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And during your period of office, as Colonial Surgeon, you have carried out these instructions ?--Yes; much more than it had ever been done before,. I have frequently gone round there with an interpreter and never heard any complaints.
And you found the Hospital fairly clean?-According to Chinese ideas. In conference with the different Registrars General I have objected to many things, but in certain cases I was told I could not interfere. In other cases we have brought our wishes before the Committee of Management anl on our suggestion many things have been altered. I have always couferred with the Registrar General for the time being, and he has brought my views to the notice of the Tung Wa Committee.
Dr. Ho KAI-From your knowledge of them do you find the Committee amenable to reason?-Mostly; but I think the Committee in the old days took much more interest in the Hospital than the Committee do now. In the old days the position on the Committee was sought for by the Chinese as a recognition of standing; nowadays it is rather difficult to get men to serve on the Committee.
For what reason?--I think the Committee has been so much supervised that they do not like it. In the old days men like WONG SHING and WEI YUK were very glad to serve on the Committee; nowadays they will not serve. There is too much European interference. The Committee are being continually called on for explanations for things which they look upon as trifles.
The Committee then adjourned.
Meeting held on Thursday, July 2nd, 1896.
Present:-Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary (President).
Honourable A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Honourable C. P. CHATER.
Honourable Dr. Ho Kal.
Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.
Surgeon-Colonel EVATT, Principal Medical Officer, Army Medical Staff.
THE PRESIDENT-You are the principal medical officer of the Army Medical Staff in this Colony ?-Yes.
How long have you been in the Colony ?—Only since the beginning of May.
Have you had any experience of the Chinese in any other part of the world?—Never. Do you know anything about Chinese hospitals ?—I have been to the Tung Wa Hospital about three times; that is my only experience.
With regard to the Tung Wa Hospital, have you any suggestions to make to the Commission, the adoption of which might be useful?-After going round the Hospital I made a few notes about it. I noticed the want of classification amongst the cases treated there. I do not think that the Chinese prejudices would be interfered with if a rough classification was attempted of the surgical cases as opposed to the medical cases by the separation of patients suffering from open wounds. The number of commodes was most marked. There was a perfect epidemic of commodes, and there were patients suffering from diarrhoea in the same wards with other patients suffering from open wounds. The Chinese officials in charge of the Hospital might be induced to put these commnodes out to a screened-off place. The wards would be kept sweeter, and it would not interfere with the doctors or the patients. So far as I could see, every patient had a cominode.