By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Dr. Abba Seligson’s maternal uncles were doctors, and he took an interest in medicine at an early age. Initially, when he tried to register for university in Vilnius, he was rejected because he was Jewish. In 1926, he began studying at a university in Strasbourg, France, and then in Paris. Eventually, he was accepted to the university in Vilnius.
Although he thought it would never come to use, among the subjects he studied in university were medical conditions unique to China.
As World War II broke out and the German army began invading European cities, many Jews were forced to flee from their homes. After a long journey, thousands of refugees arrived in Shanghai, China, where they remained until the bitter war ceased. In this foreign land, they had to contend with a strange new language and way of life, and with unfamiliar diseases.
Dr. Seligson had fled to Shanghai too, yet made himself available to assist the refugees with their medical needs at all hours of the day. He would not rest until he knew that everyone who needed him received proper care, often remaining awake through the night to care for a patient. He spent hours daily delivering medicine and vitamins to people’s homes.
At midday in Shanghai, few would venture out of their houses due to the unbearable heat, yet Dr. Seligson was often seen at that time on his way to visit patients. Frequently he would go without payment for his time and services, and lived off the same rations that all the refugees received from various Jewish organizations.
Many of his patients contracted dysentery or beriberi, a deficiency in thiamine that is common in countries where white rice is a staple food.
Dr. Seligson’s study of medical issues of the Far East now came to use. He instructed the refugees in methods of treatment and prevention, and they recovered.
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