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DR. J. C. THOMSON, Superintendent of the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals.
THE PRESIDENT-How long have you been Superintendent of the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals?-Between seven and eight years.
Are the patients admitted into those Hospitals almost exclusively Chinese ?—Almost exclusively in the In-Patient Department; a considerable number of Portuguese and non-Chinese come as out-patients.
Then the fact that these Hospitals deal chiefly with the Chinese has enabled you to gain considerable acquaintance with the Chinese from a medical point of view?—Yes.
Are you acquainted with the Tung Wa Hospital?—I have made several visits to it. I had a walk round it yesterday in view of coming here.
Did you find it in a clean condition ?-It was very greatly improved since my. previous visits to it some years ago.
Did it appear to be in a fairly sanitary condition?-Yes.
Did you think it had sufficient light and air in the wards?—I think it had. The removal of the cubicles has greatly improved the Hospital.
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Mr. WHITEHEAD-The air was not prevented in any way from getting into the wards on the ground floor by the accumulation of lumber in the verandahs ?—I do not think it was sufficient to seriously interfere with the ventilation.
But
you
noticed certain accumulations of lumber?—I did not observe it particularly. THE PRESIDENT--You have had a good deal to do with training Chinese in Western medicine in connection with the Chinese College of Medicine?—Yes,
Speaking from your experience of these students, do you think it would be of advantage to have one of them appointed to the Tung Wa Hospital?—It would certainly be an improvement that the treatment in the Tung Wa Hospital should be along Western lines, but that introduces the previous question of the constitution of that Hospital; and so far as I understand the constitution of the Hospital, it does not provide for Western
treatment.
But supposing such students as I mentioned were appointed for the purpose of obtaining correct vital statistics and of being consulted as to treatment on Western lines when desired by the Directors or patients?—I think it would certainly be of great advantage for the diagnosis of cases and the picking out of infectious cases, and for the. purpose of properly certifying the causes of death.
Speaking from your experience of these students, is their knowledge of Western medical science sufficient to enable them to perform these duties?—I think so.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-How many students have taken their degree from the Chinese College of Medicine? - Seven.
Have you any idea what they are doing to-day?-One is the House Surgeon in a Government Hospital in Borneo, two are in similar Hospitals in Selangor, one is House Surgeon in the Nethersole Hospital, one (U I-KAI) is dispenser at the Government Civil Hospital, one was for a time in practice in Queen's Road West and has just lately gone to Singapore to enter into private practice there at the invitation of Hon. Dr. LIM BOON KENG. I do not know where the seventh now is.
THE PRESIDENT-How do you account for the fact that most of them have gone away from the Colony ?-Because there is no encouragement for them here. They have salaries of from $70 to $90 per month. One who left last year on a salary of $75 has since been raised to $100 at Selangor.
Are you of opinion that if proper encouragement were held out to them they would remain here ?-Certainly; they would prefer to remain in Hongkong.
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