John Myers Swan (September 11, 1860 – November 11, 1919) was an American surgeon, a founding member of the China Medical Missionary Association, and a pioneer in medical missionary work in China. He served as the superintendent of Canton Hospital and was the first president of the South China Medical College. Swan contributed significantly to the development of modern medical practices in southern China and wrote for the China Medical Missionary Journal, focusing on topics such as opium addiction treatment and surgical advancements.
Throughout his 34 years of service in China, Swan played a crucial role in expanding Canton Hospital’s facilities and medical education, establishing it as a leading institution in East Asia. He was known for his dedication to patient care and medical education, overseeing thousands of surgeries and patients each year. His work had a lasting impact on the region's healthcare, earning him widespread recognition among both local and foreign communities.
Early Life: Education/Personal Life
editFamily
editJohn Myers Swan was born on September 11, 1860, in Glasgow, Ohio to Amanda Melvina Woolf Swan, age 27, and Reverend James Nesbit Swan, age 34. His father served as a minister in Eastern Ohio for 55 years and was particularly dedicated to taking care of the sick through his home missionary work. John Myers Swan was one of ten children born to his parents and the third out of eight surviving children as his two eldest sisters died in infancy. [1]
He married Arminta "Minta" Hickman in Calcutta, Ohio, on July 16, 1885, when he was 24 years old. They had three children together. Their eldest son James Hickman was born on September 13, 1890, in Taiwan. His second son Charles Arthur was born on December 24, 1891, in Guangdong, China. His youngest son Robert Creighton was born on April 27, 1902, in China.
Background
editEarly in his life, he desired to engage in the study of medicine, but there were major barriers in the way before him. With the aim of realizing his aspiration, he worked in a grocery store during the day while spending his evenings in study under the guidance of a general practitioner. When he was ready to go into a medical college, he went to New York, where he lived a life of great frugality. It was his wish to serve humankind, and so he became interested in the work of medical missions. He applied to the American Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions for a position and set off to China with his wife in the fall of 1885.[2]
Missionary Service (1885-1919)
editCanton Hospital
editSwan arrived in Canton (modern-day Guangzhou) in December 1885, spending a year studying Cantonese to immerse himself in the local language and culture. In 1887, he began his medical career as an assistant to Dr. Kerr at Canton Hospital.[3]
From 1891 to 1910, Swan served as the hospital’s main surgeon and superintendent. Under his leadership, Canton Hospital expanded its facilities, becoming the largest hospital in East Asia, with 300 beds, 30,000 patients treated annually, and 2,000 surgeries performed each year. Swan played a key role in modernizing the hospital, setting up its first antiseptic unit, and establishing proper operating room procedures. His wife, Mrs. Swan, also contributed by supervising the hospital kitchen, which improved patient dietetics significantly.[2]
After leaving Canton Hospital in 1910, Swan established a private hospital in an eastern suburb of Canton, where he continued to practice medicine independently.
Canton Medical Missionary Society
editHe was also a founding member of the China Medical Missionary Association, which sought to promote medical science among the Chinese, provide mutual assistance for medical missionaries, and advance the integration of mission work and medical science. [3]
South China Medical College
editThe founding of the South China Medical College in Canton was largely attributed to the efforts of Dr. Swan, then superintendent of the Canton Hospital.
In 1901, the Canton Hospital hosted 40 students alongside two foreign and eight Chinese teachers. By 1902, three years into his leadership, the development of a formal design for a medical college began. A report submitted to the Medical Missionary Society highlighted the goal to establish a “properly organized medical college for men.”[4]
On January 15, 1902, under Dr. Swan's guidance, the Canton Medical Missionary Society voted to establish the South China Medical College, appointing a special committee on organization and equipment chaired by American Consul Robert M. McWade. The college was administered by the Medical Missionary Society, and Dr. Swan was appointed its first president.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Ancestry Library Edition". ancestrylibrary.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ^ a b c Kelly & Walshi (1904). A Guide to the City and Suburbs of Canton. p. 36.
- ^ a b Xu, Guangqiu (2011). American Doctors in Canton.
- ^ The organization Committee of the Sun Yat-sen Medical College (1935). The Hundred Years History of the Canton Hospital.
Other sources
editAncestryLibrary. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/family-tree/person/tree/34907488/person/28442083486/facts?_phsrc=UNq15&_phstart=successSource.This source showed a lot of key facts about Dr. Swan's life, including family history and important life events.
"Directory of Protestant Missionaries in China and Japan for the Year 1902." Yale Divinity Library. https://divinity-adhoc.library.yale.edu/directories/1902_Directory.pdf.This source showed a list of all the missionaries who were in China and Japan in 1902. It was helpful to see all of Dr. Swan's family members and colleagues to get a better understanding of the setting.
Swan, J. M., MD. "TREATMENT OF LEPROSY AS CONDUCTED BY DR. ADOLPH RAZLAG, OF VIENNA UNIVERSITY, IN CANTON." The China Medical Missionary Journal 16, no. 4 (1902). https://mednexus.org/doi/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.1902.04.101.This source is a medical article written by Dr. Swan. It displays some of the work he did while in Canton and some things he taught to his students.
Swan, John M. "South China Medical College." MedNexus. Accessed October 22, 2024. https://mednexus.org/doi/pdf/10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.1909.05.104.This source shows the catalogue for the South China Medical College, written by Dr. Swan. In this document, he states the requirements and plans for the college.
Xu, Guangqiu. American Doctors in Canton. N.p.: Transaction Publishers, 2011.In American Doctors in Canton- Modernization in China, 1835-1935, Xu gives a history of medical missionaries in Canton, particularly for the Canton Hospital, China Medical Missionary Association, and South China Medical College. This book includes a lot of information about pivotal individuals, including John Swan, and describes the role he held as a medical missionary in Canton.