PY. 174
C.O. 17749
Hongkong, April 9th, 1907.
Rec'd 18 MAY 07
Sir,
A meeting of the Medical Board was held today at which all the members were present, to discuss the alleged discrimination against American practitioners.
The Board emphatically state that there has never been any discrimination against any nationality, American or other; that every case coming before the Board has been considered on its individual merits, and no question as to what country the candidate belonged to has ever arisen. The Board has endeavoured to follow the Ordinance with regard to Medical Registration, and has been guided more especially by the latter part of Section 12 B No. 4 of 1893. It is there stated:-
"Provided always that such person shall prove to the satisfaction of the Board that he is of good character, and that he has passed through a course of study and examination as thorough and sufficient as the minimum course of study and examination in any similar case required under the Imperial Medical Acts".
Under the Imperial Medical Acts, the General Medical Council of Great Britain and Ireland is constituted the authority which shall decide what course of study and examination is necessary, and, since the year 1894, the General Medical Council has made a five years course obligatory. The Medical Board in Hongkong have therefore also demanded evidence of a five years course of study from candidates for medical registration in this Colony.
There is, at present, only one Japanese doctor registered here, Dr. Majima. The papers first sent in by Dr. Majima only showed a course of four years