MEDICAL STUDENT LIFE IN EDINBURGH.
It seems becoming to give a brief notice of the society from which Mr.
Elmslie got temporary assistance, or rather to permit the society to say
a few words for itself. It began in November 1841. Its objects are thus
stated: "The objects of the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society shall
be to circulate information on the subject of medical missions, to aid
other institutions engaged in the same work, and to render assistance at
missionary stations to as many professional agents as the funds placed
at its disposal shall admit of." After existing for twenty years it thus
reports itself: "The Society has now entered upon the twentieth year of
its existence. The retrospect is at once humbling and encouraging.
Humbling in respect of the small extent to which the objects
contemplated have been carried out, and of the imperfections of the
machinery now in operation; encouraging, because the principle for which
the society had at its formation to contend, has now been generally
acknowledged by the friends of missions as a sound one."
The year before Mr. Elmslie came to Edinburgh, this society was
amalgamated with another and independent Medical Missionary Society,
which, though young in years, gave strong evidence of vitality. The two
societies being "germane in their objects," they became one, and after
the union, the following prospectus was issued, bearing the imprimatur
of the whole directorate:–
"The object of the Society is to promote the propagation of the gospel
amongst heathen and other unenlightened people, through the agency of
well-qualified medical practitioners, who are either partially
supported, or aided by grants of medicines, books, and instruments.
"The society aids and directs the education of promising young men who
resolve to devote themselves to medical missionary service.
"It provides for the half of the salary of a medical missionary at
Madras, whose labours, extended over four years, have been greatly
blessed–5760 persons having received aid last year. This mission deals
with a portion of the heathen population of Madras, beyond the direct
influence of any other missionary agency.
"The society maintains a dispensary in the Cowgate of Edinburgh, in
which religious instruction is combined with medical treatment. During
last year this dispensary administered medical aid to 5332 patients, all
of whom had the Word of Life set before them. A well-qualified
superintendent, with assistants, takes charge of the dispensary, which
supplies an admirable training school for the society's students. The
attendance at the prayer-meetings, held for persons in their
working-clothes, is very encouraging. There are not wanting proofs of
these means having been blessed to the awakening and conversion of souls.
"The society organises monthly meetings for the benefit of the medical
students attending the Colleges in Edinburgh, who are addressed on
various subjects, more or less illustrative of the principles and
progress of Christian Missions." Reminding our readers that this refers
to the state of matters some twelve years ago, we return to Mr. Elmslie.
The mission work of the dispensary he enjoyed greatly; but only a little
of it was permitted to him, or to any of the students, lest they should
be diverted from their medical studies. In all mission dispensaries it
is the practice, when the patients have assembled, to hold a short
religious service with them, which affords an excellent opportunity for
commending Christ. It fell to Mr. Elmslie to conduct this service once a
week, and it was quite a refreshment to himself to do so; but he was not
effective as a speaker on such occasions. There was a monotony in his
delivery that disposed to drowsiness, and a want of point and power that
surprised those who knew his logical cast of mind, and his varied stores
of information. But in another part of the work he was quite an adept.
The superintendent, distressed at witnessing large numbers of neglected
youths lounging idle about the district where he laboured, resolved to
do something for their spiritual benefit, and Mr. Elmslie joyfully
assisted. The lads were frightfully wild. On the Sabbath evenings
especially, work being suspended, they gathered in the neighbourhood in
large and numerous groups. "It was _impossible_ to be indifferent to
their presence. Their noisy demonstrations _compelled_ attention; and
though we might contrive to pass them, utterly regardless of the
interest of their souls, we were obliged to be most considerately
mindful of the interest of our own '_shins_.' It was not safe to go near
them, for they were continually fighting, and wrestling, and plunging
about in the most alarming fashion." Fourteen of these lads sat down to
tea with Mr. Elmslie every Sabbath night in one of the rooms of the
dispensary, and this attractive opening service was followed by a Bible
lesson. At first they were inclined to be troublesome, but the quiet
firmness with which he grasped the reins made the most reckless feel
that opposition was hopeless. His mastery over them was complete; and
without any visiting efforts on his part, the attendance was wonderfully
regular. Several of his pupils were at least outwardly reformed; and
one, it is hoped, got real spiritual blessing. He gave up his evil
practices, attended to his business, began to go to church, and became a
respectable tradesman. Dropping in at the close of Mr. Elmslie's
meeting, as the writer often did, it was a touching sight to witness the
band of lawless outcasts kneeling reverently around him, whilst he
poured out the deep yearnings of his heart on their behalf to Him who
came to seek and to save the lost.
In the household visitation of his patients, Mr. Elmslie soon became a
great favourite. He had suffered, being tried, and was therefore able to
sympathise with those in trial. Young as he was, he could to some extent
use the language of the apostle, "That we may be able to comfort them
which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God." He was welcomed amongst the poor not merely as a
doctor, but as a friend. The children clung to him, and he had many pets
amongst them who amused and refreshed him. "I am very sorry, indeed," he
writes of one of these, "to learn that wee Sandy has been taken away
from you. He was a great pet of mine, and I think the wee man liked the
doctor. I trust Sandy is singing to-day in heaven, not 'There is a happy
land, _far, far away_;' but _this is_ the happy land. I do sympathise
with you and Mrs. –– very sincerely, but what is in heaven is certainly
not lost. Heaven has now a greater hold upon you, and if Sandy's going
away helps to make you think more of Jesus, and to desire and strive to
live a godly life, then wee Sandy will not have lived and died in vain."
Mr. Elmslie was usually so wide-awake, that it was not often he was
found off his guard. But in the course of this session he was fairly
caught _napping_. The incident is trifling, but it shows how a good and
diligent student may get into an awkward predicament through mere
thoughtlessness. Mr. David Young and he were grinding in one of the
empty rooms of the college. They were overheard discussing a knotty
question, when –– laid his hand on Mr. Young's shoulder, and said, "If
you will both promise to be _good boys_, I think I can help you in
'grinding' up that difficult bit." "How?" was at once the inquiry. "Dr.
–– has a splendid preparation, and I'm sure he won't object to
_diligent_ students seeing it sometimes." (Rather generous, to be
obliging with another man's goods!) Next day they were duly introduced
into Dr. ––'s sanctum, and the magnificent preparation placed before
them. Their friend then withdrew, and they fastened the door on the
inside. It was a golden opportunity; but "we had not done much," says
Mr. Young, "when a sharp footstep came along the passage towards us. We
instinctively held our breath, and looked at each other. The surprise
deepened when a key was hastily thrust into the door of our sanctum, but
being snibbed, it could not be opened, and Dr. –– went along the passage
calling loudly for our obliging friend, who found it _necessary_ to be
engaged elsewhere at that moment, and did not appear. Meanwhile I rose
and unfastened the door, and Dr. –– soon returning, entered and found us
sitting before his model. He held up both his hands, and exclaimed,
"What is this? My almost priceless preparation, which I would not allow
my most intimate friend to touch!" By this time the culprits were
standing; and, after a becoming pause, Elmslie began to sing _Miserere_,
but was cut short at once. "That will do, gentlemen; you may go." They
crept out in the meekest attitude possible, and certain uneasy
misgivings regarding the propriety of their conduct, suggested some
anxious glances behind them during their departure.
The time for his final examination in Aberdeen, in the spring of 1863,
drew near, and the hopes and fears that usually agitate students on such
an occasion, Mr. Elmslie felt with peculiar force. He knew that the
stand he made at the rectorial election had not gained favour for him in
the senate; and he feared his coming to attend medical classes in
Edinburgh might not be relished by the medical faculty; and therefore,
during the whole session, he had studied earnestly. "I never," he said,
"studied harder in my life." He did so because he wished to maintain his
reputation as a student. How natural, also, that he should desire to see
the end of his severe struggle, not to support himself merely, but his
little household; and, besides, he longed to be free to go forth,
without let or hindrance, to the blessed work of winning souls. Knowing
how much depended on this, his last appearance, he says, in another
letter, "I studied with might and main." He went in to his examination;
he did his best; he thought he had done well, but, to his inexpressible
astonishment and grief, he was "_plucked_,"–an ugly word, but it is the
term we students best understand; it comes closest home to our
consciousness, and carries in it the concentrated essence of all that is
undesirable in our student life;–_plucked_ in Aberdeen in the two
subjects which unhappily he had not studied there; rejected in Aberdeen
in midwifery, for which, during the session, he won Sir J. Y. Simpson's
diploma, and a certificate of merit to boot; rejected in Aberdeen on
medical jurisprudence, for which, in Edinburgh, by fair competition, he
carried off the _gold medal_. It is not our province to comment, and we
studiously abstain from it; it is ours simply to chronicle; but a single
word of sympathy from a personal friend of Elmslie's may not be out of
place:–"Dear Elmslie," writes Professor Miller, "I sympathise with you
most keenly in your heavy trial.... 'God defend the right,' was a stout
and good old battle-cry, and He will." Mr. Elmslie returned to Edinburgh.
On rejoining us in the dispensary, there was much prayer for divine
guidance, for it was a time of great perplexity. He was strongly urged
to go back to Aberdeen, and take his degree in July. This, it was truly
said, was the easiest course, so far as work was concerned. It was
certainly the _cheapest_, and that was a consideration he could well
appreciate. For a time he felt the sore pangs of suspense as to the path
of duty; but the more he thought over it, the more evident it became,
that were he to go back to Aberdeen, so shortly after being publicly
rejected, it would appear that he was getting his qualification as a
_favour_, and not as a _right_, and that all through life a certain
suspiciousness or doubtfulness would attach to his degree,–and therefore
to his professional standing,–seeing it was so immediately preceded by a
"_plucking_." He could not return to Aberdeen. The following short note
to his mother, which is the first he wrote after his rejection, shows
the quarter in which he sought support and guidance:–"_M. M. Dispensary,
16th May 1863_.–DEAREST MOTHER,–I was delighted to get your cheering
note, and very glad to hear that you feel comforted in mind, though very
lonely. Let us cling close to Jesus, let us draw out of His fulness, and
never forget that He cares for us,–for you, and for Stewart, and
me–infinitely more than for the flowers which are looking so lovely just
now. We may look upon ourselves as belonging truly to Him. May we not,
dear mother? Then let us believe that all things will be made to work
together for good for us,–even this, sore trial though at present it
seems. May God bless and comfort you by His Spirit, dear mother.–Your
affectionate son, WILLIAM."
When it was finally determined that he should take an extra year of
study and graduate in Edinburgh, he withdrew as soon as possible from
all official connection with the dispensary, and took lodgings in Brown
Street; borrowing money from private friends to enable him to meet the
responsibilities so unexpectedly thrown upon him. This was, to Mr.
Elmslie, perhaps the hardest winter of his life. There was no
difficulty, it is true, in finding those who were willing enough to lend
to him, but a man must borrow with great hesitation and consideration,
who honestly intends to repay, as Mr. Elmslie did; and, besides, one of
an independent spirit is the less inclined to borrow the greater his
need. Then Mr. Elmslie's mother was feeling so much her loneliness,
through his continued absence from home, that he strove to the utmost
that _she_ should be comfortable, whatever might become of himself.
Friends could not fail to notice that it was to him a season of serious
self-denial, and once and again, with the view of moderating the
severity of the pressure upon him, found means to convey help to him
without letting him know whence it came. These love tokens were
accompanied with the single sentence, "Your Father knoweth that ye have
need of these things." Soon after the packets reached their destination,
he ran along to us to ask us to help him to give God thanks.
Before settling down to the hard study of the winter, he cleared off his
first professional examination in the University at Edinburgh, and sent
his mother the following account of the appearance he made:–_"6 Brown
Street, Edinburgh, Nov. 4, 1863._ MY EVER DEAR MOTHER,–Bless the Lord
with me for His great goodness to me! I have passed (my first
professional) at the University of Edinburgh, and more than passed, for
the professors passed high encomiums on the excellence of my papers.
Prof. Balfour was so satisfied with my paper on botany, that he merely
showed me some microscopic preparations, and asked me to name them.
Prof. Playfair said my paper on chemistry was so good, that he did not
intend to put a single question more. On learning that I had been a
pupil of Prof. Brazier's, he said I reflected great credit on my former
teacher. Oh, mother, these were little words, but how sweet they were to
me! In my heart, all the time I listened to them, I was blessing God for
having given me power to write such papers, and thus to corroborate all
that had been said in favour of my character as a student. The paper on
natural history was without one error, and Prof. Allman, in my _viva
voce_, was fully satisfied with my answers. How thankful I am and ought
to be. I don't think I ever studied so hard as during the past five
weeks. The subjects to which I had to devote my attention were
extensive, and I knew that much depended on my success. The thought of
that nerved me. I prayed constantly and earnestly that the Lord would
bless my efforts, and He has! ... Please let me have dear Stewart's
letter, that I may write him a long answer.... My communion last Sabbath
was not so happy as I could have wished; my mind was too exhausted for
full enjoyment, but I was enabled to feel myself a sinner, and once more
to take Jesus to be my Saviour."
Few could say more truthfully than Mr. Elmslie that he prayed
"constantly and earnestly." This session, especially, when labouring to
redeem his character as a student from the slur cast upon it by his
rejection, he seemed to feel the need of constant waiting upon God. He
prayed as much as if study were of little use; he studied as hard as if
to pray were vain. He furnished a good illustration of "Praying and
Working." This winter he became secretary to the "Medical Student's
Devotional Society," and did what he could to promote its interests.
There was something touching in Mr. Elmslie's _manner_ in prayer. He
spoke in his natural voice, without a trace of the artificial in its
tone. His sentences were short and very simple, which gave a child-like
character to his supplications; and it was encouraging to note the
_confidingness_ with which, in humbleness of spirit, he made known his
wants to his Father in heaven.
The following short letter to his mother notes the progress of his
studies:–"_6 Brown Street, 29th February, 1864._ MY DEAREST MOTHER,–Your
last note was very cheering to me. The same post brought me one from
Stewart, telling of his safe arrival at his ship, for which I join you
in thanking our Heavenly Father. I continue to feel less nervous, and am
able to study very hard. God will bless those strenuous efforts, and, as
you say truly, dear mother, the time will soon slip away, and we shall
see each other again. Take great care of yourself till then, dear
mother. My examinations take place early in April, but I don't intend,
at present at least, to appear again in Aberdeen till I am doctor of
medicine from the university; that can not be till the 1st August. Dr.
Candlish is to deliver the first of his course of lectures on the
Fatherhood of God to-morrow, and a great treat I expect it to be. We
have lost Mr. Dykes; you will be sorry to hear his health has obliged
him to leave St. George's, where his preaching was so much
appreciated,–and he has gone to rest in Italy for the present. God bless
and comfort you with the precious consolations of His Spirit!–Dear
mother, your loving son, WILLIAM."
One subject for prayer which was never omitted was _guidance_ as to his
future sphere of labour. Only two of the places brought under his notice
require mention–Bombay and Kashmir. Friends interested in the extension
of medical missions were exerting themselves to raise £2000, to
guarantee a fair start to a medical mission in Bombay; but, till the sum
should be completed, even those who looked upon Elmslie as the very man
for the sphere, and longed to possess him, had not faith to enter into a
definite agreement with him. Gladly would Mr. Elmslie have gone to
Bombay, for he considered it one of the most important heathen centres
in India, where there was full scope for the exercise of all the gifts
and graces wherewith God had blessed him. He more than once spoke of the
_unbelief_ that shrunk from fixing him, when the hand of God was so
manifest in all the antecedent movements connected with that mission.
Kashmir was under his notice for a considerable time. This was also a
new mission.
"It was in the year 1862," says the Rev. Mr. Clark, "that the Kashmir
Mission was commenced by an address which was sent to the Church
Missionary Society, signed by most of the great and good men who then
held in their hands the government of the Punjaub. They knew that the
best means of benefitting Kashmir was the gift of God's Word, and the
exemplification of Christian charity. Kashmir, from the earliest times,
had been an outlying province of the Punjaub, and had been made over by
us to the present reigning family not twenty years before; and Christian
people desired to place within reach of the people in Kashmir the same
blessings which they had endeavoured to give to the Punjaub. It was
during a journey on the mountain-road between Murree and Abbottabad,
that the idea first occurred to _Dr. Cleghorn_, that Kashmir was one of
those countries where the influence of medical skill would greatly avail
to aid the introduction of Christ's gospel."
The "Church Missionary Society's Committee of Correspondence, April 5,
1864, resolved–That, adverting to the Christian zeal and extraordinary
liberality of the friends of the Society in the Punjaub towards the
establishment of the Kashmir Mission, and their judgment of the
importance to its success of a medical missionary, this Committee will
make the present case an exception to their general practice, and will
be willing to enter into communication with Mr. Elmslie, with a view to
his appointment to the Kashmir Mission, provided that he is prepared
cordially to act upon the missionary principles of the Society." The
movement in this country was promoted by Professor Balfour, Dr.
Coldstream, and the Rev. G. D. Cullen, all of whom took a kind interest
in Mr. Elmslie, and the result was, that he was appointed for five years
a _lay_ agent of the Church Missionary Society, and hence his
Presbyterianism was not much of a difficulty. But there was a permanent
drawback connected with the mission in Kashmir: "He seems," writes Dr.
Coldstream "to be somewhat staggered by the rajah's law of exclusion
from his possessions for six months of each year; but I have encouraged
him to believe, that it may be quite possible for him to find abundance
of occupation during that period of exclusion, in territory under
British rule or protection."
"I can bear testimony," continues the worthy doctor, "very fully and
with confidence, in favour of Mr. Elmslie, as having apparently all the
gifts and graces which one desires to see conjoined in a medical
missionary."
His medical examinations in Edinburgh, at the College of Surgeons and
University, were duly passed with credit (he did "splendidly," he wrote
to his mother), and he was capped in August 1864, and there was
therefore now no ambiguity circling round his professional Status.
Instead of writing to his much-loved mother, he rushed home to enjoy her
company during the few weeks he could now afford before sailing for
India. The following passage from a letter to Mrs. Coldstream shows the
direction of his thoughts at this time:–
"_27 Blackfriars Street, Aberdeen_, _31st August 1864_.–It does greatly
gladden my heart to know that you have been making me and my future
labours the subject of earnest supplication at the throne of grace. I
very much need your urgent petitions in my behalf, for although I have
used my prayerful endeavour all along to have myself qualified for the
special work to which, I trust, I have been called; nevertheless, when I
get but a dim glimpse of the numerous and heavy responsibilities and
great difficulties of my future position, as a labourer for Jesus among
the benighted heathen, the irresistible exclamation of my heart is, Who
is sufficient for these things? Quickly, however, I have the cheering
response whispered into the ear of my faith by the loving and
sympathising One, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' I rest in that
declaration of our Saviour. My dear mother, I am happy to be able to
say, loves the Saviour, and does not grudge to give up a son to work
under His banner, who has done so much for her soul. Who would not be
willing to give up all to Jesus when He makes the demand? You can easily
fancy how very much this willing surrendering of me to the Lord by my
dear mother diminishes the sorrow which we mutually feel at the thought
of being so far and so long separated. Jesus sweetens everything."