Ida Scudder
Born to a missionary couple in India, Ida Scudder couldn’t wait to leave the country. As a child, she had supported her parents in feeding hungry children and saw many of them die – memories she couldn’t wait to flee from. She went home to college, returning in 1892 for a brief visit with her parents.
One night during that visit, a man from a high caste came calling. He asked her to attend to his wife, who was in labor. Ida insisted she did not have the skills to help, but offered to take her father, a doctor, to her when he returned from his visit. The man refused, saying he would rather have her die than have a man come into the house. Later that night, a Muslim man approached her asking her to help his wife who was dying in labor. Again she offered to send her father as soon as she could and again she received the response that a man could not tend to her – he would rather she die. Even later that night, a high-caste Hindu man approached her with the same request, asking for Ida specifically since only a woman could tend his wife.
Ida had a troubled night. In the morning, she heard a drumbeat – the cultural sound for a death in the home. She sent her parent’s servant around to see the fate of the women whose husbands had approached her and to her horror she found that all three had died in the night. After spending time in prayer, she informed her parents she had to return home to study medicine so she could come back and help Indian women.
Recently, women had won the right to attend medical school, and a few female medical missionaries were already on the field. Attending school, Doctor Ida Scudder was set to return to Vellore, India, in 1900. One week prior to her departure, she was asked by her Mission leaders to raise funds for a hospital there before she left. In that final week, she threw herself into speaking engagements and any opportunity to raise money she could find. A significant portion of the $50,000 that was needed was raised prior to her departure.
Arriving in Vellore, while waiting for the hospital to be built, Ida turned her little room into a medical clinic. Her first call was to a desperate case for which nothing could be done. When word spread that her first patient had died, suspicion increased.
Some time later, a high-caste Hindu woman arrived. Dr Scudder successfully treated her for a severe case of conjunctivitis, a disease of the eyes. After this, patients poured in like a flood – so much so that she had to conscript her kitchen maid to assist. Seeing as many as 500 patients in a day, as well as overseeing the building of the hospital, Ida began teaching as well as treating. Her first seven nurses graduated in 1905. By 1922, her first class of doctors had graduated – most of them women. In 1928, the hospital in Vellore officially became a medical college.
Ida Scudder tied in 1959, after spending the day holding
patient’s hands and quieting babies as they were being treated. To this day, Vellore Hospital continues to
operate – a testimony to her vision and faith.
Christian History e-mail, 07 Sep 2021.
