626
THE HONG KONG WEEKLY PRESS &
MEDICAL RELIEF WORK
WAR
Illuminating Talk By Dr. W.S. Fu
The Hong Kong Chinese Medical Association were hosts at a reception given at the Chinese Merchants' Club on Oct. 22 in honour of Drs. W. S. Fu and C. Y. Wu, of Shanghai. Dr. Li Shu-pui, president of the Association, welcomed the guests on behalf of his colleagues, and there were also present Dr. Wu Lien-teh, the famous plague prevention expert and Director of the Chinese National Quarantine Service, the Hon. Dr. Li Shu- fan, and Drs. Ma Luk, W. K. Fok, Arthur W. Woo, Chau Wai- cheung, F. I. Tseung, Edward Sun, Eva Ho Tung, S. N. Chau, T. C. Wong. T. Y. Li, S. F. Cheung, Y. K. Wong, L. S. Shin, K. C. Cheng, C. W. Lam, P. I. Chan, K. D. Ling, N. P. Karanjia, K. T. Loke, H. C. Tan, K. F. Ko. Y. Y. Tang, K. C. Cheam and K. L. Cheung.
The Chairman said: On behalf of the members of the Association, I take great pleasure in welcoming two well-known doctors here this afternoon.
Dr. W. S. Fu, as you know, is the Chairman of the Executive Com- mittee of the Chinese Medical Association of Shanghai, but you may also be interested to know that he is also Chairman of the Medical Relief Committee of the Association, of the Medical Supply Committee. Medical Supply De- partment, of the Shanghai Emer- gency Medical Relief Committee, and Chairman of the Medical Supply Department of the Inter- national Red Cross Committee in Shanghai.
His experiences in Shanghai will be needed in Hong Kong for guidance in our future work of medical relief.
amongst soldiers and the civilian population.
The first few days after the out-
break at Shanghai were days of hard work and feverish activity in the organising of emergency hos- pitals in the Settlement. They had more or less overcome the initial difficulties when at 4 p.m. on August 14, now generally known as 'Bloody Saturday," bombs landed near the Palace Hotel and also un Avenue Edward VII. There were over 1.500 civilians wounded, apart from the dead, which number com- pletely filled up the
emergency hospitals as well as the regular centres. They certainly had a lot on their hands. and the situation was made worse by the closing of the shops, which made the pro- curing of medical supplies practi- cally impossible.
PLANS FOR RELIEF WORK Subsequently. members of the profession had got together and made certain plans for the work of relief. The general character of how medical relief was being undertaken in Shanghai since then had been: (1) caring for the wounded soldiers; (2) caring for the wounded civilians; (3) car- ing for the war refugees; (4) the
Dr. C. Y. Wu is no stranger amongst us. A distinguished graduate of the University of Houg Kong, his work on preventive medicine has benefitted China a good deal. Now he is staying in Hong Kong to represent Dr. J. Heng Liu of the Ministry of Health and also head of the Chinese Red Cross. While ne is here I am sure we shall do our best to assist him in whatever way he desires. (Ap-combatting of epidemics and (5) plause).
PRESENT CRISIS
Dr. Fu, called upon to address the meeting, gave an illuminating and informative account of medical relief conditions since the begin ning of the crisis. He said that the war was thrown upon China all so suddenly that the Shanghai profession found itself medical quite unprepared to cope with the large number of casualties both
the collection and distribution of medical supplies.
In the beginning It was rather difficult to get the wounded soldiers into the Settlement. They found. said Dr. Fu, that only those soldiers wounded in the upper body. that is to say those that could walk, came for treatment; there were wounded soldiers lying in the areas of fighting who could not help themselves. and the Red Cross
October 29, 1937
IN CHINA
stretcher teams got them in only after much delay and dimculty.
Relief work was more centralized now, and the task had been made easier.
SUFFICIENT DOCTORS
Dr. Fu said that there were at present sufficient doctors and sur- geons in Shanghal. There was a scheme. however, to send the wounded soldiers to base hospitals
from Shanghai, away
in which case more Chinese doctors would be required as those in Shanghai would be needed at the base hos- pitals. In this matter, the foreign doctors in Shanghai had agreed to conduct the relief work in the Set- tlement to the utmost extent possi- ble.
NO SHELL-SHOCK CASE The speaker said that it might interest people to know that though the Chinese soldiers suffered some- times from many things not one case of shell-shock had yet been reported. The Chinese soldiers, he Sald, were not afraid of bomb or shell, but they did not like dirty water, mosquitoes and the food.
The food problem had been a serious one, and had engaged the attention of the Government as well as those undertaking medical relief. Chinese nutrition experts had now perfected a biscuit, which had been approved by Nanking, 15 of which as constituting the diet for one day would be sufficient to produce over 2000 calories in food value.
are now
Gauze and bandages being produced by Chinese cotton mills in Shanghai, and in this respect they were self-sufficient. They were short of ether, alcohol, morphla and anti-tetanus vaccine, said Dr. Fu.
COST OF WORK
Giving an idea of the cost of the relief work, the speaker said that the initial cost of a bed was about $20 and the maintenance was 67 cents per day.
The problem of medical relief for the refugees was largely being undertaken by the
Shanghai Municipal Council Health Depart- ment, whose doctors were giving every possible attention to the various refugee camps. A hospital for the care of refugee children had just been opened.
The Chinese Medical Association was empowered to receive actual medica! supplies and donations, sald Dr. Fu. A plan had been evolved. and approved by the National Government, whereby donors of medical supplies and of money handed in to the Associa-
October 29, 1937
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
627
MEDICAL RELIEF If Gossip We Must
WORK IN CHINA WAR
tion would be given in return the equivalent of their valuable help in National Salvation Bonds. Hong Kong, he suggested, might start a drive in this way to assist the suffering soldiers and others.
ACUTE PROBLEM Dr. Fu emphasised in conclusion that the problem was an acute one, and would become even more so as the war went on, and he ap- pealed to all Chinese in Hong Kong and friends of China to help in the humane work that was be- ing carried on. He also appealed to all Chinese doctors to volunteer their afd. It was, he said, very encouraging to sėė how much Hong Kong had done in the way of medical relief, but he hoped that greater assistance would be forthcoming.
Dr. C. Y. Wu, who is a nephew of Dr. Wu Llen-teh, then recount- ed his experiences during a train Journey
the to Nanking while Japanese were bombing the coun- try along the railway line.
It struck him as most impress- ive that the Chinese soldier to-
50 day was different from his brother in the past. He met some wounded Cantonese soldiers on the train, and the change in their spirit and discipline was wonderful.
FOOD PROBLEM Dr. Wu lald great emphasis on the food problem amongst the re- fugees. He sald that the food now consisted of two bowls of plain rice each day, with perhaps a little salted turnip. This diet prolonged over a long period would produce berl-beri and other dis- eases, and would be most harmful. He hoped that the biscuit mention- ed by Dr. Fu might solve the pro- blem, for they might later, if the war continued indefinitely, have to draw on the refugees to serve as soldiers, and it was therefore essential that they should be ft and reminded the gathering that amongst other things clothes for refugees was urgently needed now that winter was approaching. He appealed to all for gifts of cloth- ing, which could be distributed where they were most needed.
News of three Hong Kong doc- tors who had volunteered their service was supplied by the Chair- man, who said that Drs. S. C. Ho and Li Ho-tlen were now with the 4th Route Army (Cantonese) at the front, whilat Dr. L Sung was with the 23rd Emergency Hospi- tal in Shanghai.
Dear Kate,
looked chic in
(BY ELSPETH).
Mrs. Croucher brown and was talking to Mrs. Jack Macgregor whose amusing hat had a delicious back vell re- miniscent of the Gay Nineties. The Countess de Courseulles was in tangerine, a colour infinitely becoming to her dark beauty. She came with her sister, Miss Chieri, who was wearing one of the very newest pill-box hats. Mrs. Tag- gart, an outstanding ornament of the American Community, had on a youthful frock with a gay little hat. Mrs. Arthur Woo looked lovely in pale pink,
maving miced up my voice for several montas in querulous plain. against one hong nong cumate 1 now must eat my words and agree with the residents that October, and I believe November and December weather, can compen- sate one for typnootis, steam and any other Act of Goɑ. The sud- den tang in the air last week sent us all flying prematurely, as it proved, to alior-mades and furs. How lovely to push one's tired and nmp summer wardrobe into the background and Dossom forth in something fresh.
ine cockvæd party given by the Deep Water pacneiors was one of the first Jucasions for the airing of cool weather clones. The set- ting for us lovely party was a Veritable aream. I'ne
sea comes
right up to the garden wall and the moon and fairy lights did au They could Go convince nostalgic Shanghai-anders that what Hong Kong loses on the night clubs sne makes up on the view. Every lovely person in Hong Kong seem- ed to nave been
bidden and to
have come.
I
2
saw pretty Mrs. Whitham looking exquisitely soignee in long tunic of dull metallic brocade. Mrs. Reis Evans clung to white- a colour which sults her ad. mirably. Mrs. Neale, another at- tractive person, came in something slim and dark. As I arrived late and had to dash on to a dinner party on the Peak I had no time To do much other than to gasp at the view, swallow
excellent cocktail and make my regretful adieu.
an
Again I had to drag myself away before I had nearly enough time to enjoy the gay and cosmo- politan crowd with which this popular young couple have already surrounded themselves.
On Saturday night, after a de- lightful dinner on the Peak. we betook ourselves to the Gripps to dance. The place was packed to capacity and if
our thoughtful hostess had not booked a table well in advance we should have had either to sit on the stairs or to invade the sacred mysteries of Bessie's Bar. I saw the lovely Mrs. Hobkirk dancing with her tall good-looking husband. Miss Judith Smith, in a printed dress was in a Coun- party which included the tess de Courseulles and her sister. Miss Chleri, At the same party we also saw Mrs. McAvoy and her husband and Miss Gerrard. Miss Pestonji
wearing petunia effectively. I saw Mrs. Crokham looking lovely in a graceful print- ed dress dancing with Mr. Jack Macgregor who has just come back from Shanghal.
was
MAHON AND RUCKER
on
The amusing entertainers Mahon and Rucker were doing an ener- getic turn vaguely reminiscent of the circus as we arrived and I could not but applaud the forti- tude of Miss Rucker
the re- she peated occasions when
was hurled through the air and then
the floor skidded about
in The pan- highly painful manner. white
ther trainer cracked his whip in a realistic manner rather trying to shell-shocked ears. I saw Mr. Lawrence Kadoorie dancing with Miss Gubbay who looked charming in white.
The southern side of the Island drew us all again on Thursday to the Lido for the Cocktail party given by the newly married Delaneys. What an asset they are to the community and how wel- coming was
of the atmosphere American hospitality which en- gulfed one on arrival. Mrs. Delaney welcomed her guests in a lovely cocktall tunic of taffeta worn over a slender black skirt. Mrs. Donovan looked de-
with lightful in a dark dress black hat. Mrs. Abbott was wear-
and ing something gay
rather South American in colouring.
a
The crush was enormous and not half enough people took ad- vantage of the Terrace to allow me to view the lovely clothes.
One lovely person was in pink
of with masses
white fox fur.
a
My dear Kate, my pen has run away with me. I must gird up my loins and hle me to Shek-O to bang a golf-ball about.
Love,
ELSPETH,
122
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