(absent).
To the Goversors of the Shanghai General Hospital.
Mr. Caldbeck, I may" mention, was absent at the time, but his signature was attached, as he had approved of the letter before his departure. On the 14th inst. we received this reply:—
Shanghai, 14th July, 1897.
Gssmuemex,—I am directed by the Go-semers of the. Shanghai General Hospital to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Sth of July, and to inform you that they sympathise with the objects which you appear to have in view. They do not, however, understand at' present in what way you propose that the institutions you mention should ce-operate.
They are, however, prepared to give careful consideration "to xny suggestions which you may make and which are likely to further the interests of the Shanghai General Hospital.
Tam, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, (Signed) A. Tirnevrs, Secretary, Shanghai General Hospital, To Henpraz F. Brapy, Esq., Hon. Secretary, Working Committee, Diamond Jubilee Permanent Memorial.
Now, on receipt of this letter the Working Committee came to the conclusion that they had practically exhausted their proper functions, that is to say, they had been appointed by the General Committee and had not been appointed, and did not represent, the subscribers in any way-'This matter of making definite representa. tions and suggestions to the Governors of the Hospital as to how to carry out this scheme is a matter that properly belongs entirely to the subscribers of the new Institution, and therefore, we felt at once that we had no right to go to the length any definite proposals to the Governors, and that we ought to call the subscribers together and to give them, in fact, an account of our stewardship up to this time, to place our resignations in your hands, and ask you to discuss this question as fully as you arw willing to do to-day, and than te appoint your own Committen to carry out the views which you may express. That is the object for which this meeting is called. Our consideration of the matter so far Jhas led us to one very decided conclusion,'and that is this: that while the amount which has been promised in subscriptions is sufficient for the purpose of starting a Nursing Institution to be worked in' ce-operation with the Shang hai General Hospital, it is not sufficient to establish a wholly independent institution, which must necessarily be a new, and therefore a rival Hospital. The question of ce-operation is practically comprised in one point only, viz. the supply by the Nursing Institute to the Hospital of trained nurses for the nursing of sick patients in the Hospital. The matter of substituting trained nurses for the Sisters in the work of nursing patients is in reality simply a question of employing profes-signals instead of amateurs. While the thanks of the Committee are due, and will be heartily given, to the Sisters for the admirable work that they have dono for so many years in the Hospital, the present opportunity should not be lost of obtaining the services of skilled nurses for Hospital work. (Applause.) The very same point has recently arisen at Tientsin, and I soe by the Peking und Tientsin Times, that Mrs. Lees when laying the foundation stone of tile new Hospital there, after referring in done for the community, seid that ful terms to the work that the Sisters
while deeply grateful to the Sisters the community felt a little ashamed at having been dependent upon them so long. If Tientsin feels this now, it would almost seem as if Shanghai ought to have had a similar twinge some little time ago. At any rate if we admit that we have this feeling now I think that it will be a sound and healthy admission to make, and a wise one to act upon. The idea of the Working Committee' is that building should' be erected or leased by the Committee of the Victoria Nursing and Training Institute which should be'situated as near to the Shanghai General Hospital as can be conveniently arranged; that in this building the nu: ses and probationers should live; that the Committee should arrange to supply a staff of trained nurses to the Governors of the Hospital, on fixed terms; and should.also supply trained nurses for nursing patients in their own houses; and, perhaps, hereafter, also supply nurses to go to cases of serious sickness at the out-ports; that all questions connected with the general management of the nurses should be in the hands of the Committee of the Nursing Institut. The first question to be determined is the acceptance of the principle that the supply of staff of trained nurses for work in the General Hospital will be accepted by the Governors, and until that is settled it is impossible to go into details as to the best method of working the new, Institute. The Committee have only one resolution to submit to you, and I now beg to propose That the Committee elected at this meeting be requested to formulate such a scheme as would carry out the objects sot forth in the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.