PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 882
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
8
that I am carrying on " the system of periodical examination of the inmates of registered brothels" and of "giving certificates to women who voluntarily presented themselves to him for examination."
Firstly: There are no " registered brothels." Secondly I give no certificates.
Finally: I do not exclusively treat " venereal disease" or "prostitutes."
2. In my last report I plainly showed what work I was doing, and if the schedule of diseases treated, as shown in that report, were forwarded to the Secretary of State, ho would see that a very large number of diseases are treated, and not only venereal disease, or solely prostitutes, for men, women, and children were treated.
3. The Secretary of State evidently thinks I have been carrying on the examina- tion of women as authorized in 1889, but that examination only extended to the Japanese in Malay Street, and it ceased after one month, as my strict method of giving certificates did not suit them. (This examination and giving of certificates, however, is still carried on by other medical men.)
4. As that ceased in 1889, and the club system of treating Chinese as private patients (in quite another quarter of the town) did not commence till the autumn of 1893, I think it would be difficult to trace any connection between the two.
And as the compulsory examination of Chinese ceased in 1887 and as another medical man was doing that work, it seems difficult to imagine any connection between the examining surgeon of those days and Dr. Mugliston of to-day.
5. Moreover, at my own request, it was very plainly explained by the Protector of Chinese to the brothel keepers that the Government had no part in my action, and that they were no more called on to employ me than any other medical man.
In fact, I am not the only medical man so employed, for others are carrying on a similar system to mine.
6. It would thus be unfair to me to make my connection with the Government a reason for placing me in a less favourable position for getting practice than my brother practitioners, particularly as my pay as Colonial Surgeon is fixed at a very low figure on account of my being allowed private practice, and also because my private practice is supposed to be a bar to full pension rights.
7. If the Secretary of State deems it advisable to curtail my private practice in any way, I trust he will consider it just to compensate me for the same, or that he will obtain for me a suitable appointment in England, as it is impossible for me to live here and educate my children in England on £220 a year, and save enough to take the place of my pension His Excellency knows that before I commenced my present system I had a personal interview with Sir Cecil C. Smith, who encouraged me to proceed in what he considered a humane mission.
I think, also, that His Excellency approves of what I have been doing, and has taken a kind interest in its development.
8. As this explanation and my former schedule of discases treated will suitably show the Secretary of State the kind of work I am doing, and the erroneous basis of his despatch, I would ask His Excellency to allow me to wait till the completion of a year from the date of my last report before replying fully to His Excellency's minute. The year expires in June, and it would be difficult to make out proper returns for a fraction of a year.
A rough examination of my prescription book, however, shows that for the nine ronths up to date I have written about 1,500 prescriptions for men, women, and children.
T. C. MUGLISTON.
April 3, 1895.
Enclosure 2 in No. 5.
REPORT.
I have examined a very large number of Cantonese brothel keepers in connection with this question, and enclose their statements. These speak for themselves, and utterly refute the imputation made in the "Daily Advertiser" against Dr. Mugliston's medical club system.
• Not sent.
9
2. Further, I have had all the Chinese brothel keepers (numbering 192) in Singa- pore up before me, and explained to them clearly that there is a police order in force in Singapore to the effect that an inquest will be held on every case of a death occurring in a brothel, but that the law provides that if a medical certificate can be given by any properly certificated European doctor stating that the deceased died a natural death, the police will not (unless there are, cæteris paribus, other grounds for demanding one) insist on a post-mortem examination. I next explained to them carefully that they could engage any properly certificated European doctor to give such a certificate, and added that no European doctor could grant such a certificate unless he was called in early, and could certify to the natural causes of death.
3. Personally, I am satisfied that there is no injustice done to these brothel keepers in any way by Dr. Mugliston's system, and the amount of good done by it in preventing contagious and other disease is great. I may add that the Japanese brothels contract for or engage German medical advice, and have no connection with Dr. Mugliston's Cantonese medical club system.
4. The various names mentioned by the brothel keepers "Ping On Tong," "Po On Thong," &c., in Singapore, refer to the name of the brothel clubs, of which there are four in the four Chinese brothel districts in the town, and to which all brothel keepers in their respective districts nominally belong.
5. The fees charged by Dr. Mugliston, paid by the brothel keepers, are either paid solely by the brothel keepers when the girl is handing over all her earnings to the brothel keeper, or divided equally between the brothel keeper and girls in case when the girl is her own mistress in the brothel. The medicine supplied to the brothel keepers on Dr. Mugliston's prescriptions is got by arrangement at the Straits Dispen- sary at a very much lower cost than it could be got elsewhere. Only one of the brothel keepers objected to the scale of fees being too high.
6. I suppose the success that has attended Dr. Magliston's establishment of these medical clubs is due chiefly to the fact that he is well known to all the brothel keepers through his long connection with the brothels in the old C.D.O. days, and in the in- spection of their houses since the Women and Girls' Protection Ordinance has been in force, and that they prefer to engage a doctor they know well to a stranger. They re- cognize, too, that they have other advantages besides the medical attendance, e.g., sick girls whom they are afraid may get sick and die in a brothel (and so stop all the busi- ness for weeks), can be received into one of the club houses, and be treated by Dr. Mugliston till the case takes a decided turn one way or the other; and they know further that if girls are sent immediately to Dr. Mugliston's club house, he is in a better position to be able to certify as to death occurring from natural causes, if death should occur. They know, too, that unless a doctor is called in at once, he is practically unable to grant a certificate stating death occurs from natural causes. They have learnt this by seeing that post-mortems are occasionally held now in cases that have occurred where Dr. Mugliston has not been called in till too late, or was unable for other reasons to grant a certificate. Personally, I think this an unmitigated good, as it practically induces the brothel keeper to send sick people to the doctor at once before any disease has gone too far to be easily cured, if it can be cured at all.
7. I have taken pains to explain to the brothel keepers that Dr. Mugliston's club system has nothing to do with Government, and appertains entirely to the doctor's right of private practice, and that they are at liberty to engage any other doctor quite as well as Dr. Mugliston.
8. It will be seen from the statements of the brothel keepers called up that only two object to the club system, one Wong Yau (see page 15) objected to paying the fees, and the other, Wong Thai (page 15) laboured under the belief that Dr. Mugliston had held a bogus inquest on her step-mother, aged 50, because she had refused to join the medical club. I sent for the notes of evidence in this case, and found that an inquest had been held by Dr. McClosky, and that there were marks of a blow over the ear. explained this to the woman, but she was very violent, and would not listen to anything I had to say. I could find no grounds for believing the woman's statement.
9. I attach a list of the brothel keepers who were examined, together with their statements.
G. T. HARE, Acting Assistant Protector of Chinese.
September 12, 1894.
• Not sent.
1317
B