July 23.
Last month, in presiding over the annual meeting of the Lester Chinese Hospital, Sir Peter Grain eloquently paid a tribute to the magnificent work performed by that institution which was originally established by Lockhart of the London Mission: ary Society in 1844. The progress of the Hospital to the current year, when it is housed in the new ' buildings in Shantung Road, is part and parcel of the history of Shanghai. The largest hospital engaged—in emergency work, the Lester Chinese Hospital renders to Shanghai a service which is all the greater because the number: of such institutions is less than the rapidly expanded population really requires, Too much cannot be said to emphasise the enormous debt owed to the devoted and unobtrusive work of the medical and nursing staff of a hospital which handles 140,000 outpatient visits in the year, including over 8,000 emergency cases of which 2,500 were due to traffic accidents. During 1931 the influx of tens of thousands of flood refugees threw a very heavy burden on all hospitals here. "The events of last winter added to the charge. It is, therefore, important to make clear the duty of the public in this matter. In the report of the Lester Chinese Hospital is written:
"Inthe general outpatient de. partment there are great oppor-Tunities available for extended activities, of which as yet we are unable to take advantage owing to Tack of funds and workers, For instance there is crying need for social service work, for the special study of soci and dfetaries and 0 the many factors, which lead direct to wis to be hoped that the appeal thus made will receive attention in the community at large This question of social conditions is, indeed, of. special interest. ' The report lays stress, fon the part played -by bad housing and poor surroundings in undermining the resistance of the patient to disease. The vitality of the peasant. who comes into the large city is always affected by circumstances which compel him to rely on food devoid of the wholesome qualities obtainable in his own village. The great proportion of the workers in Shanghai come from the country, especially from Kiangsu north of the Yangtze. However bad may be the economic and political conditions which have induced them to seek their livelihood in the city, they are not so harmful to.' their! health and their general wellbeing as the crowded and insanitary areas here.
The various health authorities, with the cooperation of the Public Works Department their best to mitigate this evil. They cannot move fast enough or, indeed, exercise sufficient: authority to cope with it fully. This problem touches every member of the community for the existence of a large underfed, weak and unhealthy population is a menace to all. Hospital authorities pempeive a great increase in the number of patients who, owing to poor vitality, are longer on their hands and are unable to derive the full benefit of the attention given them. The hospitals cannot solve this prob-Jem by themselves, The need is for a systematic examination of the causes of the evils which so complicate it. Here arises the responsibility of the citizens Jand the authorities who adrhinister on their behalf. To usz the words of the Lester Chinese Ho3- Report, Shanghaj is a place Lot onl "where they may conveniently make money but also an opportunity for improving and raising the standards of life for all its Wublic-spirited men and women have already grasped this aspect of life here, as in other cities. They require as much support cooperation as they can
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.