'An interesting. ceremony took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Shantung Road Hospital, when ight Chinese nurses, who have com. pleted their four years' training, fand passed the examination of the Nurses' Association of China, were presented with certificates. Dr. C. 5. Davenport, the Medical Superintendent, presided, and was supported by Mr. C. BIN. Bain, Chair. man of the hospital Committee, and the Rev. C. G. Sparham, and others, while among other staunch foreign friends of the hospital present, besides the staff, were Mr. Ellis Pugh, Mr, E. S, Elliston (hon. secretary), and Mr. W. H. Way (hon. treasurer), Following the Chairman's opening remarks, Mr. Bain made an appropriate address in English, Which was interpreted into Chinese by Miss A, Sharpe, the matron of the womens' hospital. The speaker mentioned that his Jast appearance] s public in connexion with the hospital was at the Ratepayer: Meeting, when he urged that the municipal grant be increased from Tls. 5,000 to Tis, 20,000 per year, which was cordially agreed to. It was gratifying to know that in addition to the work of healing which goes steadily on at the hospital, there is also training thus helping to give China efficent|r, of nurses,
helpers for the care of the sick, This is an honourable profession, and those who have qualified ar* deserving of congratulations, and wished them all success in thei future service. Mr, Sparham spai from his own experiences of the added comfort and confidence felt a patient when a skilled nurse takes the place of the well-meaning bhut unskilled attendant.
He revived] the story of Florence' Nightingale, the "Lady of the Lamp:" the light] heer the invalids of her day, but lighted the path as forerunner of the present nursing profession, It is good to know that China has now so many trained nurses, where a few years ago there were none.
Mrs. Davenport, who kindly gave the certificates, prefaced the cere-many by a few words about her own experiences as a nurse, for the encouragement of those who had qualified. Forty years ago she nurse at London's oldest ital, as these to-day are at Shanghai's oldest hospital. Coming to China some 35 years ago, she was one of the first Bi trained nurses to ar of early experiences Chungking, and in mid-China, and told of coming to Shanghai over 20 years ago, where she mented Dr. Davenport's work by preparing the way for the preseat nursing school, the result of which We were all glad to see to-Though not now actively engaged im the work, she retains Keen terest in it, and if beginning lite again she would choose to be a nurse, her love of the profession never having changed.
'The beautiful certificates were! then presented, amid the applause of the assembly, to five women and three men—Li Kying-tsu, Chen Ming-tau, Yui Kying-lan, ' Waung] Doing-kya, Li Nyoeh-ngoo, Faung Tsedaung.' Sung Ming-tsung and Dzau Z. The graduates also sang songs which they had practised specially for the occasion.
Tea and social intercourse then followed, and brought to a vise a very pleasant function.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.