The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-29
DRIVING CHINESE
 EPIC" OUTDOORS
How a Women's Social Ser vice League is Bringing
 Health to Changsha.


 (ExcIusive Service The Survey Press
 Bureau.)
 According to an old ditty, 1t was one of the Western-most races Of Europe that kept the pig in the par lor'' But the Chinese go them one better, for the Chinese character for home means "a pig under a roof. Even in the present conventionallzed form -of the character the original crude drawing of the pig and the roof can be traced.
 Both drawing and idea, are as old as the hills. They are used by Mrs. Lotta Carswell. Hume of Changsha, China, to show the difficulty of intro ducing modern sanitary measures into the Asiatic republic. "Unclean streets, unsanitary homes, undrained cities, together with epidemic disease in all it's .aried manifestations, have teen so constantly present with the Chi nese that it has seemed impossible either to actually drive out these evils or 10 create any popular sentiment against them.' says Mrs. Hume.
 Exporting Social Service.
 Mrs. Hume studied at Johns Hop kins hospital in Baltimore years ago before she went to the missionary field in China In 1912 she return
 
 and got into touch with various forms of social service. These, she was convinced could be introduced in China, and on her return to Chang sha, a city of 3O0,000 people, she or ganized the Women's Social Service LeagueC Her report of the work ac- complished in the three years since that time forms interesting read ing.
 The 1aee,,o was organized as a dis tinctively Chinese institution. The work while planned and directed by Westerners,- has been done entirely by Chinese women of the better class. With the exception of $15O subscrIb- ed by westerners, all the funds used through the first year were given by the Chinese. The wife of the gov ernor of the province of Human, of which Changsha is the capital, is q subscrib ping member and so deeply in terested is she in the activities un- ldertaken that in addition to her regu- lar membership fee. she has recently donated $500 for special relief car ried on by the league during a seri ous flood.
 It was soon found that the work of, the league had a. double signifi- canoe. On the one hand it offered practical relief to the poor by teach ing them methods of self-protection against disease and by offering facili- ties for relief from diseasei and unhy gienic living; it also furnished the well-to-do, leisure class of Chinese women an opportunity for unselfsh service for others. This is some thing they have sorely needed, Mrs, Hume says, to save them from the deadening effect of a life without out ward expression.
 Native Women Respond.
 The enthusiastic response of the women has been. the best proof that in such work can be found that def1n- ite point of contact and that basis for common interest of which all western workers in China have felt the need , as they considered intercourse with women of the better. class. A unique Christmas celebration was arranged for the several hospitals of the city, and in every case the dominant note, was joy linked with and dependent on service.
 During the first year two assistants were paid by the league--Miss Wu, a qualified graduate nurse, particular ly skilful in obstetrics; and Mrs. Yang, employed to investigate cases referred by doctors on duty at the hospital clinics. As a result of her inquiries much has 9been learned about the home conditions of poor patents ana the league mas been aDIe to aid judiciously many really deserv- ing ones.
 Since every rational effort to wage a successful campaign against disease must rest upon an educational basis, it has been particularly necessary, in a Chinese city, to begin the effort to better health conditions, in Chinese \ city, to begin the effort to better health conditions by hygfenic instruc- hi Sf xyaa fJJI1a 1osis and infant mortality were made the special objects of the leagues ac- tivity. Lectures on tuberculosis We're given in every section of the city, and in spite of the fact that these lectures were given in the evening, when it might have been feared that Womer with families would be unabl to attend. there was a total attend ance Of over 10000 women and girls. The campaign against infant mortal 1ty was begun by widespread vaccina- ton against. smallpox throughout the city. The police departm ent, which includes a bureau of hygiene, supp piled the vaccine without charge, and the league issued pamphlets and put up posters urging the importance of vaccination.
 Pure Milk Stations
 The league has secured the grounds of several government schools for playgrounds during the summer. These are made available to the chill dren of the neighborhood. It is the first step towards the establishment of system of permanent recreation grounds throughout the city.
 Three milk stations for the free distribution of milk have been open ed. The milk is prepared according to formulae, in eight different strengths for children from birth to l two years of age. A set of bottles is provided for each child every day, each bottle containing just enough for one feeding The milk is prepared at the central station (the Yale Hos pitaD and is sent by special messen- ger to the branch stations. Tickets have been placed in the hands of each of the missionary societies and when properly signed may be exchanged for a daily SupD1v of milk for weak or