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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TIITTIC.O.885
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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2. The Executive Council on the 28th December last passed the following reso- lution:-
"The Council advises that a grant of $5,000 be made, provided the Federated Malay States contribute a like amount."
then consulted the Resident General, Federated Malay States, sending him the above resolution, and, after finding there would necessarily be some delay in securing a reply from the Federated Malay States, I caused the following telegram to be sent you 31st January last*:-
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Referring to your despatch, No. 280,† Executive Council recommend 'grant of $5,000, provided that Federated Malay States grant equal amount-Federated Malay States not yet answered."
3. On the 3rd instant I received the following telegram from the Resident General::
sion."
Reply tropical school posted to-day-States agree contribute Malaria Commis-
On which I caused the following telegrams to be despatched to you :-
"Referring to my telegram of 31st January, * Federated Malay States contributing to Malarial Commission."
And on the 5th I received the following telegram|| from you:-
"Have received your telegrams of 31st January and 3rd February. I desire to convey cordial thanks to Legislative Council, Federated Malay States and yourself for generous contribution."
4. I have now received the enclosed letter from the Resident General, which I send for your information and consideration.
5. The question of a vote will be brought before the Legislative Council on the 14th instant, and after that I shall reply to paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Resident General's letter.
C
6. Meanwhile to guard against misunderstandings, I have sent you the following telegram on the 9th:-
'Referring to your telegram of 5th February, necessary to obtain approval of Legislature to resolution passed by Executive Council-Federated Malay States averse to school of medicine-despatch follows by mail.”
SIR,
I have, &c.,
C. B. H. MITCHELL.
· Enclosure in No. 175.
The RESIDENT General to the COLONIAL SECRETARY.
(No. C.S. 98/99.)
Resident General's Office, Perak, Malay Peninsula, February 2, 1899.
WITH reference to your letters and telegrams regarding a proposal to (a) estab lish in London a school for the study of tropical diseases, and (b) organize a Medical Commission to travel and report upon malaria, I have the honour to inform you that I have not been able to give the Residents of all the Protected States a fair opportunity of considering these important proposals, but in view of your urgent and repeated re- quests for a reply, I will endeavour to give one. I take this course with great hesita- tion because the Federated States are asked to contribute towards one or both of the proposed schemes.
2. A conference of Government Surgeons was held in Kuala Lumpor in the first week of December, to consider a number of important questions, and the Secretary of State's proposals in regard to the school and the Malaria Commission were submitted for the opinion of the members. I now enclose the unanimous resolution of the members of the Congress, and you will see that they do not think it advisable to found a school of tropical medicine in London, and they do not recommend the Federated Malay States to contribute to such an institution. Looking to the names of the members of the Congress, their reputations and experience here, it is impossible not to give weight to the opinion they have unanimously expressed in regard to the proposed London School. One of them, Dr. Braddon, has, since the conference, written a minute on the subject,
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↑. No. 113.
§ No. 160.
No. 161.
No. 164.
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and forwarded extracts from English Medical Journals, to which we need not here attach too much importance.
3. The Resident of Perak is, so far as I know, the only Resident who has yet seen the opinion of the Medical Congress. The Resident of Pahang is out of reach of lotters or telegrams, and will be so for a month. Moreover, Pahang has not money enough for her own most urgent needs. The Negri Sembilan cannot afford to be generous, but the Resident of that State, as well as the Resident of Perak, questions the value of such a school as that proposed to be established in London, and they do not recommend that these States should contribute to the cost of founding it. I do not understand that we are invited to make any contribution towards the cost of upkeep.
As regards the Malaria Commission, the Residents of Perak, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan, are in favour of the Federated Malay States undertaking to pay a share of the expenses, but they are not able to say what proportion of them without further consideration.
me,
4.
5. I am writing hurriedly that you may have the reply for which you keep pressing but I submit that this is a proposal of which we have had no warning, and it is of such importance that it ought to be very carefully considered. There is no time to go into the details here, but my own opinion is that the scheme for a school of tropical medicine in London, as sketched out in the papers sent to me, would not prove very use- ful to us. In this respect I agree with the opinions of our surgeons, that, if such a school is intended for the education of medical men joining the service of these States, such officers have far better opportunities of studying tropical diseases here, and they now learn more in our hospitals in a month than they could in London in a much longer period. Therefore I do not think it would be advisable to compel newly-ap- pointed surgeons to attend the proposed school for a given term,-supposing, of course, that that is one of the objects in view. When our surgeons go to England on leave, I think it is advisable that they should make themselves acquainted with the latest methods of treatment in English hospitals, but in this I do not refer to tropical diseases. We cannot compel them to give any of their leave to this study, and, if they desire the knowledge, they can get it in many of the existing London hospitals.
6. I am satisfied that the medical men who met at the congress I have referred to are well qualified to give an opinion, but, if the Colony decides to support the proposed London school by a grant of money, I will endeavour to obtain from the Federated Malay States whatever sum His Excellency thinks they should contribute.
7. I have said that the Federated Malay States are prepared to take a share of the expenses of the Malaria Commission, and I think I might promise an equal sum to that voted by the Colony, whatever it may be, but the High Commissioner understands that whilst we are devoting so much of our annual revenues to the construction of rail- ways and other important public works it is impossible to be so generous as I should like to be.
8. In conclusion I very respectfully suggest that the Colonial Office might like to hear what able and experienced medical men here have to say to these proposals; they might even like to refer to Dr. Braddon, who is now in England on leave. If then the present or any modified scheme is carried out, and we can be told what sum is required of us, I will endeavour to obtain it, if I am given a reasonable time in which to put the matter clearly before the Residents.
9. It will, of course, be understood that European dwellers in the Malay Penin- sula are not subject to such fatal climatic influences as seem to prevail in parts of Africa for instance. When Europeans succumb to disease here, it is not, I fancy, due to ignorant treatment, but rather to constant exposure and repeated attacks of disease in a climate which offers few opportunities for recuperation. As regards natives, the Government hospitals and the experience of our senior surgeons constitute a school where the young medical officer studies under greater advantage than he could else- where. I mention this to show that, so far as these States are concerned, I think both Europeans and natives are skilfully treated by the Government medical officers,
I have, &c.,
F. A. SWETTENHAM,
Resident General, F.M.S.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Straits Settlements,
Singapore.
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