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Dr: CANTLIE. Of course, the third man on your staff at present is Dr. MARQUES?
Dr. Lowson.-Yes; but as I told the Governor in a letter to his A. D. C. I did not want Dr. MARQUES-Dr. MARQUES is not up to the mark, if you want it straight.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-Are you of opinion that if you got a third man for the Civil Hospital he would be available for the Gaol?
Dr. Lowson. If you got a third man he could do the Gaol and the Tung Wah Hospital which the Colonial Surgeon has to do at present, and we could get on all right except when any one was away on long leave. It would not be fair to make one man do all that work for a year. If I were to go home for a year the Government ought to say "We will have another man here for a year and will give him a certain salary till you come back;" the remaining medical officers would be glad to have another man.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-Would it be possible to get a temporary man?
Dr. Lowson.-Yes. The army men have given help if they were not busy. If one man could be detailed for a whole year he might get the money for the particular appointment he was holding for the time.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.--What would you consider an efficient medical staff for this Colony; to provide for all contingencies, except epidemics, which are exceptional?
Dr. Lowson.-A Colonial Surgeon, a Superintendent for the Civil Hospital, an Assistant Superintendent, a Health Officer for the Port, and one man for the Gaol and the Tung Wah Hospital. Of course, I know nothing about the Medical Officer of the Sanitary Board. That has nothing to do with me, but there ought certainly to be one.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-According to you there ought to be six men?
Dr. Lowson.-Yes. As a rule a man is entitled to long leave once in six years. Dr. CANTLIE.-Is that enough?
Dr. Lowson.--They get two months annually in some instances. If you have six men here and they go home at their time on leave you have still five men to do the work of the Colony amongst them.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-Would not the same difficulty arise with the six men as arises at present with the five if you add additional duties to the medical staff-such as the duties of a Health Officer for the Sanitary Board?
Dr. Lowson.—I said where a man takes long leave the Government ought to be prepared to fill his place.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.--Then you say even with six men when anyone goes on long leave the assistance of an outside man would be required?
Dr. Lowson. You will find they do not all take leave. The Colonial Surgeon has not. He could have got it but it is a difficult job when a man is at the head of a Department and he has not a man under him whom you can trust.
In that case how is he to get away?
Dr. CANTLIE.-Up to within the last seven years, it was impossible for Dr. AYRES to get away-to get a suitable man to take his place?
Dr. Lowson.--Yes. So I understand.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-It appears to me from your evidence that even en extra medical man for this Colony would not be sufficient if you bring in the question of leave, and it also appears to me that six medical men for a small Colony like Hongkong is a large number.
Dr. Lowson. It is.
Mr. THURBURN. You have to count up what their duties are.