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Dr. JORDAN.--I think it is essential.
Mr. THURBURN.Do you think it would be a good thing to have a Health Officer on shore? Would he have plenty of work to do?
Dr. JORDAN-I think that would relieve the Colonial Surgeon of his duties to a great extent; where the greatest pressure at present seems to be is in connection with the working of the Civil Hospital and any emergency that might occur there.
Mr. THURBURN.-But the Health Officer for the Colony would not relieve the Colonial Surgeon of his duties at all. The duties of a Health Officer would be to look after the health of the Colony in connection with the Sanitary Board, the drains and such like.
Dr. JORDAN-Until the Sanitary Board was established, the Colonial Surgeon had to attend to all these.
Dr. CANTLIE. At present the Colonial Surgeon is the Health Officer of the Colony?
Dr. JORDAN.-Certainly. As things are at present, if the Colonial Surgeon has to attend the whole of the Police and the officers of other Departments under certain pay, I do not think he has got time enough to attend properly to the health of the Colony. He cannot go about making periodical visits to the various portions of Chinatown when he has got all these patients to look after.
Dr. PRESTON.-There is not much sickness amongst the Police, is there?
Dr. JORDAN.-Sometimes there is a great deal. I was once Acting Colonial Surgeon and I know what the work is.
Dr. PRESTON.—I thought they were a healthy lot of men.
Dr. JORDAN. There are a lot of wives and families who require a good deal of attention. He has to visit the different stations, No. 1 beyond the Race-course, and No. 7 at the other end. There is a good deal of work to do. Of course, you may have a slack time as in everything else.
Mr. THURBURN.-Taking it for granted that this work occupies the whole of his time, is there work for a Health Officer attached to the Sanitary Board?
Dr. JORDAN.--I think so. It would be advisable to appoint another medical officer provided he is available at times of emergency at the Civil Hospital.
THE PRESIDENT.-It is proposed to establish two or three dispensaries in the Colony, two here and one at Kowloon. Do you think they will be successful? The idea is to popularise Western methods and Western medicines as far as possible.
Dr. JORDAN.—I think it would be a very wise step indeed.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Are you of opinion that the men in charge of these dispensaries, if allowed private practice, would neglect their duties?
Dr. JORDAN.-I should say they should not be allowed to have private practice. Some of the men might be trustworthy, but I think if allowed private practice there would be a tendency to squeeze.
THE PRESIDENT.-Can you make any suggestion as to how these dispensaries could be made self-supporting?
Dr. JORDAN.—I do not think they would be self-supporting for a long time. They might later on by charging small admission fees as suggested by Dr. CHUNG.
Mr. THURBURN.—The drugs would require to be given free?
Dr. JORDAN-NO; I would say make a small charge. But the attendance would not be sufficiently great to pay for the drugs and other things given away.