Why did they come?  There are some who frankly admit that their entrance into Medical School was due solely to the influence of parents and relatives, and that their present vital interest in what they are doing dates back not to any childhood desire for the doctor’s profession, but only to the stimulating experiences of the school itself.  Others tell of a life-long wish for what the school has made possible; still others of “sudden conversion” to medicine, brought about by a realization of need, or in one case to the chance advice of a school friend.  Two speak of the appalling need of their own home villages, where no medical help for women has ever been known.  Some of the students have expressed their reasons in their own words:—­

“Once I had a severe attack of influenza and was taken to the General Hospital, Madras.  I have heard people say that nurses and doctors are not good to the patients.  But, contrary to my idea, the English and Eurasian nurses there were very good and kind to me, more than I expected.  I used to see the students of the Medical College of Madras paying visits to all the patients, some of whom were waiting for mornings when they should meet their medical friends.  I saw all the work that they did.  The nurses were very busy helping patients and, whatever trouble the patients gave, they never got cross with them.  They used to sing to some of them at night, give toys to little ones and thus coax every one to make them take medicine.  I admired the kindness and goodness that all the medical workers with whom I came in contact possessed.  As medical work began to interest me, I used to read magazines about medical work.  Again, when I once went to Karimnagar, I saw ever so many children and women, uncared for and not being loved by high caste people.  I wanted to help Indians very much.  All these things made me join the Medical School.

“My father’s desire was that one of his daughters should study medicine and work in the hospital where he worked for twenty years, and so in order to fulfill his desire I made up my mind to learn medicine.

“Now my father is dead and the hospital in which he had worked is closed, for there is no one to take his place.  So all are very glad to see that I am learning medicine.  There are many men doctors in Ceylon, but very few lady doctors and I think that God has given me a good opportunity to work for Him.

“For a long time I did not know much about the sufferings of my country women without proper aid of medical women.  One day I happened to attend a meeting held by some Indian ladies and one European.  They spoke about the great need of women doctors in India and all about the sufferings of my sisters.  One fact struck me more than anything else.  It was about an untrained mid-wife who treated a woman very cruelly, but ignorantly.  From that time I made up my mind to study medicine with the aim of becoming a loving doctor.  My wish is now that all the women doctors should be real Christian doctors with real love and sympathizing hearts for the patients.