Jan. 22.
According to an interesting booklet issued by the Chinese Mission to Lepers there are about 2,000,000 lepers in the world, of which number about half are believed to be in China. The work of caring for these people was started a comparatively few years ago and at the present moment there is in this Jcountry about twelve leprosaria accommodating some 2,000 sufferers, but apart from these there is a number of settlements in Kuangtung and Fukien where lepers are in receipt of a certain amount of support, Some of these latter are given monthly grants by the respective pro-that amount of hope for those Jaflicted the Chinese Mission to Lepers has been active on an educational programme and has been successful in creating a [public conscience on the matter financial aid has been given to various leprosaria, help wax given for the establishment of fan institution in Nanchang, and for another which is being Vineial governments, but it generally stated in ' the booklet that the Chinese Government has done very little indeed in thie matter, and, thereby, compares unfavourably with the governments of the Philippine Islands and Japan, The Japa lose Home Office in particular is reported' to be considering plan to. spend Yen 37,000,000 to eradicate the disease within thirty years. At the present moment the caring for lepers in (China devolves upon the volunteer shoulders of the Mission to Lepers. (London) "and the American Mission to Lepers, but with the entrance of the Chinese Mission whose object is to work towards the elimination of the disease In China the, forces mobilised to combat this have been substantially reinforced, It is perhaps fortunate for the public at large, though probably h|more unfortunate the suf-forers, that the leper is not more before its eyes than it present. There is a fair number of sufferers in Shanghai and occasionally one may be seen in the streets; happily not often, Those who'do happen to run across them will be relieved to know, on the authority of the booklet to which reference is being made, that contagion is, usually the result of prolonged and close contact with a sufferer, jand that given ordinarily favour fable circumstances, a patient determined to get better, and doctor who understands—hi work and is willing to take igjerected on Hainan, while Shanghai the Hongkew Clinic for Skin Diseases, in which 135 leases are being dealt with, is proving successful, The mission in its booklet indicates that help can be given the movement by passing on the good news that leprosy is curable, by supporting the mission financially or persuading others to do so. There is little Jdoubt that the appeal which it makes is justified and the assistance which it requires more than necessary, But what is most required at the present moment is the enactment of drastic legislation along the Hines adopted in other countries, which ultimately led to its dis= appearance, With the hopes of Jeure, which did not then exist, such laws need not be 80 desperate as they were in other times and in other countries, and it would appear that the more work the Mission does towards persuading the Chinese government to put such work in the forefront of any of their programmes of social legisla tion the quicker will the worthy object of the Mission be attained. At the same time ft is to be congratulated having among its numbers men and women of a rare enthusiasm who have done so well in the short: time. they have taken the matter in hand, 'Tax Hongkong European Y.M.C.As building an wing [which will' soon be This ethene cage utile ba
Jeannot be stamped out. "With ten, C™Mores and social faci which all active signs of leprosy [tional darmiteriey and soco 4
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.