NORTH MANCHURIAN PLAGUE PREVENTION SERVICE REPORTS (1925-1926) (Being Volume V of the Series) EDITED BY WU LIEN TEH, M.A., M.D., B.C. (Cantab.), M.D. (Tokio), of China: Author of "A Treatise on Tientsin : PREFACE. After an interval of slightly over two years since the last Report (1923-4) was published, I take pleasure in announcing the appearance of Volume V of our Manchurian Plague Prevention Service Reports. In addition to general hospital and laboratory work, members of our staff have been engaged among other things upon an intensive study of the plague among wild rodents in different parts of the world as well as researches upon the actual method of invasion of the lungs in pneumonic plague. The sudden importation of Cholera into Manchuria from Shanghai during this summer kept our epidemic and laboratory staff unusually busy, and besides preparing and distributing over 60,000 doses of prophylactic vaccine we were enabled to make an interesting study of the epidemiology of the disease, particularly in connection with an outbreak of 14 cases among the inmates of the Russian-staffed Municipal Hospital of Harbin. As a result of my year's stay in America (1924-5), principally at Johns Hopkins (Baltimore), the U. S. Hygienic Laboratory (Washington) and the McCormick Institute of Infectious Diseases (Chicago), I have attempted to introduce certain new phases of public health work into this country, and am pleased to state that our Institute in Harbin was the first in the Orient to practise on a wide scale systematic Dick Tests for Scarlet Fever, as well as immunisations for susceptible persons and serum treatment for the sick. For the above purpose our Laboratory has been extended to meet the increased demand for such supplies. Among the forty odd articles comprising the present Volume, that on "A Report of a Preliminary Health Survey of Pinchiang" may be found instructive by those who have faith in the possibilities of community health work in China. There is no doubt that an immense difficulty awaits pioneers in this field, since trained professional men and women have to seek the co-operation of conservative, perhaps prejudiced, officials in their attempt to obtain beneficial results. But the work has to be accomplished, and wherever a Chief of Police be found who is tolerant and sympathetic the opportunity to introduce modern health measures, however fragmentary, should not be missed. Hence I intend early next year to make a similar health survey of the old Manchurian city of Newchwang, where conditions vary considerably from those of the 30 year-old town of Harbin. 686894 Thanks to the continued support of my chiefs in Peking and Manchuria our Plague Prevention Service has managed since its establishment in 1912 to weather all sorts of political storms and to hold fast to its one ideal, namely, the prevention of disease and promotion of scientific medicine and research. The reputation that it has earned in and out of China has been unselfishly contributed by all members of the staff, to whom the eight-hour limit seems a dead letter ! Our Service has further collaborated with the activities of the Health Section of the League of Nations, both at Geneva and Singapore, and my Treatise on Pneumonic Plague has just been published by the League at the former city. Finally, I wish to express my deep appreciation of the personal interest taken in our welfare by His Excellency Marshal Chang Tso Lin, who has kindly written a preface in Chinese for this volume. As in past years, the Tientsin Press, Ltd. has been responsible for the printing of the English edition, while the Chinese one has been undertaken by Hsin Hua Press of Pinchiang, Harbin. The four coloured plates have been done by the Commercial Press, Ltd., Shanghai. WU LIEN TEH. Harbin, December 1st, 1926. |