애비슨의 생애와 활동

Abstract

In June 30th, 1860, Avison was born in small town called Jagger Green in Yorkshire, the England. He graduated from the Ontario College of Pharmacists in Toronto on June 4th, 1884, and accepted a job as professor at his school and taught a course on a pharmacology and botany. In autumn of that year, he was admitted to the Victoria Medial School. After graduating medical school, he taught pharmacology and therapeutics, while working as a physician in private practice. In addition, he had diverse activities related to Christianity. In September 1892, he met Horace G. Underwood. Being influenced by Underwood, he decided to become a missionary and resigned his teaching position. As a medical and educational missionary, Avison went to Korea in 1893, when Korea was struggling to survive among the big powers o f the time. He worked in Korea for 42 years and contributed to the improvement of higher education and Western medicine in Korea. He led mission work through a union of several denominations. He was a pioneer of the ecumenical movement. Moreover, he successfully carried out the settling of Western medicine in Korea. Avison was not a minister, but he performed mission work more successfully than anyone else through medicine and education.