CANTLIE Dr. J. ('1) Continuation.
"You established, greatly to the advantage of the residents, in Hongkong, the Peak Hospital, through which over a thousand patients have passed and you took upon your own shoulders, as I understand, the expense and the risk of the institution for the first two or three years of its existence.
"You were the first to bring out here trained European nurses and I need hardly add that everyone who had experience of the attention to the sick paid by nurses in the Colony, before that date must thoroughly understand how much we benefitted by the Peak Hospital, which, I believe led to the introduction of trained nurses in the hospitals of the Colony.
"Before your arrival the supply of lymph for vaccination was both irregular in quantity and inferior in quality, and with your accustomed vigour you pressed the subject upon the Government and successfully established a Vaccine Institute which has proved most successful."
According to Mr. Francis, Dr. Cantlie devoted much time and energy to the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals, and to a great extent diminished the prejudice entertained by the Chinese against European medicine. It was primarily Dr. Cantlie's idea, that an attempt should be made to train Chinese students in Western medicine.
"I may say without hesitation," said Mr. Francis "that however great the benefits you have conferred upon the Alice Memorial Hospital and on the College of Medicine, and on the students, you have also conferred a very great benefit on the Colony in so far as you have induced the Government to train Chinese students in Western sciences and so lessened the prejudice of the Chinese against the introduction of European medicine in the Colony.
An address signed by hundreds of Hongkong residents, addresses from the College of Medicine for Chinese London Missionary Society and the University Medical Students were handed to Dr. Cantlie, after the official presentation.
Dr. Cantlie's reply was full of reminiscences, and there is so much of historical value in it, that I propose to devote more space to it on Monday.
CANTLIE Dr. J. (2).
In the course of Yesterday's article I dealt with the public farewell accorded Dr. James Cantlie on February 5, 1896 and reproduced the speech of Mr. J. J. Francis Q.C., who gave a comprehensive review of the learned doctor's career in Hongkong.
Dr. Cantlie's reply reflected the character of the man. He made little of his own achievements, praised the work of others and made a vigorous appeal for better regulations for the health of the Colony.
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