AnnualReport-1939 — Page 476

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In November 1939 a meeting was held at which the Chairman, Professor Gordon King, explained to those present doctors, matrons and nurses of the Queen Mary, Kowloon, Kwong Wah, Tung Wah and Tung Wah Eastern Hospitals, the work and aims of the League, and at which the Honourable Director of Medical Services spoke on the importance of the birth control sessions as an integral part of the pre-natal, post-natal and infant welfare work carried out through the Health Centres.

APPLIANCES:

Up till the outbreak of war in September 1939, the League had been able to purchase appliances from Great Britain at clinic prices, but after that date the imposition of import and export restrictions have prohibited the purchase of occlusive caps from London. After some delay contraceptives were bought from New York, but at an increased cost. However, at the suggestion of the Chairman, a second type of cap was obtained from New York, which costs the League only eighty cents and is considered as reliable as the occlusive cap previously used at a cost of $1.10.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters in Hong Kong, it has been possible for the League to continue giving appliances to those mothers who are too poor to pay for them, even at cost price; that is, where the family income is under or about $30 per month and there are children to provide for, no charge is made.

THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION IN GREAT BRITAIN :

The League has maintained contact with the parent body in Great Britain, the National Birth Control Association. In May, 1939, the Association held an Extraordinary General Meeting, with Lord Horder in the chair, and unanimously agreed that the name of the Association should be changed to The Family Planning Association and that the objects of the Association should be:--

(1) To advocate and promote the provision of facilities for scientific con- traception so that married people may space or limit their families and thus mitigate the evils of ill-health and poverty.

(2) To advocate and promote the establishment of Women's Health Centres at which, in addition to advice on scientific contraception, women can get advice on, and where necessary treatment for, any or all of the following :

(a) involuntary sterility,

(b) minor gynaecological ailments,

(c) difficulties connected with the marriage relationship.

(3) To examine such other problems as are relevant to the above and to take such action as may be considered advisable.

It is appreciated that in Hong Kong for the time being our work must be mainly concerned with the first object, but we print later in the report a study that has been carried out by Dr. T. J. Hua in the refugee camps, which will be of great interest to gynaecologists in the Far East and at home.

A small service has been rendered to the Association by sending to London a prescription previously used by our Chairman in his work in China, which is now being used in Hong Kong, for making contraceptive jelly, the price of which is less than half that of the jelly made in Great Britain. The Association hope that this jelly may be suitable for contraceptive work in India, where they maintain an or- ganizer and where great progress has been made.

Experimental work is also being carried out at the Tsan Yuk Clinic with a con- traceptive paste, a new product which the Birth Control Investigation Committee. hopes may eliminate the use of caps.