[John Kerr and the introduction of Western medicine into China]

Being a key figure in the process of introduction of western medicine into China in modern age, John Kerr, an American medical missionary, established the Boji Hospital, one of the most influential hospitals with the longest history in modern China. He carried out medical education by setting up a medical school affiliated to the Boji Hospital, which was the first professional western medical school in China. He compiled medical books and periodicals, playing an important role in the systematic understanding of western medicine by the Chinese medical field at that period. He made contribution to the development of western medicine in China for nearly half a century.