2019 marks 200th anniversary of first medical mission in Asia
By Joanne Sloan
John Scudder (1793–1855) founded the first Western medical mission in Asia in 1819. He also was the first American medical missionary in India.
This year is the 200th anniversary of his founding the medical mission in Asia.
Called to heal the sick
Scudder was born in Freehold, New Jersey, the son of Joseph and Maria Scudder.
In 1811 he graduated from Princeton University. Two years later he completed his degree at New York College of Physicians and Surgeons.
One day while caring for a patient he picked up a pamphlet titled “Conversion of the World, or the Claims of the 600,000,000 and the Ability and Duty of the Churches Respecting Them.” After reading it he felt called to be a missionary to spread the gospel and heal the sick.
In 1816 he married Harriet Waterbury.
He and his wife sailed for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1819 as missionaries under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Fellow missionaries ordained him in 1821. Serving in Ceylon as a doctor and a minister Scudder established a large hospital, founded schools, started churches and began a seminary.
After turning over the mission to a fellow missionary in 1836 he and his family left Ceylon. He started a medical mission at Madras in northeastern India, becoming the first American medical missionary there.
He returned to the U.S. on health furlough from 1842 to 1846. Returning to India he worked two years at Madura, providing medical aid to the Arcot Mission. He then labored again at Madras until his health failed. In order to improve his deteriorating health Scudder traveled to the Cape of Good Hope, Africa. He died there on Jan. 13, 1855.
Extraordinary legacy
A monument honoring the missionary couple is erected at the Dutch Reformed Church Cemetery in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
John and Harriet Scudder left an extraordinary legacy. Out of 14 children, seven surviving sons and two daughters became missionaries in India. In total 42 members of four generations of the Scudder family devoted their lives to missions in India.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Joanne Sloan, a member of First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, has been a published writer of articles and books for 30 years. She has a bachelor’s degree double majoring in history and English from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University–Commerce) and a master’s degree specializing in English from the University of Arkansas (1978).
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