CHINESE DOCTOR

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3212, 13 January 1943, Page 8

CHINESE DOCTOR

N.Z. FOSTER MOTHER FORMER TARANAKI LADY EDUCATED IN DOMINION A life-time of devotion on the part of a New Plymouth teachermissionary lies behind the story of Dr. Kathleen Pih, a Cantonese woman doctor, and, Mrs Margaret Russell, her foster-mother, both former residents of Taranaki, whose internment in Shanghai is announced in advice received from Lourenco Marques, East Africa, states the Taranaki Herald.

Many people in Taranaki and in Otago will remember a charmingly quaint Chinese child who was brought to New Zealand by Mrs Russell about 1906, and although it is 12 years since the two left Taranaki for China, the many friends they left behind were anxiously awaiting news of them following the Japanese invasion.

Mrs Russell is now 70 years of age. She was formerly Miss Margaret Adams Reid. She took up teaching as a profession and in 1873, on completing her training, left New Zealand to do missionary teaching work in Chinese schools for the Presbyterian Church. . .She was overseas for about 13 years, and during the Boxer Rising in 1901 she took into her charge a two-year-old Chinese child, Kathleen .Pih. By special arrangement with the Government she later brought the child to New Zealand to educate her, it being understood that after she had completed her education she should return to China.

When her husband’s' health broke down, Mrs Russell, who had been farming with her husband, returned to the leaching profession, accepting a position on the staff of a Dunedin school. A year later in 1922, she joined the staff of the West End school, New Plymouth. In 1924 she b.-erm? headmistress at the Hillsborough School and in 1927 she was appo:n cd headmistress of Matapu School. -She retired on superannuation in 1930. Selfless Work yl. . his time Mrs Russell worked selflessly in the interests of her Chinese ward, making many sacrifices so .hat Miss Pih could have the best possih'c training. 'For her courage, ?rd singleness of purpose Mrs

JRussell was greatly admired by all officers of the' Taranaki Education Board with whom she came in contact and all have followed the career of Miss Pih with interest. She was educated at the Otago Girls’ High School and studied medicine at Otago University. By the efforts of Mrs Riissell she was able

to take a post-graduate course at London University and gained a diploma of Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery. For about a year before leaving for China she was, house surgeon at the Oamaru Hospital. When the time came for Dr. Pih to return to China Mrs Russell did not wish to be parted from her, and in 1930 the pair went overseas. Mrs Russell be-, came a lecturer in-English at the Sun Yat-sen University, Canton, and Dr. Pih joined the staff of the New Zealand Presbyterian Mission . Hospital at Kong Chuen, Canton.

In 1938 she married Dr. Francis Chang, Ph.D., M.Sc., of the staff of St. John’s University, Shanghai, and a member of one of the leading Christian families in China. Dr. 'Pih is now about 43 years of age.