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No. 58.
SIERRA LEONE.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(No. 349.)
MY LORD,
(Received September 13, 1907.)
[Answered by No. 70.]
Government House, Freetown, Sierra Leone,
August 27, 1907. WITH reference to your circular despatch of the 19th of June, 1907,* I have the honour to enclose copy of a memorandum prepared by Dr. R. H. Kennan, the Acting Principal Medical Officer, dated the 15th of July, 1907, in which recom- mendations are put forward which have been suggested by the reports enclosed in your despatch on the work done in the laboratories in certain Colonies, and on the work undertaken by the Liverpool and London Schools of Tropical Medicine.
2. I also enclose copy of a covering memorandum by Dr. Kennan respecting communications which he has received from Doctors Arbuckle, Renner, Campbell, and Orpen. Copies of the communications in question are also enclosed.
Enclosure 1 in No. 58.
I have, &c.,
L. PROBYN,
ACTING PRINCIPAL MEDICAL OFFICER to COLONIAL SECRETARY. Reports of Laboratories Criticisms and Suggestions on.
Governor.
In complying with the request for suggestion and criticism on the reports of the laboratories I confine my remarks to the portion of the report of the "Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine," signed by Dr. Stephens. The whole report is a very remarkable récord of the enormous amount of work done during the year 1906 under the auspices and in direct connection with the Liverpool School.
In that portion I have selected from the reports to criticize, and on which I wish
to make suggestions, two chief points are raised, namely:-
(1) The period over which the course of study extends; and (2) The return of men for more advanced study.
A. I have no doubt Dr. Stephens is correct in saying that very many, probably most, of the men who have attended a course in tropical medicine feel that the three months allotted has given them time to learn only a relatively small part of the work, not that is to be known but that that they should know, before they can stand on sufficient foundation to allow them to proceed to do useful work independent of guidance, and try to construct further. I do not propose to labour the argument in support of a six months' course; expense is the only reason I can see against it. If the lengthening of the course be agreed to, I believe the West African Medical Staff will very materially benefit thereby, but I will presume it is not agreed to.
B. I have myself had it borne in on me what great advantage it may be to pe-visit the tropical school; my first course, early in 1904, was seriously interfered with through illness. I therefore returned on the first opportunity, early in the present year, and was kindly allowed to go through the whole course, and I was much struck with the advances that had been made, not only in the subject, but also in the methods and requirements meanwhile.
The intimate connection and collateration of the veterinary school, bio-chemical school, and animal laboratories at Runcorn revealed in this report indicates how admirably equipped and situated a centre this is for advanced post-graduate study for medical officers serving in the tropics.
C. It appears to me that possibly a workable compromise might be effected by which both these objects could be partially attained. It is, in brief, that the present three months' first, junior, obligatory, or pass "-course should be followed by a two months'-second, senior, or " honour"-course, or perhaps better, in part combine the classes so that the last month of the "junior" course and the first month of the "senior" run concurrently; though I recognise it would not have
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the immediate effect, so anxiously desired by the Liverpool School, of raising its standard for the diploma, which ambition, in the face of keen competition, is so very greatly to its credit.
or
and
D. Supposing such an advanced course be proposed, found possible, and adopted, the point arises should it be compulsory or voluntary? I would say voluntary; next, what men should be allowed or encouraged to take it? And I would suggest, such as are recommended by the authorities of the tropical schools in consequence of aptitude and industry shown by their work in the junior course; by the Principal Medical Officer of the Colony in which the officer is engaged as judged by his work during his residential tour. This brings me to a further point-How can the man be judged as suitable for such a course by the Principal Medical Officer? I have long thought that it would be an advantage if a system, which I think I have been told pertains in some Colony, were adopted generally for the West African Medical Staff, by which each Medical Officer is expected, on the completion of eleven months' residence, to send to the Principal Medical Officer, with his application for leave, a report on some subject which has engaged his particular attention during that time. It is unreasonable and useless to expect that all medical officers will be irresistibly drawn to pursue special research of the kind that particularly and directly appeals to the tropical schools, and it is useless and likely to irritate men, without good result, if they be compelled to (say) collect insects, &c., about which they do not take sufficient interest to keep them- selves well informed:
E. I would, therefore, give the very widest latitude in the choice of subjects on which men should report, and allow almost equal credit to all subjects, provided the work showed that ability, industry, and care had been bestowed on it. Anthro- pography, heredity, crosses, physiognomy, psychology, reproduction, development, dietary, abnormalities, &c., &c. Ethnography, clothing, personal adornment, habi- tations, weaving, basketwork, pottery, dyeing, &c., &c.
Topography of the district clinical, medical, and other records. Collections of flies, ticks, bugs, &c.
Blood specimens from man and animals with records, &c., &c., ad infinitum. might be suggested as subjects. From the communications so received it could be readily judged by the Principal Medical Officer which officer would be likely to be sufficiently benefited by an advanced course at one of the tropical schools to warrant his being facilitated.
It may appear that the adoption of such a scheme would lead men from their proper work, but I do not think so; some men in "quiet" stations must have time and enough to spare; some prompting and inducement is all that is necessary in most cases to turn a man who is "bored" for want of sufficient continuous occupa- tion into a contented one, because busy in work he likes, and which interests him.
I do not now go fully into this subsidiary subject, as I admit that perhaps in its introduction here at all I may be considered to have forced the occasion. There are many points connected with it which would require further consideration.
F. I understand that a sum of money was provisionally earmarked for the expense of one medical officer on the Gold Coast to be selected to revisit a tropical school in conformity with the despatch, part of which is quoted by Dr. Stephens in his report; but I see no mention of such expenditure being provided for in the estimates of this Colony.
G. I suggest that 10 copies of each issue of the annals should be subscribed for annually by the Colony for Freetown and out-stations. I am myself already a subscriber.*
H. Dr. Stephens's kind remarks on the quality of the men who have attended the course in Liverpool, and the ability of many of them to carry on useful research work under improved conditions, will, I am sure, be gratifying to many medical officers of the West African Medical Staff.
Colonial Medical Department,
Freetown, Sierra Leone,
July 15, 1907.
R. H. KENNAN,
Acting Principal Medical Officer.
Since writing the above one copy has been received from the Colonial Office through His Excellency the Governor.
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