Dedication stele of the Chinese Paupers’ Hospital (later the Tan Tock Seng Hospital)

A stone stele carved in 1845 records Tan’s reasons for making the donation:

大凡守望相助，里井原有同情，而疾病相持，吾人寜無夙願。矧叻州者西南地極，瘴癘頻生，所以瘡傷痍癩之人，尤爲狼藉，既無衣食以禦其飢寒，復無戶牖以蔽其風兩，人生况瘁之遭，莫踰于此，能不目擊而心傷哉！前 國王樹德推恩，經有猪傌之設以爲病室，今盛典已不再矣！而道路匍匐，較之昔日而愈甚焉。余自經營商賈以來，私心窃念，欲有所事於孤苦之人，而有志未舉，幸際 新嘉埠梹榔嶼 呷三州俄文律姑呢峇抵騧 朥示珍康申喳脂 臨蒞，胞與爲懷，痌瘝厪念，嘱余構屋以紹前徽。余因夙有此心，是以直任不辭，另尋淑地，無雜囂塵，俾斯人得所棲息。此一役也，雖曰亟命使然，而實不負於余之素志云爾。是爲序。
旹
大清道光贰拾伍年乙巳歲
英吉黎壹仟捌佰肆拾伍年
孟春之月榖旦
福建省漳郡澄邑陳篤生謹誌

Generally speaking, people look out for and help one another. Those who live in the same village and drink from the same well have close feelings. They support each other through illness. How could I not have had (a similar) long-cherished wish? Moreover, Singapore is situated in the far southwest, where vapours continuously rise, and people are often infected with skin ulcers and leprosy. Everything there is in disarray. There are no clothes or food to help them in hunger and cold. Nor are there houses to shelter them from the wind and rain. People in such tiring circumstances do not get worse than this. How can one witness this and not feel pain in one’s heart? Formerly, the [British] king ad virtue and extended mercy. He put people who were living in “pigsties and barns” into hospitals to care for their ills. But these excellent practices are no longer seen, and the roads are crawling [with people]. Conditions are far worse than before. Ever since I started my business, in my heart I have always wanted to do something for the abandoned and the suffering. But my ambition was not fulfilled. Fortunately, Colonel Butterworth of Singapore, Penang, and Malacca and Resident Council Church attended [to this idea], and kept this dream alive. They diligently thought about the pain and suffering of others, and urged me to build a hospital in order to continue earlier accomplishments. Because I had always had this intention, I took on this responsibility without hesitation. I sought out a good piece of land that is quiet and free of dirt, where people could rest. Even though one could say that this was an official order that I had to carry out, it was not something that betrayed my original intentions. This is my preface.
Qing dynasty, 25th year of the Daoguang reign
1845 in the English calendar
On an auspicious day in mid-spring
Recorded with care by Tan Tock Seng of Cheng town, Zhangzhou prefecture, Fujian province