The following letter has been handed us for publication Shanghai, 5th July.
Grxmuemes,—As you are doubtless aware it has been proposed to establish at Shanghai an institution to be called the Victoria Nursing and Training Institute, 45 a permanent memorial of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. This proposal las been approved and lists have been circulated, and subscriptions have been already promised aggregating a sum of upwards of Tls. 17,000,—and there is reason to believe that this sum may grow to " considerably larger amount before very jong.
The time," however, has now arrived
proposal on a definite basis. and a meeting when steps must be taken for placing the of subscribers, will probably be held within about a month for effecting this purpose.
The two objects of the proposed Institution would be the nursing of sick persons, and the training of nurses. The first object is identical with the work accomplished at the General Hospital.
The question therefore arises whether it is possible to connect the new Institution, from its inception, with the Shanghai General Hospital. At present there is, besides the General Hospital, a small staff of trained nurses, under the management of the Municipal' Council, and the new Institution would form a third body, all of these working for the same object, viz, the nursing of sick foreigners, and all independent of each other.
We cannot but think that it would be a great advantage to the community that, if possible, all these should ce-operate with, rather than compete against, each other and that the opportunity afforded by the founding of the new Instiute should be utilised for this purpose.
So far as we have been able to learn it appears to us that this object can be ut-tained while still preserving the name and character of the new Institute, as a permanent memorial, and we now write to ask, if you will be good enough to give the matter your careful consideration, and to inform us whether you concur in this view, and ifso, what measures you would suggest for the purpose of carrying it out.
As it is desirable that the matter should be discussed, and considered, from all points vf view, before the meeting' of subscribers to the new Institute we shall send a copy of this letter for publication in the local press, and we ask, in advance, your consent to the publication of any reply that you may send to us.
We are, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servants,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.