In addition to his medical efforts, Graham took it upon himself to reopen the area's Sunday school for adults and apprentices, helping to teach lessons in reading and scripture.
[2] Through successes and hardships, ranging from medical feats to the death of his wife, Graham remained steadfastly pious; he attributed all occurrences to God's greater plan.
In comparison to other missionaries and medical officers, Graham placed a rare emphasis on helping and learning from the natives of Sierra Leone.
Due to his eagerness to learn from native colonial surgeon, Dr. Boyle, he contributed to introducing unfamiliar African medical practices to the CMS and England, such as the use of Ergot and Rye in midwifery.
Graham made efforts to somewhat immerse himself into Sierra Leone's native population, studying the Eyó dialect through conversations with local Oku people.
[5] He attended Christian Missionary Society College, Islington in 1827 and studied medicine under Dr. Whiting, honorary medical advisor of the CMS's Committee of Correspondence (the board that supervised mission operations).
Graham would temporarily reside at Freetown to become better acquainted with the effects of local disease on Europeans, and he would administer the Society's medicines to those in need in all parts of the colony, including some individuals not necessarily connected to the Mission if resources allowed.
[2] While Graham was specifically recruited to provide medical aid to individuals within the mission, he chose to dedicate much of his time to treating natives.
[2] He expressed his desire to the CMS to return to England to study surgery under an experienced surgeon for a year in order to be more capable of helping.
The Sunday schools for adults and apprentices had generally been unsuccessful for the CMS mission in Sierra Leone, but Henry Graham, his wife, and the new group of missionaries were determined to see their revival.
[8] A native remarked, Mr. Graham was greatly pained by the loss of his most loved partner and afterwards pledged to only seek comfort in Christ in order to avoid further sadness and disappointment.
[2] Immediately upon arriving in Sierra Leone, Henry Graham made efforts to learn the Eyó dialect through conversations with natives.
[11] The committee was displeased with his desire to return to England to study surgery for a year in order to more effectively help the natives, seeing the request as inconsistent with this his reason for recruitment—to assist European missionaries in combating local diseases.