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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = James Shepherd
| birth_date = 2 February 1847
| birth_place = [[Aberdeen]], Scotland
| death_date = 29 March 1926 (aged 79)
| workplaces = Deoli, Amjer, and Udaipur, India
| known_for = Medical missionary, builder of hospital, school, leprosarium, and church
}}
'''James Shepherd''' (2 February 1847 – 29 March 1926) was a Scottish [[physician]] and [[missionary]] known for his work in the Indian mission field. He founded the [[Rajputana Mission Hospital]] in [[Udaipur]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|journal = The British Medical Journal|volume = 1|issue = 3408|pages = 767–768|language=en|jstor = 25448430|year = 1926|doi = 10.1136/bmj.1.3408.767-a|title = Dr. James Shepherd|s2cid = 42206837}}</ref>

== Early life ==
James Shepherd was born on February 2, 1847, in [[Aberdeen]], Scotland. He was one of four sons and two daughters, none of whom ever got married. From a young age, he was considered very bright, receiving a number of awards from [[Aberdeen Grammar School]]. While his father did not push him to pursue missionary work, Shepherd and his family belonged to St. Nicholas Lane Church, where Shepherd took a bible class that is thought to have influenced his decision to do so.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=The Udaipur padre, or, The story of Dr. Shepherd of Rajputana.|last=Scotland.|first=Missions of the United Free Church of|date=1926|publisher=United Free Church of Scotland, Foreign Mission Committee|isbn=|location=|pages=|oclc=54391688}}</ref>

== Education ==
After deciding to become a missionary, Shepherd prepared thoroughly, focusing his attention both on medicine and the Gospel.<ref name=":1" /> In 1868, he graduated from [[University of Aberdeen|Aberdeen University]], and in 1871, he received an M.B., C.M., followed by an M.D. in 1873. During this time, he also attended the Divinity Hall of the [[United Presbyterian Church (Scotland)|United Presbyterian Church]] in Edinburgh for theological training.<ref name=":0" /> Although Shepherd enjoyed this period of education, he also longed to get out into the real world and do real work.<ref name=":1" />

== Work as a missionary ==

=== Work in Deoli and Amjer ===
Shepherd began his missionary work in 1872 in [[Deoli, Rajasthan]], at the time part of [[Rajputana]].<ref name=":0" /> During this year, he had few responsibilities and devoted much of his time to learning [[Hindi]], to allow him to preach to the local population in their language.<ref name=":1" />

In 1874, Shepherd was moved to [[Amjer]] to take charge of its hospital. This was reportedly no easy task for such a young and inexperienced doctor and missionary. He saw patients of all sorts, and the mission report for that year shows that 1,700 cases were treated each month. In addition to his responsibility, Shepherd began to preach in surrounding areas and continued to learn Hindi.<ref name=":1" />

=== Work in Udaipur ===
At the request of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland, Shepherd went to [[Udaipur]] in 1877, where he did most of his work for the next 43 years.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Healing bodies, saving souls : medical missions in Asia and Africa|last=David.|first=Hardiman|date=2006|publisher=Rodopi|isbn=9789042021068|oclc=901791697}}</ref> Although the local population was skeptical of him at first, Shepherd quickly won their confidence, and within eleven months, his dispensary had had 27,472 visits. He also treated people in their homes and held preaching meetings twice a week along with Isa Das.<ref name=":1" />

In the summer of 1882, a [[cholera]] outbreak occurred in the city. Shepherd worked tirelessly to address it, and at its conclusion, his colleagues insisted that he take a furlough.<ref name=":1" /> While at home, he persuaded the Students' Missionary Society to gather money towards a new hospital in Udaipur.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Missions of the United Presbyterian Church : described in a series of stories.|last=(Scotland)|first=United Presbyterian Church|date=1896|publisher=Offices of United Presbyterian Church|oclc=954282444}}</ref> With this money, and a land plot gifted by the [[British Raj|Raj]], Shepherd began building the hospital upon his return and oversaw its development from beginning to end. In 1886, it was ready for use, and the Rajputana Mission Hospital opened to the public with a grand ceremony.<ref name=":1" />

The completion of the hospital not only allowed Shepherd to practice medicine more efficiently but also sparked the next phase in his career, in which he pursued a number of different projects. In 1891, he opened Udaipur's first mission church on land granted by the Maharana Fateh Singh, 73rd Custodian of House of Mewar of the Udaipur royal family in recognition for his clinical service.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.udaipuronline.in/city-guide/churches-in-udaipur|title=Churches in Udaipur, Catholic Church Udaipur, Protestant Church|website=www.udaipuronline.in|access-date=2019-01-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.udaipurblog.com/news/celebration-of-125th-anniversary-of-shepherd-memorial-church-of-north-india-chetak-circle-udaipur.html|title=Celebration of 125th Anniversary of Shepherd Memorial Church of North India, Chetak Circle, Udaipur {{!}} UB News|last=by|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-05}}</ref> Later, he established a Christian school for the [[Bhil people]] and an asylum for [[Leprosy|lepers]].<ref name=":0" />

== Impact ==
The impact of Shepherd's work in India is measured by the service to hundreds of thousands of patients with conditions ranging from malaria to broken bones, and his church has inspired the development of a Christian community including the school he founded. The church is now known as the Shepherd Memorial Church as well as the Church of North India and is the oldest surviving church in Udaipur.<ref name=":2" /> In Udaipur, there came to be a "Shepherd tradition," in which he created a new atmosphere, set up standards of truth and honesty, and stood for what was honorable.<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, James}}
[[Category:1847 births]]
[[Category:1926 deaths]]
[[Category:Health professionals from Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Christian medical missionaries]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Scottish Presbyterian missionaries]]
[[Category:Presbyterian missionaries in India]]
[[Category:British missionaries in India]]
[[Category:British medical missionaries]]

James Shepherd (doctor) - Revision history

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