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The matter of the dictary was at once very forcibly reported, and a commission of enquiry appointed under the Presidency of Mr. MAY, the Chief Magistrate, with the result that everything of the best was to be supplied and the dietary, revised as recommended by the Colonial Surgeon and Superintendent.
With difficulty, aft series of reports, the Colonial Surgeon obtained a grant of £80 for im- mediate expenditure for instruments, and £20 yearly for their repair and the purchase of new ones, and until these could be obtained he loaned the use of his own instruments of which fortunately be had a good supply.
In 1874 the typhoon of September settled the question of the necessity of a new Hospital, as far as the building then in use and above described was concerned, by reducing it to ruins, the patients and staff passing a terrible night crowded into one room on the ground floor, while the roof above and the verandahs around them were falling.
A large building then to let, the Hotel d'Europe, extending from Old Bailey Street to Pottinger Street and immediately in front of the Central Police Station, was temporarily taken up for use as the Government Civil Hospital. This was a great improvement, being very much larger and affording greater accommodation for patients and much better accommodation for the staff, but it was still not a suitable building for a Hospital, being in a very central position and having no open space around it for exercise for convalescents; so the correspondence concerning the new Hospital still went on till 1878 when the great fire beginning on Christmas Day settled the question of this building's suitability by burning it down. The patients, all who could be, were hurriedly dismissed, the very serious cases being removed to the Gaol Hospital.
No other building being obtainable fit for the purpose, the Lock Hospital was made use of, the patients and staff of that building being removed to other temporary quarters.
The question concerning a new Hospital was thus disposed of after eight years' correspondence, Providence being apparently as dissatisfied with the condition of things as ourselves. Plans for a new Hospital were sent out from home, and, when received, it was found would cost $250,000 besides being most unsuitable for the climate, none of the buildings being protected with verandalis. They would be perfectly uninhabitable in hot weather, even with punkas going day and night, a thing inad- missible in a hospital as many patients could not be exposed to such treatment. This state of things was represented by the Colonial Surgeon who suggested that the Lock Hospital should be increased in size and all the waste land about it taken up for the increased accommodation necessary, recreation ground, &c. This could be done at less cost and would provide room for further increase of accoin- modation if necessary in the future. Plans were at once drawn up by the Surveyor General, which received sanction from the Home Government for the building as it now stands. Though still not affording the accommodation required in many essentials as far as it goes it is fitted with all modern requirements and is superior to any in our Eastern possessions East of Bombay and can be much improved in future. At the same time plans were sanctioned for a new Lock Hospital on the site of the Old Government Civil Hospital that had been blown down in 1874.
With the new Hospital improvement in the staff began. Mr. BOTELHO, the Apothecary, resigned in 1879, after over thirty years of faithful and very arduous service, and Mr. McCALLUM, a properly qualified Analyst and Apothecary, was appointed from Home. As the work of his department in the Hospital increased, sanction was obtained for the assistance of two Chinese Student Apothecaries who were educated under his supervision. In 1883, Mr. MCCALLUM was appointed Secretary and Super- intendent of the Sanitary Board, and Mr. Crow, the present Government Analyst, came out to take his place at the Hospital. Increased assistance becoming necessary in this part of the Hospital staff, a European Assistant was sanctioned, and Mr. WATSON, a duly qualified Apothecary and Analyst, was appointed to the new post from Home in 1887. He resigned in 1890 for private reasons and is now a partner in a firm in this Colony. Mr. LUCAS was then appointed from Home in his place but resigned in 1893 for private reasons, being offered a better appointment at Home, and Mr. BROWNE, the present incumbent, came out to take his place. All these appointments have been most satisfactory, and those who have left us have been parted with with regret. As regards the staff, this Department of the Civil Hospital is now in good working order, but as regards the Laboratory, although we have got a new one,. the money for fitting it up has not yet been sanctioned and it has now for two years been lying useless and we are wanting in store space for dispensary purposes, the space required being at present fitted up as a Laboratory in a very primitive way.
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In 1878 we were granted a Chinese Clerk, and in 1889 we were granted an assistant clerk, neither before they were wanted, and in this part of the staff we have some trouble. Our clerks have been very good ones but their hours of work are long, and, like nearly every one of the Hospital staff, they never know when they may be called upon to work even far into the night. In consequence of this, when they have become thoroughly efficient, a vacancy in some other Office better paid with shorter hours turns up, and of course they apply for it. I have to certify to their merit and as there has been no question about that we loose a valuable servant and have to take another who as a rule is fresh from school and has everything to learn.