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Laboratory Attendant; Tailor.-Increase of salary in these cases is recom- mended because the Principal Civil Medical Officer reports that these men are very good servants, thoroughly conversant with their work, and muless they receive this small increase the Government will lose their services.
Amah, Maternity Hospitol.--An additional Amah required for night work. Rent of Temporary Quarters.-The Government Nursing Institute having been abolished owing to the decision of the Government to dispense with the services of the Private Nursing Sisters, the expenses in connection with "Stowford," formerly the institute and now occupied by the Nursing Sisters and Probationers, have been transferred to the Civil Hospital vote.
Victoria Hospital for Women and Children,--Provision of expenditure sanc- tioned generally in C. O). D. 262,
1902*
BACTERIOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT.
This is a new Department, presided over by a medical officer specially trained in bacteriology. Dr. HUNTER'S work is that of a specialist, and it would be inconve- nient both for himself and the Medical Department if he were not placed in direct relation with the Government. As authority has not yet been obtained for the creation of a staff, provision has been made in the Estimates for certain temporary appointments which, if necessary, can be made permanent in 1904. They include a Laboratory Assistant, two Bacteriological Assistants, a Laboratory Attendant, and an office coolie. Dr. HUNTER reports that the most useful Laboratory Assistant for his parpose would be a qualified student of the Hongkong College of Medicine, to be paid at the rate of $100 rising to $150 a month. His duties will consist in the preparation of Danyz's virus and other sera, and he will be expected to assist generally in the conduct of the Laboratory. The Laboratory Attendant will be a Chinese boy at $15 a month, and he will be required to keep the apparatus clean and in order. The office coolie, at $7 a month, will keep the office clean and distribute messages.
The two Bacteriological Assistants will, like the Laboratory Assistant, be licentiates of the Chinese College of Medicine and will draw the same pay. It is hoped that next year it will not be necessary to secure the services of Japanese doctors for bacteriological work, as was done this year, if these two appointments are sanctioned. Dr. HUNTER states that unless these appointments are made it will be impossible to carry out some of the important measures proposed by Professor SIMPSON with regard to plague. Meanwhile, the engagement of two fully qualified Chinese licentiates, to whom, if the Secretary of State approves, these appointments will be offered, has been provisionally authorised, and they will join the temporary staff (paid this year as plague expenditure by the Sanitary Board) as soon as the engagement with the Japanese doctors is terminated.
A considerable portion of the estimated expenditure of this new Department is due to transfers from other Departments, and is therefore counterbalanced by corresponding reductions in other departmental estimates. The maintenance of the Public Mortuary and the Vaccine Institute has hitherto been paid for by the Medical Department, and the coolie and messenger provided for under the former of these two heads were formerly paid out of the plague vote. Much of the work done at the Mortuary is necessarily of a bacteriological nature, especially since ar- rangements have been made for examining rats, a work which will probably have to be carried on for some years to come. It is also understood, as regards the Vaccine Institute, that the Government Bacteriologist should undertake the production of vaccine lymph. The Institute is therefore appropriately placed under his charge.
In connection with the "Other Charges," Dr. HUNTER estimates that a sum of not less than $3,000 will be required to carry out Professor SIMPSON's scheme of the wholesale distribution of Danyz's virus for the destruction of rats; that $500 will be required for the preparation of protective plague vaccine (Haffkinisn-
5
tion), and a like sum for curative plague sera; the purchase of animals, including horses, he estimates at $1,000; a sum of $500 will be necessary to purchase certain additional apparatus for the preparation of virus, vaccines and sera, owing to the fact that Dr. HUNTER was not informed, until two or three days before leaving England, that he would be expected to make these preparations on a large scale, and he had at that time ordered all the apparatus which he had considered sufficient. These various sums, therefore, have heen inserted in the draft Estimates.
MAGISTRACY.
(1.) Office Furniture, etc. Previous votes insufficient. (2.) Cost of Witnesses, etc.)
The increase of $300 under these heads combined is balanced by expunging the vote for Post Mortem Examinations, etc., which has not been drawn upon at all for several years past.
SANITARY DEPARTMENT.
(1.) Sanitary Commissioner. (a) Allowance for House-rent. (b.) Conveyance Allowance.--These items have been inserted provisionally. Should a Sanitary Commnissioner be appointed he would, unless granted these allowances, be much worse off than the Principal Civil Medical Officer, who has free quarters.
(2.) Five Senior Inspectors of Nuisances.--The increment drawn by these officers as shown in the 1902 Estimates is triennial: but in their agreements an annual increment was granted by the Secretary of State.
(3.) 1st class Inspectors: 3rd class Inspectors: Foreman of Street Cleansers: Interpreter, Veterinary Staff: Watchman, Slaughter House, Kowloon,—The incremen of $60 a year in the ease of all these officers was sanctioned as from the 1st January, 1901, after the Estimates for 1902 had been drafted. Hence the 1902 Estimates do not show the first increment as they should do, and the 1903 Estimates show two increments.
(4.) Foreman, Disinfecting Staff. The increase of salary was granted for the reason that the Foreman could not be retained at $30 a month.
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES.
(1.) Loss in Exchange on Family Remittances.-Mr. DYER BALL is the only beneficiary and he is on leave in England.
(2.) Bungalows Committee, for Caretakers.— A mistake in this year's Estimates: the Caretaker's wage is $8 a month,
(3.) Interest.--Increase is chiefly due to the augmentation of the Widows and Orphans' Pension Fund (section 5 of Ordinance 15 of 1900).
(4.) College of Medicine for Chinese.--Of the sum of $5,000 voted for the current year, half is for the Government Dispensary at Wantsai. A sum of $2,500 has therefore been transferred to the Estimates of the Medical Department. (5.) Expenses of the New Territory.-Transferred to other votes, thus :---
Land Court, New Territory,
4 Rent Roll Clerks at $300 each
$1,200
Police Department.
2 Telephone Clerks at Tsimshatsui Police Station at
$40 each =
816
Treasury.
2 Temporary Clerks at $312 each
624
Numbering Houses (Other Charges)
2,000
$1,640
Assessor's Office.
114