A somewhat incidental but very useful work carried on largely in the dispensary, by the Bible women, is a crusade against foot-binding.  Dr. Hue’s useful life, and the important part her strong, natural feet play in it, is a most effective object-lesson; and the annual reports usually record a goodly number of those who have unbound their feet during the year.

The most difficult part of the work is that of visiting the sick in their homes, both because of the great distances that have to be covered, and because in many cases the doctor is not called except as a last resort.  One of Dr. Hue’s reports reads:  “I am very sorry that we do not yet have foreign vehicles, railroads, or street cars.  It takes much time to go from one place to another.  Fortunately my Chinese people live near together, with their relatives, so when I am invited to go to see one case I often have to prescribe for sixteen or twenty cases before my return.”  Often when the doctor answers a call she finds that the patient has been ill for a long time, while the relatives have been seeking to obtain help from the Chinese doctor or from idols.  She herself shall tell the story of an experience of this kind: 

“Last week I was called to see a woman very ill with cholera.  Her people had had all known doctors, both in and out of the city, and had consulted with and begged many idols to heal her, but the woman had grown worse and worse, until, when she was apparently hopeless, having been unconscious for two days, one of the doctors suggested to try me.  I went at once, and found the room crowded with friends and relatives.  They could not tell me fast enough what a good and filial woman she was, but that the idols had said certain spirits wanted her, and no amount of offerings could buy her back again.  I told them that the woman was very ill, and that I feared it was too late for my medicine to help her.  Many voices replied, ’We know, we know, and if she dies we will not blame you.’  With a prayer, and three doses of medicine left for the woman to take, we left them.”

“That afternoon her husband came to report that she was better.  I went to see her and to my great surprise she was better.  While there a famous idol arrived to drive out the evil spirit.  I said, ’Do you want me, or do you want the idols?  We cannot work together.’  They insisted that I continue to prepare my medicine and said that the idol could wait.  He did wait twenty minutes, and I have been told since that no one ever dared to ask an idol to wait before.  Before leaving they promised me that the idol should not go near, or do anything outrageous to the woman.  This is now the tenth day and the woman seems to have quite recovered.”

“The woman’s husband came yesterday and told me that not only he, but many friends and relatives, were convinced that the idols were false; for one idol would give one cause for the illness of his wife, and another idol