[?]amu River
p. 117 · Read in the full issue
Addition To
Omission In The Mud
Vernon Memorial on [?]amu River
I SMALL hospital for natives, L built from monetary gifts, plus enormous toil provided free by atives, was officially opened early i July, by Dr. Russel (Leprologist f the New Guinea Department of ealth) at “the Mission in the :ud”, established on the Upper amu River, in the Gulf of Papua mntry, by Mr. and Mrs. Harrie tanden, over 20 years ago.
As a compliment to a man who ive unstinted service as Medical fficer to the natives of this region, le late Captain Geoffrey Vernon, [C, the building has been named le “Dr. Vernon Memorial ospital”.
It was not an easy construction ib. The Bamu, like all these Gulf vers, flows through vast deltas of ried mud. Rains often convert le mud into slush, and the rivers lange course. The Standens cperimented for four years before ley found a bank likely to survive, id carry the little hospital estab shment they planned.
Over 300 natives came to the jremony, from the surrounding vamps and deltas.
They were easily divided into vo classes —those who were in the amu Mission’s care, who appeared ean and reasonably healthy; and lose from the outer region, who ere mostly filthy and diseased.
The non-denominational Standens reach Christianity, but they do it =r medium of abundant soap and cpanding medical care.
“Old Doc. Vernon”, hero of the bkoda Trail, would have liked to ave seen that ceremony.
Part of the hospital’s equipment as paid for out of funds sub iribed by Dr. Vernon’s old imrades of World War I. An iscribed plate says: “Presented by Lth Light Horse Regiment, AIF, i Proud Memory of Captain (Dr.) •. H. Vernon, MC.”
After the ceremony, some of the ider natives showed Dr. Russell leir war-ribbons, proving that they ad served with the Australians in forld War II; and some recalled indly actions of the late Dr. ernon.
After the hospital was opened, •r. Russell had first use of it in laking an examination of the undreds of natives gathered there, [e made the curious and un splained discovery that there was ot one case of leprosy among all aese Bamu Mission district people: et there are numerous cases among le natives of the adjoining, and lore healthy districts.
Mrs. Eva Standen at present is i charge of the Bamu Mission.
Ir. Standen is absent abroad,
raising funds for the Mission by means of illustrated lectures. He reports a successful lecture tour in Britain, and some talks over the