154
III.—MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE
INVESTIGATION OF TROPICAL DISEASES.
155
the High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States with regard to the Institute for Medical Research at Kuala Lumpor.
2. Mr. Lyttelton would be glad to be favoured with your observations on this despatch.
I am, &c.,
H. BERTRAM COX.
2965
4398
No. 187.
No. 185.
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR J. ANDERSON to MR. LYTTELTON.
(Received January 28, 1905.)
(No. 7.) SIR,
[Answered by No. 188.]
Government House, Penang, January 5, 1905.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 375, of the 11th ultimo,* on the subject of the organization of the Institute of Medical Research at Kuala Lumpor.
2. In so far as continuing for two years after 1905, the employment of an expert on the same terms as to emoluments as Dr. Daniels is now engaged, I see no difficulty, and should be quite prepared to agree.
3. But for the reasons urged in my despatch of the 18th of August,† to which the letter of Sir P. Manson adds considerable force and point, I would deprecate as strongly as possible entrusting the administrative work of the institute to such an officer. The main work of the institute must be current work in connection with the Health Department and the Agricultural and Forestry Departments, and that work must have the first call on the services of the expert staff to be employed. I have no intention of suppressing the medical element in the institute, and I cannot see how Sir P. Manson can have inferred that I wish to do so. On the contrary, it was because I wished to maintain that as the foremost work of the institution that I proposed to place the general direction of its work in the hands of the Principal Civil Medical Officer as Chairman of the Committee.
4. The experience of India in the case of Dr. Haffkine shows the risk of placing the administration of such an institute in the hands of a specialist in research with- out administrative experience, and it would appear from what is stated in para- graph 7 of the printed enclosure in your despatch, that the opinion of Dr. Daniels, which I cited in my former despatch, as to the unsuitability of the institute for the purpose of bacteriological work is shared by the Indian authorities.
5. As I have already said, however, I do not wish the work of research to be discontinued, but only to mark it as a part only of the work of the institute.
6. I am quite prepared to have à successor to Dr. Daniels, and also to continue the services of Dr. Milne as his assistant, but he should not be the Director, but one of the staff of the institute, and if it should be found desirable he might also be made a member of the Committee of Management.
SIR,
SIR P. MANSON to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received February 10, 1905.)
[Answered by No. 189.]
21, Queen Anne Street, Cavendish Square, February 9, 1905.
In reply to your letter, No. 2965/1905,* enclosing a copy of a despatch from the High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States with regard to the Institute for Medical Research at Kuala Lumpor, I beg to say that the arrangement, with some modifications, the High Commissioner suggests is, in my opinion, conducive to the efficient and fruitful working of the institution.
Dr. Daniels's successor will thereby be relieved of what would probably prove uncongenial administrative work, and have more time for what I consider to be his proper function-medical research and the elucidation of the local health problems -in which work he should have a free hand, and not be under the direction of his administrative superior.
I infer from the High Commissioner's despatch that Dr. Daniels's successor, although, of course, available for purposes of consultation in such and similar matters, would not be expected to perform the current duties of a Health officer or carry out such things as chemical, bacteriological and microscopical examination of waters, foods, morbid tissues or discharges sent by the local medical officers or others, and that the assistant provided him would relieve him of such work.
I would suggest that the outgoing holder of the office before leaving Kuala Lumpor should furnish full records of such investigations as he may have been engaged on, and in such form that his successor may be able to take up the threads of the work, and, if thought desirable, continue it without the necessity of beginning de novo.
I would further suggest that the outgoing holder should put in writing suggestions for further work such as his experience may indicate as likely to lead to results of value.
4398
No. 188.
I am, &c.,
PATRICK MANSON.
2965
SIR,
No. 186.
I have, &c..
JOHN ANDERSON.
COLONIAL OFFICE to SIR P. MANSON.
[Answered by No. 187.]
Downing Street, February 7, 1905. WITH reference to your letter of the 28th of September last, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to forward to you the enclosed copy of a despatch§ from
No. 169 in Miscellaneous No. 170.
‡ No. 161 in Miscellaneous No. 170.
† No. 157 in Miscellaneous No. 170.
{No. 185.
SIR,
FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
MR. LYTTELTON to HIGH COMMISSIONER SIR J. ANDERSON.
(No. 48.)
Downing Street, February 17, 1905.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 7, of the 5th of January,† with regard to the Institute for Medical Research at Kuala Lumpor, and to forward to you a copy of a further letter from Sir P. Manson.
Z. I appreciate the readiness which you have shown to meet my wishes in this matter, and I concur generally in the views which you set out in your despatch.
3. In connection with your proposal that the Principal Civil Medical Officer should be Chairman of the Committee of Management, I would observe that I have not yet received your reply to my despatch, No. 316, of September 27th,§ with regard to the question of amalgamating the Medical Services of the Colony and the
§ Not printed.
• No. 186.
† No. 185.
20878
No. 187.
U 2
I
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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