Mission and Revolution in Central Asia - Svenska Missionskyrkan

sketch does not exist”. 26 Mannerheim had followed Högberg’s work in 1907 and praises his
practice, especially as “he has trained himself to become a doctor through studies and practice
carried out here”. 27 Mannerheim relates how he one day saw some 40 patients in the courtyard
of the hospital waiting for their turn. Among them was a man stabbed with a knife and
with pus pouring out of his wounds. Not until his furlough in 1910 did Högberg have the
possibility to follow a course at the Karolinska Institutet.
Among the laymen/mission doctors, Gösta Raquette had the greatest competence. After
medical studies in Lund he continued at the Victoria University of Liverpool where he
obtained his doctor’s degree in tropical medicine in 1903. 28 During a number of years he was
in charge of the medical care at times in Kashgar at other times in Jarkend. Aurel Stein relates
how he met him during his expedition in 1908. A member of the expedition, Naik from India,
had fallen ill and Stein saw to it that he was examined by Raquette. It turned out that the man
had glaucoma and the prospects of regaining his eye-sight were small. Raquette advised Stein
to try to get the man back to India with a caravan. But Stein dreaded sending a blind man
through those mountain passes. 29
During the foundation period, David Gustafsson, Gottfrid Palmberg and Rickard Nyström
also did important work within the medical branch of the Mission. 30 It has been said about
Nyström that he “devoted himself with great and well-known skill to medical work” 31 The
doctor from the Russian Consulate even learnt how to operate on cataract while assisting
Nyström during several surgical interventions. 32
The missionaries’ situation was trying. On one occasion Högberg took part in a meeting
lasting for several days. At that time he was stationed at Jengi-Hassar. If the meeting was held
in Kashgar he was forced to be absent from the hospital of Jengi-Hassar all that time. So he
wrote a letter to the committee suggesting the meeting be held in Jengi-Hessar, in which he
went on to say, “If I stay here, Palmberg will take care of it (the station activities) and he and
Sigrid will prepare the operations and then I will do them I my spare time.” 33 An impossible
work-load!
Many of the women missionaries were better educated than their male colleagues. Most of
them were trained nurses or midwives. On several occasions a nurse was the sole missionary
at a station and for long periods of time she was in charge of medical care, worship services
and all the rest. Often the midwives managed to save lives at thousands of deliveries. Their
work was both demanding and delicate. If they failed many people could lose their confidence
in Mission medical care for a long time. They often had to take over cases where the natives
themselves were helpless. Only then were they sent for, and that was often too late. For the
missionaries were often consulted as the very last resort. Many people waited as long as
possible before they exploited this possibility. Rarely did the deliveries take place in a
hospital. If one had to turn to the missionary, at least it had to be done outside the hospital! So
the midwives were obliged to go home to the patient. Often they had to walk long distances
and spend the night at the place of birth. Naemi Terning gives an account of how she shared
the bed with a whole family on such occasions. 34 Stina Mårtensson who arrived in the field in
1907 says about her first years, “Nobody dared to come in daylight to get the midwife, and
long afterwards we had to follow the guide along the most unbelievable circuitous routes,
26
Lundahl to Sigrid Högberg, June 25th, 1908.
27
Mannerheim, 1940, p. 46 ff and 1961, p. 26.
28
The Svensk Veckotidning 1975, 7/11. Jarring, 1974, p. 264.
29
Mirsky, 1977, p. 302, 304 ff.
30
Palmaer, 1938, p. 115.
31
Westin, 1937, p. 831.
32
Nyström to Palmaer, May 31st, 1935.
33 th
Högberg to Raquette, January 26 , 1915.
34 th
Interview with Naemi Terning, July 24 , 1973.
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