The current memorial garden of Dr. J. Kerr was built in 2013~14.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, John G.
American surgeons
American science writers
Presbyterian missionaries in China
American Presbyterian missionaries
Christian writers
Translators to Chinese
American humanitarians
1824 births
1901 deaths
Thomas Jefferson University alumni
Christian medical missionaries
19th-century translators
Missionary linguists