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Did
you, in the course of your visit, closely inspect the actual condition of matters as regards the night stools ?—Yes; I looked into one or two. The provision for that appears to be satisfactory.
How often are these removed ?--I do not know.
Would it be desirable to have them taken away as soon as made use of?-They seemed pretty well covered; I think if removed twice a day that would meet the case.
Do
you know if they are removed once a day?--I do not know.
Dr. Ho KAI-Could one of those Chinese trained in European medicine look after the performance of these duties as equally well as a European?-I certainly think he could, along with the other duties mentioned; the examination of cases for the purpose of diagnosis and the certification of cause of death would not occupy all his time, and he could fill in his time looking after such details.
Do you think they would be competent and would have the patience and energy to do it? Well, in that I suppose they would require to be overlooked to a certain extent by the Colonial Surgeon.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-He visits the Hospital only once a day ?-Still he could, by occasional test cases, see if the work was done properly.
Would you be surprised to learn that the night stools in use there are not removed for twenty-four hours?-I would not have been surprised at that two or three years ago, but from what I saw yesterday I would be surprised to learn that.
If a European steward were appointed to that position and his duties limited so that he would not interfere in any way with the treatment of the patients, the Govern- ment would then have some one to rely upon and would know that the sanitary affairs of the Hospital were.being attended to?--I fear that with the regulations of the Hos- pital as they are and with the powers of the Directorate as they are, the presence of a European would almost certainly lead to a large amount of friction.
Still, the Government have certain powers over the Hospital?-So far as I under- stand, only those of inspection.
Dr. Ho KAI-Or they could shut it up altogether by an Ordinance in the Legisla- tive Council.
Mr. WHITEHEAD-I think it is subject to the general superintendence of the Government.
(The Chairman read section 14 of the Ordinance, a copy of which is printed in the see page appendix.)
Mr. WHITEHEAD-If the Government appointed a European steward or wardmaster to visit the Hospital every morning and evening to see that matters were properly looke after and that he made a daily report of the condition of the Hospital, would there be any objection to that?-That seems to be pretty definitely allowed by the Ordinance; and I think there would be no real objection, if the person appointed were made clearly to understand that he had nothing to do with the treatment of the patients, but had simply to superintend the sanitary condition of the Hospital.
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Dr. Ho KAI-You have the Colonial Surgeon and the Sanitary Inspector who, do that already. What we wish to do is to improve the Hospital, to get the Chinese gradually to adopt Western medicine. Had not the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals nearly 1,000 in-patients last year ?-Last year, 614. The numbers have fallen off since the plague. In 1892, we had 875 in-patients; in 1893, 722.
These are all cases which come of their own accord ?—Yes; all.
And they stay until cured or sent away ?-As a general rule, with few exceptions.
XLIX.