Is there a doctor in the house? - Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster
On July 1, 1895, proud parents James and Emma Vokes, of Toronto, named their son Hadfield Arnold Samuel Vokes. That was quite a long title for the young lad to wear, but perhaps it was a precursor to the varied and rich life that he would have. Eventually, he landed on using Arnold as his moniker.
When Arnold enlisted at the Niagara Camp in July of 1915, he was a 20 year-old student with six weeks’ experience with the 13th Canadian Field Ambulance Brigade.
While in France, he served at the #10 Canadian Stationary Hospital. Post-war, after he returned to Canada, he continued his studies at the University of Toronto, graduating as a medical doctor in 1925.
The following year, he married Louise Hoskins, who was a nurse. The young couple journeyed to China on a medical mission, but they were only there one year when ill health caused them to return to Canada, landing in Vancouver on April 17, 1927.
After one year on staff at Toronto General Hospital, Arnold and Louise moved to Dungannon, where he took over the practice of Dr. T. E. Case. These were busy years, as the Vokeses were raising their son, Robert, and being involved with the activities in the community as well.
Arnold often was a guest speaker at gatherings where he was able to share his knowledge of and love for the Chinese people. Louise capably served as the president of the Home and School Association for SS#8 School during this time.
After nine years in Dungannon, Arnold moved his practice to Blyth. Again, the family participated in community life. There, they attended Trinity Anglican Church, where Louise was organist. Robert was a member of the church choir and also attended Scouts there. Numerous school reports cite his high marks in his school studies.
A country doctor has many challenges. For example, during a March snowstorm in 1940, an Auburn-area resident was ill and in need of medical attention, Dr. Weir, the Auburn physician, had been called to Goderich. A Goderich doctor tried to travel to Auburn but found the roads were impassable. Dr. Vokes was able to get to Auburn from Blyth on the train and, although he had to wait two hours for the trip, he was able to attend to that patient and she recovered.
Besides his medical practice, Arnold Vokes served on many boards and committees, including the Huron County Boy Scouts and the TB (Easter Seals) Association. He also was the Medical Officer of Health for the Township of West Wawanosh. In addition, Arnold was one of the local doctors who ran blood donor clinics in the county.
Not only did Arnold work on committees, but he also took time to appreciate nature. Some folks remembered that he had a great fondness for flowers and even offered a prize at the Dungannon Fall Fair for the best arrangement of cut flowers.
In the fall of 1941, Arnold formed the Bird and Nature Club. At one meeting of this group, held at the home of Fred Toll Sr., talks were given by various members: Mrs. Boyle on the sandpiper, Mrs. Laughlin on the cardinal, Dick Leggett on bird feeding stations and William Gow on animal tracks in winter.
By August of 1944, Arnold was ready to move on once more and, after selling his practice to Dr. Hodd of Hamilton, he once again went on the staff of Toronto General Hospital.
In 1948, Toronto Sick Kids Hospital announced that it would be moving and getting all new equipment. Watkins Roberts conceived the idea that the old equipment could be sent to overseas missions. This was the start of Evangelical Medical Missionaries’ Aid Society (EMMAS). Dr. Arnold Vokes looked after the reception and distribution of this equipment when this charity began.
As always, Arnold was very interested in Chinese Christians, so, in 1954, when Paul Wong and some associates planted the Toronto Chinese Gospel Church, Arnold Vokes gave the church $5,000 to help purchase a house to worship in. Through the years, he and his wife continued to support and encourage the people who founded the church.
Dungannon must have had some inviting qualities for, in 1958, the Vokes family returned to resume practice there until 1962. On a personal note, I can remember being a patient of Dr. Vokes’ when I had a bad cold. After he had injected penicillin into my arm, he asked me to open my mouth. There was no way I wanted that needle in my mouth but I relented and to my surprise, he took the needle off of the syringe and just squirted the rest of the penicillin onto the back of my tongue. Apparently this was a common practice of his, as I have talked to others who had the same experience. He would also tell children that he was cleaning their ears out so they could hear the birds sing.
The Vokeses maintained a summer home in Dungannon for several years after he retired and they had moved to Toronto.
On May 3, 1974, Dr. H. A. S. Vokes died in Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, in his 79th year. There was a private funeral service and as well a memorial service was held at the Toronto Chinese Gospel Church. This was a very fitting tribute because of his lifelong association with Christian Chinese.