Path：Gratitude>Changhua Christian Hospital

 

Dr. Landsborough（1870-1957）

 

 

David Landsborough was born in Scotland on August 2, 1870. In 1890, he attended the medical school of the University of Edinburgh and graduated in 1895.

 

 

 

After graduation, during a visit with Dr. Hugh Barbow he knew that there was an urgent need of the medical missionary because Dr. Gavin Russell who was in charge in the middle area of Formosa (Taiwan) passed away. Dr. Hugh Barbow hoped that Dr. Landsborough could replace his position. Dr. Landsborough accepted the mission and launched the trip on October 16, 1895 to Formosa, actually, a journey up to 40 years. He rooted in Taiwan and founded Changhua Christian Hospital.

 

◆Establishment of Changhua Christian Hospital

Since November 29, 1896, Dr. Landsborough initially used Changhua Church as the location for medical service, called Changhua Clinic which was the predecessor of Changhua Christian Hospital today. Dr. Landsborough’s main concern was not enough space to accommodate the soaring patients in Changhua area. Finally in 1899, he could purchase a house to renovate into a hospital. During day time, Dr. Landsborough ran the outpatient clinic for three to four hundred patients. He had to give lectures to students at evening and then did accounting at midnight. The overwhelming schedule often caused him falling asleep unconsciously while reclining on the table.

◆The hospital expansion and admission to the local students

 

It came to need to expand the hospital facilities in order to cope with the rapid increase in patients. Operating tables were made of bamboo. The post-operative care was taken by family members. Even that was the case, Dr. Landsborough still watched over the patient overnight. In order to meet the growing number of patients with the necessary medical care, Dr. Landsborough thought it was the priority to train local students to be the medical staffs so that Taiwanese medical resources could be self-sufficient. Dr. Landsborough originated his medical school with five students. He personally trained 70-80 medical professionals within forty years

 

◆The train waiting for Dr. Landsborough

From time to time, Dr. Landsborough went out of the hospital and had a walk to Changhua market to find some sick homeless people and then took them back to the hospital for treatment. Once, he found a terrifying beggar like a homeless, with leak of bloody pus from the pustules all over his body. Dr. Landsborough still calmly carried him up onto the cart then back to the hospital to take care of him. Sometimes he went to Lugang by train to have outpatient service. Frequently, he missed the last train because the patients were too many to see. In spite of this, as long as someone knew that he was late for the last train due to caring for patients, the station director would command the train to wait for him. It could tell how much Dr. Landsborough gained respect from this evident.

◆Home country in retirement

In 1936, 65-year-old Dr. Landsborough had reached the retirement age. On March 6, the couple left Changhua, 1,000 people together to see off at the station. It was warm and touching. On the same day, they departed from Keelung seaport and returned to Britain on April 11. They settled down in Britain in retirement. In October of 1957, he returned to the Lord as a consequence of injuries in a traffic accident at age of 87-year-old.。

 

References :
The Presbytarian Church in Taiwan http://www.pcttcp.org.tw/Introduce/allp/allp_hu&hi.htm
Image Sources :
Changhua Christian Hospital
http://www2.cch.org.tw/history/story5.htm#(3)
http://www2.cch.org.tw/history/story1.htm
http://www.cch.org.tw/hospital-3.aspx