Feb 12, THE National Medical Association brings its discussions to a close to-day, and in looking back over the week its members may well feel that they deserve a rest not less for the excellent work done than for the amount of en-terraining gallantly endured. Merely as the first association of western-trained Chinese doctors, the conference deserves all the attention it has attracted; far more 80 when, at the conclusion, we reflect on the immense consequences for China with which it is fraught, and the profound knowledge and brave spirit represented in this tiny body" of pioneers. That the forthcoming National Hospital in Peking will have a marked influence in educating the Chinese public to a better appreciation of what medicine should mean and, yet more importantly, of what they themselves can and must do to oid the need of medicine, we may well agree with Dr. Wu Lien-teh. The fact that it is to be entirely a Chinese concern should enhance its prestige and faculty for good. The parrot cry of "China for the Chinese' is rapidly losing its evil power with all sensible men. At the same time no lasting good can be done for the Chinese but what they are prepared to do for themselves no foreign institution can exert one tenth of the authority which the Peking National Hospital should command for the medical education of China. Incidentally, foreigners will watch with particular interest its researches in the ideas of the old school of Chinese medi " Which undoubtedly contain much that is sound, especially in respect of the use of herbs, poultices and antidotes. Who can say what world-needed remedy may not be rediscovered. Meanwhile the hospital has yet to be built, the western-trained doctors of China are few in number, and the education of their fellow-countrymen in the new ideas is waiting. As a commencement it is to be hoped that the many admirable papers read during the past week will widely distributed throughout the country, in order to bring home to the multitude what is being done for, what is expected of, them.
Not the least important of the discussions was that which dealt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.