Lucilla Green Cheney

Lucilla Green Cheney, M.D. (July 15, 1853 – September 30, 1878) was an American physician and missionary.

Early life and education[]

Lucilla Holcomb Green was born, July 15, 1853, at Lambertville, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Rev. Enoch and Martha A. Green, of the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.^[1]

Cheney's education was received chiefly at home, where she studied the English branches and Latin, assisted by her father. At the age of fifteen, she entered Pennington Seminary, New Jersey. Here she was a successful student and leader.^[1]

She then commenced the reading of medicine under private tutorship, and in the fall of 1871 entered the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with the first honors of the class in March, 1875. She remained several months after in the hospital as an assistant physician, in order to perfect herself in her profession.^[1]

Career[]

Prior to her being called to British India by the ladies of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society she had never expressed herself as feeling specially called to missionary work, but in a diary kept by her while at Pennington Seminary she makes the following entry, after hearing a sermon by Rev. S. Parker, then stationed at Pennington : "Jan. 10, 1869-Mr. Parker's sermon was better than usual to-day-a missionary sermon. He made a strong appeal to the young to consecrate themselves to the missionary work. I wonder if I will ever feel it my duty to wander on the plains under an Indian sun, or mingle with China's strange inhabitants to teach of Jesus? If it is ever my lot, may I be willing and cheerful, remembering all Jesus has done for me!” She did not, however, enter upon the study of medicine with a view to this work.^[1]

At the annual meeting of the General Executive Committee, convened in Washington, D.C., May, 1876, reference was made to Green's call to the missionary work, and, on invitation of the committee, Mrs. Taplin gave a most interesting account of the manner in which Green was found. Clara Swain, M.D., whose health was suffering from overwork, need to be relieved and her place filled by a competent person, where or how to be obtained she could not tell. Many unsuccessful attempts were made to secure a medical missionary but after her attention was directed to Green, Taplin wrote to her. The first reply was a negative, but something in the letter convinced Taplin that Green would change her mind. She did not wish to urge her, but, selecting two quotations from missionaries in the field, one from a letter from Mrs. Parker, the other from a letter written by Miss Sparkes, without note or comment, she sent them to her. After reading them, and consulting with her parents, Green decided to accept and wrote to Taplin,— "I am willing to go, and do the best I can."^[1]

After making the necessary arrangements, she sailed from New York City for India, January 1, 1876, and arrived at Bombay on February 25th, having for her traveling companion the Rev. Nathan Gilbert Cheney (1840-1904), ne of the Missionaries of the Parent Board,^[2] who was also going out as a missionary to Nynee Tal, India, to take charge of an English congregation at that place, under the supervision of the parent Board. After a short rest, she passed on to Bareilly, and entered at once upon the work to which she had been assigned. Her work here was one of grave responsibility, and especially so for one so young and inexperienced. Her time here was almost wholly taken up with the duties of her medical profession, she often having from 40 to 50 patients in attendance at her morning clinics to examine and prescribe for.^[1]

On January 24, 1878,^[a] she married Rev. Cheney, in the Mission Chapel at Bareilly. She then removed from the medical work in Bareilly to Nynee Tal where assisted her husband in his work, a constant companion in all his parish visits.^[1] She was interested in all that pertained to the comfort of the people about her. She superintended the work among the native women, instructed and helped the Bible women, and entered into her profession as a physician. Writing from Nainee Tal she said:— MMedical work being a new thing in the hands of a lady, has opened up slowly, however I have had considerable to do within the last two months... I have converted a part of one of the closets in my house into a little dispensary, and receive patients here, visiting them also at their homes. The principal druggist of the place has made most liberal terms for furnishing medicines, and filling out prescriptions, and I find the patients very willing to procure their own medicines."^[2]

Death[]

Cheney was stricken with cholera on September 28, 1878, and died two days later, September 30th, at Nynee Tal, India.^[3] She was buried near the grave of Sarah Minerva Rockwell Thoburn, first wife of Rev. James Mills Thoburn.^[1]

Notes[]

References[]

Attribution[]

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Gracey, Annie Ryder (1881). Medical Work of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society: Methodist Episcopal Church (Public domain ed.). A.O. Bunnell, printer.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Wheeler, Mary Sparkes (1883). "Lucilla H. Green, M.D.". First Decade of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church: With Sketches of Its Missionaries (Public domain ed.). Phillips & Hunt.