After four years at the University of Michigan, during which she and her friend, Dr. Ida Kahn, had won the respect and friendship of both faculty and students by their thorough work, Dr. Stone went to Chicago for the summer, in order to attend the clinical work in the hospitals there.  It was at this time that she met Dr. I. N. Danforth of that city, who was ever afterward her staunch friend.  He was about to leave for Europe, but found time before his departure to introduce Dr. Stone to many of the Chicago physicians and hospitals.  He says:  “She won the hearts of all with her charming ways, and got everything she wanted.  When I took her to clinics she would often not be able to see at first, being such a little woman; but the first thing I knew she would be right down by the operating table.  The doctors would always notice her, and seeing that she couldn’t see would open up and let her down to the front.”  After what Dr. Danforth considered a thorough clinical training, including visits to practically all the good hospitals in Chicago, Dr. Stone sailed for China with Dr. Kahn, reaching there in the autumn of 1896.

II

THE DANFORTH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

On their return to China, Dr. Stone and Dr. Kahn received a most enthusiastic welcome from the Chinese.  It had been expected that it would be necessary for them to spend the first few months in overcoming prejudices and gradually building up confidence.  But on the contrary, patients appeared the third day after their arrival, and kept coming in increasing numbers, until in December it became necessary to rent dispensary quarters and rebuild a Chinese house to serve as a hospital.  Dr. Stone reported in July, 1897, that since October of the preceding year, she and Dr. Kahn had treated 2,352 dispensary patients, made 343 visits, and had thirteen patients in their little hospital, besides spending a month in Nanking visiting the hospitals there.

The following year the little hospital was presented with what was probably its first, though by no means its last, “merit board.”  One of Dr. Stone’s letters gives an account of this event: 

“Two days ago we had quite an occasion.  A child had been sick for a long time, and the best Chinese physicians pronounced him incurable.  Then it was that they gave us a chance.  He is recovering and the parents, wanting to show their gratitude, gave us a ’merit board,’ thinking in this way they would ‘spread our fame.’  Accordingly a day was selected to present the board to us, and we prepared tea and cakes for those who would come.  On the day appointed at 2 P.M., we heard a lot of fire-crackers, rockets, and guns, and a band playing the flute and bugle at the same time.  The ‘merit board,’ consisting of a black board with four big carved and gilded characters in the centre, and with red cloth over it, was carried into our guest hall by four men, and set on the centre table.