During the greater part of this period Dr. Bernard Read acted as Director in Shanghai while Dr. H. G. Earle proceeded to England in order that he might deal with matters arising in connection with the work and future position of the staff on leave.
Dr. R. C. Robertson, having been invited by the League of Nations to head the British Unit of the League Amti-Epidemic Commission in China, after a brief visit to Europe, returned to China in January 1038 to work under the auspices of the League.
Dr. H. Gordon Thompson, who t on leave in April 1937, at once offered to return to China but was almost immediately appointed Executive Secretary in London to the Lord Mayor's Fund for medical relief in China.
On the return of Dr. H. G. Earle in September, 1938, the Trustees decided that ihe main building in Avenue Roail should be opened and on October 10th an informal dinner was held to mark this event. It was made quite clear, however, that the work of the Institute would have to be curtailed especially in regard to clinical research at the Lester Hospital Itis with regret that under these circumstances it has not been possible to retain the services of. Dr. J, Gray and Dr. B. S. Platt as members of the Institute staff. As pioneers in clinical research in China they ye paved the way along which others may follow and sincere thanks are due to them for their loyal service to the Institute. Dr. Gray still remains a member of the honorary consulting staff of the Lester Chinese Hospital and his services will now be available to a wider public than was possible as a member of the research staff of the Institute. Dr. Platt is continuing his work under the auspices of the Medical Research Council in charge of Nutritional research in Colonial territories. In July, 1988, he left for Nyasaland and is still working in this territory. As the work which Dr. Platt planned and carried out for the Institute is being applied in the post which he now occupies he was asked to report to Dr. Thompson at greater length than is usual in an Annual Report. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the Institute has been shown to be a place where opportunities occur for obtaining knowledge and experience of world value.
Other retirements arising out of the new conditions under which the Institute is carrying on include those of Dr. Mary Andrews, Dr. F. F. Tang and Mr. E. A. G. Shrimpton of the academic staff and Messrs. Blow, Henderson and Parker of the technical staff.
Dr. Andrews came to us from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1931, as an assistant to the late Dr. John Ander-san. She had previously spent time in China as a medical missionary but decided later to return to academic work. It had been Dr. Anderson's intention to establish a strong department of Clinical Parasitology and it was along these lines that Dr. Andrews carried on under Dr. R. C. Robertson. Although most of her work was done in the main building it was decided in April, 1937, t she should make her headquarters in the Hospital and be responsible for a general service in Clinical Pathology. It was, therefore, very unfortunate just as this scheme was taking shape that Dr. Andrews had to leave Shanghai in August, 1937. She did, however, continue her work in Singapore until the end of 1937 and during 1938 she worked at London School of Hygiene. Her academic knowledge and painstaking work, together with her knowledge of Chinese, proved valuable assets to the work of the Institute and her loyal assistance is much appreciated.
Dr. F. F. Tang came from the National Medical College of Shanghai and though his resignation was precipitated by the outbreak of hostilities, it was always recognized that his services would ultimately be required like those of Dr. Chiao Tsai for the independent organization of medical teaching and research in Chinese institutions, for Tang like Tsai, is a leader in his own subject. It was a great pleasure to all concerned to have him associated with the Institute for a time and to have sent him to England as a Holt Fellow io work at the British National Institute for Medical Research where he ably represented the work being done in China by Chinese bacteriologists. As head of the Chinese National Epidemic Prevention Bureau, he is now carrying through an essential task for China, but it is hoped that, when peace is once more restored he will have opportunities to carry on that research for which he is specially qualified.
It is not possible to refer in detail to the other members of the staff category since in 1938 he reached the age limit üxed by the Trustees for all appointments. Like Dr. Maxwell, who retired three years ago, he was one of the founders of the Institute. He was a member of the original Advisory Committee and his was the first appointment made after that of the Director. It was largely due to his efforts that the Trustees decided to bear the cost of an additional flour in the Lester Chinese Hospital (then in process of erection) for the purposes of clinical research. With characteristic thoroughness, after the death of Dr. John Anderson, Dr. Thompson shouldered the full responsibility of organizing a Division of Clinical Research and Experimental Surgery. It is a matter of great regret that this work can no longer be maintained as an independent Division, but with the members of the staff of the Lester Chinese Hospital working in ce-operation with laboratory workers qualified m Clinical Medicine, much may still be done within the sphere of a Clinical Unit in which the whole Institute shares. The experience gained during the last seven years under Dr. Thompson's guidance has shown how our opportunities can be used to the best aüvantage. A debt of gratitude is also due to Dr. Thompson for his special interest, as a Liverpool man, in the Holt Fellowship Scheme. It was largely through his influence that the Institute took over the responsibility for the choice of four Chinese medical graduates, one to be chosen from the staff of the Institute, who are sent to England each year for post graduate study. Under this scheme the Holt Steamship Company provides free passages and the University of Liverpool admits fellows,' who are chosen by the Institute, to examination for the diplomas of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. These men are also admitted to other post graduate courses, and arrangements are made, especially in the case of research fellows, for them to work in other institutions as well. This scheme has already been referred to in previous reports, but it is felt that some special acknowledgment is due for the part Dr. Thompson played in its initiation. There are many other things that Dr. Thompson did for the Institute outside his ordinary professional obligations, too numerous to be mentioned, and it is to be regretted that there has been no opportunity of saying a personal farewell Dr. Thompson was to have come back to China in 1937, and although this was not possible, it is most pleasing that his retirement should have terminated in his appointment to a position which must have given him considerable satisfaction and which undoubt tedly has been of great value to the British Fund for Medical Relief in China; a good termination for a career spent in working for other people.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.