the Edits of the "Norra-Caxa Daty News."
Sir,—In a recent issue you have published an announcement that some of the Japanese are thinking of opening Hospitals in the interior cities of China, From my experience of life in Inland China, I am obliged to say how much I welcome this announcement. The Missionary work in which T am engaged takes up a good deal of my time, and of course is my main duty; but the amateur medical and surgical work that comes to me threatens to take up a good deal more; so that in many cases needing help Iam obliged to decline giving it, because I know that it is impossible for me to do so if I am to do my own work properly, While at home on furlough some time ago, I had the privilege of attending the practice of a large Hospital, and ther: received some very valuable training; one of the most usefu} things learnt there was to know when to leave things alone. I am able now to pick out the cases which I can really help, and to decline those which I know are berond my power. It is hard, though, to have to say "I can't! {do anything for you" in a case that hospital treatment alone will help. The nearest hospitals are over fifty miles away, and the advice to take the case there is very seldom followed.
In the case of the poor children who are suffering it is the saddest of al). A short time ago a little child was brought to my house, with a large growth from the roof of the mouth that filled up the entire mouth cavity. One feared from the a pearance of the growth and its histo: that it was malignant. The child could not speak, but it could be fed with liquid food, as there was a small space under the swelling. Of course I advised that it should be taken to the Hospital; but those of your readers who are acquainted well with the Chinese who live in the interior will agree with me in fearing that this advice would not be taken, but that rather the child would be taken to some ignorant Chinese practitioner, who would soon put his patient beyond reach of cure. j Were there a Hospital opened at the Hsien city, or at its port on the river, I am sure that before long plenty of patients would come to it; as T should heartily welcome it, for T should then know that the work which T have to do in my amateur way would be well done by those had the proper appliances and full g required. Were the Hospital only a few miles away the people would gladly visit it, but we are too far away from the present institutions for them to be taken advantage of by the people. T therefore cordially wish success to the Japanese in their noble scheme, and hope that ere' Jong they may be able to do something for this needy district.
T am, ete., (#8 F) Hetano Hsta.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.