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Dr. CHUNG. The students are well known to the Chinese and wherever they want they would be pointed out as students of the College of Medicine.
THE PRESIDENT.-If three or four licentiates were required. do you think they could be obtained?
Dr. CHUNG.-Yes, there are five available at present. They are not in the Colony, but if the appointments were offered to them they would gladly accept.
Dr. JORDAN, Medical Officer of Health for the Port, called.
THE PRESIDENT.---Would you give us an idea of the daily routine of your duties as Medical Officer of Health for the Port ?
Dr. JORDAN-I am supposed to be always available from 6 A.. to dusk. My work consists of visiting every ship that enters the Harbour, ascertaining whether there is any sickness on board, and to examine all out-going ships carrying emigrants, at certain stated hours, which I generally fix beforehand, in conjunction with the boarding officer from the Harbour Master's Department. I have to visit all vessels arriving with infectious diseases, vessels placed in quarantine until patients have been removed under supervision to the Civil Hospital or whatever place it is; then to see that the ship is disinfected according to instructions; when this is carried out she is again inspected, together with the whole of the passengers and crew. When this is done the ship is released from quarantine.
THE PRESIDENT.-That would necessitate your going afloat almost the whole day? Have you ever many infected vessels ?
Dr. JORDAN.-At some periods of the year, yes. And some ships come in flying the quarantine flag, and it turns out to be a false alarm. Vessels from the Straits and from the North, and from America, come in flying the quarantine flag, and they have to be inspected by me and released.
THE PRESIDENT.-Do the emigrant ships give much work ?
Dr. JORDAN.-Sometimes they are very troublesome; and sometimes we have three or four in one day. It is not so bad just now, but when the steamers were carrying large numbers of Chinese passengers, 900 or 1.000 or 1,100, it was terrible work inspecting each ship.
Mr. MCCONACHI.-Have you to examine those steamers carrying passengers from Amoy and Swatow to the Straits?
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Dr. JORDAN. Yes, all going down there or to America. There is no regular medical inspection at either Amoy or Swatow.
Dr. CASTLIE.-So that every ship carrying coolies from China has to be inspecteil by you they all call in here?
Dr. JORDAN. The traffic has been somewhat diverted. The steamers sometimes go direct from Amoy and Swatow to Singapore. If they do call in here, we have to inspect them all. The bills of health are sent to me, and I sign and return them.
Mr. MCCONACHI.-Then you have always to be at hand to sign the bills of health? Dr. JORDAN.-Sometimes the Captains or the agents delay in sending in the bills. of health and they send them up to my house at night and even on Sundays for me to sign them and let the ships away. Strictly speaking, I am not required to do it, that is, so far as my instructions go.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-Your hours are from 6 a.m. to dusk, and during that time bills of health should be sent to you if required?
Dr. JORDAN.-Yes after dusk I am supposed to be released from my duties for the day.