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Meeting held on Saturday, 13th June, 1896.
Present:--His Honour Mr. SERCOMBE SMITH, (Acting Puisne Judge), Chairman.
Hon. Commander W. C. H. HASTINGS, R.N., Acting Police Magistrate.
Dr ATKINSON, Acting Colonial Surgeon.
Dr. J. BELL examined.
THE CHAIRMAN--What are you, Dr. BELL?
A-Assistant surgeon in the Hongkong Government Medical Department.
Q--When did you begin your duties?
A-On the 1st June.
Q-Part of your duties consists of that of Gaol Surgeon?
A-Yes.
Q-Since you have been in the Gaol have you certified to any persons as being fit to be flogged?
A-Yes.
Q-How many times?
A-I think six times.
Q-What is the minimum and what is the maximum number of strokes you have certified?
A-Six minimum and eighteen maximum.
Q-You have attended at all these floggings?
A-All of them. No floggings take place in the Gaol without the Medical Officer of the Gaol being present.
Q-Can you tell us the effect of any of these floggings on the prisoners' bodies?
A-None of them have so far done any apparent damage, or serious damage. Whether these six prisoners have been better able to stand the flogging or not I do not know, but they stood it well. The eighteen stroke man is still in the hospital, but that is more of a safeguard so that he can be watched for a few days more. All the others were discharged in a day and are at work.
Q-Were any of the prisoners Europeans?
A-No, all Chinese.
Q-Do you know anything of the effects of the "cat-o'-nine-tail" ? A-No, I have never seen any floggings except here.
Q-During the time you have been medical officer at the Gaol have you formed any opinion as to the maximum number of strokes that should be inflicted in any case?
A-My experience is, of course, very limited; but I am not in favour of any excessive amount; I do not think more than eighteen, or twenty at most, at one time. I think that with more you not only run the risk of laying them up, which some of them want, but
you diminish the amount of suffering. The sensation gets deadened and they simply do not feel the flogging.