June 8, 1819 - Dr. John Scudder Moves to India

On June 8, 1819, Dr. John Scudder, his wife, and three other couples sailed from Boston to India to serve as medical missionaries. Scudder’s daughter, Ida, was born there, though she ultimately returned to the U.S. to attend Dwight Moody’s Northfield Seminary. When Ida’s mother became ill, she returned to India to care for her, but she vowed to go back to the United States as quickly as possible. During her stay, her father often encountered men desperate for a doctor to save their pregnant wives in problematic deliveries. However, because Islamic and Hindu traditions prohibit women from seeing male doctors, these women often died. This inspired Ida to study at Cornell Medical School and return to India in 1902 to work as a doctor so that females could be given appropriate medical care. Ida founded the Christian Medical College and Hospital which is still active today and has no doubt saved thousands of lives.