( 36 )
Mr. WHITEHEAD-What would be the nature of the encouragement necessary to retain their services here?—I think, in the first place, their qualification should be recognised by the Government as a qualification to practise.
How would that affect the present medical practitioners in Hongkong who have diplomas from Bodies at Home or in America?—I do not think it would affect them in the slightest. The qualification granted to these men would be in some way limited to recognise the fact that they had their training in Hongkong, and therefore under certain disadvantages.
Then you think if the Government gave them this recognition, they would be enabled to remain in the Colony and to start private practice amongst the Chinese ?
Mr. THOMSON-Do you think they would remain if offered a salary of $50 or $60 per month to stay in the Tung Wa Hospital, with or without private practice ?—-$50 per month without private practice would be the minimum.
THE PRESIDENT-Do you think it would be possible to find students now capable of entering upon these duties ?-At present, no, as all those qualified are out of the Colony. For two years there would be none available from the Chinese College of Medicine. You would have none unless you could get some back from the Straits. Perhaps U I-KAI would take up the post, but I do not think he would be willing to do so, because he is already in receipt of a larger salary than the minimum suggested as dispenser at the Civil Hospital.
Dr. Ho KAI-One student went to Borneo ?--Yes, and it speaks well in his favour that he was asked to go back again. He returned to the Colony suffering from beri-beri; but on his recovery he was requested to return to Borneo. He was in receipt of $90 per month.
THE PRESIDENT-Are there any other matters connected with the Tung Wa Hos- pital which you could mention as being likely to be of advantage to the Commission in its inquiry?—There is nothing else, excepting that I think it would be unwise to force the practice of Western medicine on the Tung Wa as at present constituted. I think, however, it would be of great advantage to have Chinese trained in Western medicine in the Hospital for the purposes that have been mentioned.
Do you find that patients come from the Tung Wa Hospital to the Alice Memorial Hospital? We have had a few. I had the records examined, and found that in 1890 we had 5 cases; in 1891, 11 cases; in 1892, 18 cases; in 1893, 25 cases; and in the beginning of 1894, 1 case. Since I left for England in 1894, no cases have been sent to us.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-How do you account for that?-Partly because the Surgeons from the Government Civil Hospital have been about the Tung Wa Hospital since the plague epidemic.
Dr. Ho KAI-Formerly, they sent these patients to the Alice Memorial Hospital voluntarily ?-All the cases I have enumerated came with letters from the doctors of the Tung Wa Hospital.
And
you were doing an increasing business according to that list?—Yes.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-Do you think it would be desirable to have a European steward appointed to the Tung Wa Hospital to see that matters generally were looked after properly, such as the removal of the night-soil, and that the wards were properly venti- lated?—I do not think the appointment of any European in the Tung Wa would be wise. It seems to me the present supervision by the Colonial Surgeon--if what I saw yesterday is the result of that more careful supervision-sufficiently meets the case. There was a European at the door whose duties I did not quite understand. He showed me round the Hospital.