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Colonel HUGHES.-You would not want the Assistant Port Officer to sail about all day waiting for ships.
Dr. ATKINSON.—He would be on duty for six hours at any rate-one officer would be on duty from 6 a.m. to 12, and another from 12 to 6 p.m.
Colonel HUGHES.-Every day?
Dr. ATKINSON.--Yes.
Colonel HUGHES.-Is Dr. JORDAN afloat for six hours ?
Dr. STEDMAN. He visits ships as they come in.
Colonel HUGHES.-During the epidemic of plague last summer Dr. THOMSON did the Gaol, Kennedy Town, and the Tung Wah Hospital ?
Dr. STEDMAN-No.
Dr. ATKINSON.-There was another officer appointed.
Dr. STEDMAN-The French Doctor?
Dr. ATKINSON.—When Dr. THOMSON was performing the Kennedy Town Hospital work Dr. LAMOKT did the other work, viz. :-Tung Wah, Gaol Hospital and visiting Government Officials.
Colonel HUGHES.-Where does Dr. THOMSON get the time to hunt mosquitoes?
Dr. STEDMAN. He does not hunt them, they are sent to him from the various Police Stations, and he simply examines them.
Colonel HUGHES.-How did he find time to go to the New Territory?
Dr. ATKINSON.—That was before the epidemic, I think.
Mr. SHARP--I suppose in plague time Kennedy Town would take up his whole time?
Dr. ATKINSON.—Yes.
The Chairman.-I see that in addition to these Medical Officers, you suggest a scheme whereby the medical requirements of the outlying districts like Shaukiwan, Quarry Bay, Aberdeen, Stanley and the New Territory may be met.
Dr. ATKINSON.—Yes, I have suggested to the Government that some such system as that at Singapore might be adopted, whereby Native Apothecaries holding some such qualification as the Licentiate of Madras University might be obtained.
Eight such Native Apothecaries are employed at Singapore, and they have been proved very efficient.
The Government there annually gives four scholarships of the value of £250 to the students at the Government Schools who pass highest in the Seventh Standard and in at least two extra subjects, an examination corresponding to the Senior Cambridge Local University examination.
Those who pass highest in the examination become Government Scholars, and are sent to Madras University where they are trained, the course la-ting four years.
The Chairman.-Why should it take four years?
Dr. ATKINSON.-Because that is the prescribed period of the course of training
The Chairman.-What sort of men, are these Chinese ?
Dr. ATKINSON.—Yes, Chinese, Indians, Europeans, or any nationality I under- stand can compete.
Dr. STEDMAN-What are their duties?
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