570
dutij
a. the Medical Service of the Colony is at present so constituted, with regard to the atmetest econ021-1 it often occurs that one or more of them must attend on cases of infectious disease or having attended on cases of infectious disease are immediately afterwards called upon to attend a case of injury with open wounds, or necessitating immediate operations; parturition or cases requiring precautions being taken as far as possible, still strict antiseptics is impossible.
Under each hurried circumstance trouble have followed the necessity of having to operate under such prejudicial conditions and the anxiety of having to run such risks. A. J. 19. much to be deplored, I would respectfully submit to Your Lordship.
With utmost care and precaution, such causes are, especially in the case of frequent attendance of the Hospital Surgeon and cannot be avoided. This would by Medical Authorities in England be considered most serious, and in the event of a patient under the Medical attendant being liable for a criminal prosecution. The Medical Officer would be the sufferer but the Lower Government Authorities should bear the blame, the risk run is bad in any case.
The risk to the Medical Officers is much greater when they are depleted by sickness or on leave. Although 710 per cent being away cases of Septicaemia have been traced to their Mat D' Atkin being at home might be ad interrogated on the difficulties under which the Medical Department labours as I have endeavoured to describe.
The difficulty of obtaining outside assistance at the time of the outbreak of Plague this year was so great that at the Epidemic, offers were advertised by telegraph at all the nearest ports from Singapore to Japan offering $350 per month. Nearly a single offer was received six weeks before any assistance arrived from the Army and Navy, except a ship's surgeon who offered for the work except Dr. Loweon who arrived six weeks before he was due to take up the Acting Appointment.