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treatment by western methods: readiness to enter Hospitals
for Western treatment will no doubt follow in due course,
when the fears of the Western treatment itself have been
removed: but it is difficult to see how greater success
or more rapid progress could have been secured by any
methods other than those adopted. It is only too easy to
frighten a native community, and to progress backwards;
it must be educated to new ideas very gently, with all
the local knowledge and experience available and most
especially is this the case in any question that affects
the women and children.
-
It should be added that the Chinese Public Dispenseries
is a Chinese Institution, financed by voluntary contribu-
tions (except for a Government grant of $2,000 a year)
and managed by an active Committee of prominent Chinese
under the Chairmanship of the Secretary for Chinese
Affairs. The idea has always been carefully fostered
among the Chinese that it is our own place run by our
own people to whom we can always readily appeal or com-
plain" and with an absolute minimum of govemment
interference.
2.
The effect of this careful policy has lately
been shown in the new steps it has been found possible to
take. Room was found in one of the Dispensaries for a
Matemity Hospital under the same management, except that
Mrs. Hickling (a lady doctor with full British qualifica-
tions and a knowledge of Chinese: ex Church Missionary
Society) was put in supervising charge by the Government
direct. The experiment has been very carefully handled
indeed for some four or five years; and has now become
an unqualified success. I regret my memory fails at the
figures my Annual Reports are not with me. The success
was
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