---------------------------------------------- District. |Population. | ---------------------------------------------| Proportion of | | | Medicals to | | | Population. | | | ---------------------------------------------- Proportion of | | | Assistants to | | | Population. | | | ---------------------------------------------- Proportion of | | | Nurses to | | | Population. | | | ---------------------------------------------- Proportion of | | | Beds to | | | Population. | | | ---------------------------------------------- Proportion of | | | Dispensaries to | | | Population. | | | ---------------------------------------------- It will be observed that in this second table the items are not identical with those in the preceding table. In the place of hospitals we have beds; because in relation to the area the thing of importance is the number of the hospitals; but in relation to population the thing of importance is the number of beds available. Two hospitals in a single area are probably not in the same place and imply more widespread influence; but if each has twenty beds, in proportion to population it is of no importance whether the forty beds are in one place or two: forty in-patients fill the beds. But in medical work, when we are considering the need of the district, another factor of importance often enters. The medicals of the mission are often not the only men meeting that need. There are often others, Government officials, or private practitioners, who, from the point of view of medical practice, are doing the same work. The medical need of a district where the missionary doctor is the only exponent of western medicine is not the same as that of the district where he is competing with Government or private doctors fully trained as he is. Consequently it is essential in order to understand the position that we should know what other, non-missionary, medical assistance is available, and we need the following table:--