The position of the Ghinese Hospital as disclosed at the annual meeting on the 13th instant, is highly satisfactory, There are two sets of accounls—a building and a working account, and we are glad to see that both stand well. Thenew hospital building has cost Tls. 5,882 which has been provided for chiefly by subscription, but partly by Tis, 1,284 transferred from the general account. The reevipls under the latter head have been exceptionally large, including the hand-tome donations of Tls. 1,000 from Mr. Hanbury, Tls. 1,977 from the Municipal Council (transferred from the Lock Ho: pital), and $300from the Taotai. Altogether is. 3,497 have been received in donations, and Ils, 1,747 in subscriptions—the total general income having been Tle. 5,254, The expenditure, however, has been also wnusnally large, including the sum already nated as transferred to Building account, anda considerable outlay for new furniture and other charges incidental to the occupation of the new building. The gross result that the New Hospital building stands cleat, and the Working account has Tls. 509 at credit, whereas it began the year Tls. 215in arrear. The total receipts from all Sonrees and on all accounts appear thus to have been about Tls. 10,000; and it is {0 the credit of Shanghai that so large sun hins been obtained, during a depres-ted season, on account of a charity devoted purely to the benefit of Chinese. We are glad to see that the natives themselves have shown appreciation of its merits some Tls. 1,800 of the building fund having been subscribed by the Taotai, the Tea, Silk, and Piece Goods Guilds, and one or two private gentlemen.
We are indebted to Dr. Johnston's report for a description of the new hospital building:—The new hospital was built to contain 60 beds, and at present there are 53. The building is plainly and substantially constructed in the Foreign style, Its foundations are raised 2} feet above the level of the ground. It is 122 feet long, and 42 feet wide. The lower storey is 15 feet 6 inches high, and the upper storey 14 feet G inches, It faces the south, and has a wide verandah in front, which opens into nearly all the wards on both floors. The wards are lofty and well ventilated. On the ground floor are the waiting room, capable of seating 160 to 180 patients, the dispensary, ophthalmoscopic room, and one large general ward, with 15 beds. On the upper floor are one large general ward, with 16 beds; an eye ward, with 8 beds; 7 private wards, with a single bed in each ward, with 8 beds; and the opera!
The fittings of the hospital, bedsteads, blankets, &o., were all procured from England, and an attempt has been made to approximate the general arrangements, as nearly as possible, to what exists in the hospitals at home. The wards are remarkbly cool in the summer, and during winter they can easily be warmed to a temperature of 50° to G0, Over-crowding is carefully avoided, According to the present arraugements, at least 1,200 cubic feet of air are allowed for each bed. ing money among the Chinese towards the support of the institution was discussed at some length by the meeting, but without arriving at any very definite conclusion. There was an evident feeling that the well-to-do Chinese who avail themselves of medical advice should contribute to the funds; but there was an apprehension the Chinese servants might take advantage of any measure for'collecting fees, to solicit for themselves, and a further reluctance to alter the character of the institution as a foreign charity. The matter was eventually left to the Trustees, with a recommendation to take measures to give publicity to the purpose of the institution, in Chinese newspapers, and to intimate that subscriptions towards its support would be received,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.