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Civil Hospital and in his last Annual report he referred with satisfaction to the sure prospect of there being "two qualified Medical Men attached to the institutions.
I have then to refer to the
Lin
Your obedient Servant
P.B. Auer dehille & C. Fleroy And
Colonial Surgeon Superintendent
Hong Kong 23rd April 1860
In forwarding the observations of the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital on the report concerning his duties by Deputy Surgeon General Brackenbury, C.B. and D. O'Brien, as I have been specifically alluded to I desire to make some comments on that portion of his letter.
The Superintendent complains that his work has become yearly more arduous but he fails to point out in what particular manner. I therefore give the following figures which I think hardly agree with his statement.
Year Admissions to Hospital Average Daily Sick 1873 952 1274 225 1875 1016 1876 1001 1877 1289 1878 950The fact that the Superintendent was absent from May to December in 1876 an exceptional year must not be overlooked, so that he was not troubled by this unusual excess of admissions.
The Superintendent does not mention the increased assistance he has received. When I arrived here the Hospital Staff consisted of the Superintendent an aged and unqualified apothecary and a Eurasian wardmaster afterwards dismissed for drunkenness and the Chinese attendants. Since that by my recommendation it has been augmented and improved. There is now a properly qualified Apothecary and Analyst, a Steward, a Clerk and a Portuguese wardmaster. The system of Chinese attendance has been entirely altered and it is now modelled on that employed at the Naval Hospital.
With regard to the Superintendent's observations concerning private practice it having been brought to my notice that he was engaged in attending patients outside the Hospital without sanction from Government - I considered it my duty as Head of the Department to bring the fact to the knowledge of the Government, especially as the Superintendent frequently complains of overwork.
I recommended in the report referred to by the Superintendent the appointment of a properly qualified Apothecary and Analyst. This recommendation has been approved and we now have a properly qualified Apothecary and Analyst, a member of the Pharmaceutical...