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Passing now from the past history of private nursing in the Colony to the present wish of the Hongkong Branch of the Colonial Nursing Association to be relieved of their functions, I have, after full consideration, come to the conclusion, in which Dr. J. M. Atkinson concurs, that there should be a reversion to the former system under which Nurses engaged for private nursing were paid by Government and attached to the Nursing Staff of the Medical Department. The advantages of this system are that the Nurses are under proper supervision, that they have the company when off duty of the Nurses on the Hospital Staff, and when not employed in private nursing, the opportunity of improving their knowledge by work in the Hospital wards where every variety of tropical disease is met with.
The disadvantages of the present system are that the Members and Secretaries of the Committee of the Association which should manage its business are constantly changing to the detriment of this management; that the Nurses, living apart from those in authority over them lack supervision; and that they suffer from want of occupation and association with their fellow workers in the Colony when not employed in nursing. These disadvantages have made themselves