CO885-(6-7) — Page 677

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CORRESPONDENCE

RELATING TO THE

FORMATION OF A SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE IN LONDON,

AND THE

APPOINTMENT OF A COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE MALARIA.

26144.

No. 1.

MEMORANDUM by MR. READ.

December 2, 1897.

In his address,* delivered at St. George's Hospital on 1st October, 1897, Dr. Manson pointed out the necessity for special education in tropical medicine, as rather more than one-fifth of the medical graduates in Great Britain and Ireland practise in warm climates or, being in the Army and Navy, may be called upon at any time to do so.

The question which concerns us is, how can this special instruction in tropical diseases be best given to newly-appointed officers of the Colonial Medical Service.

In his letter of the 4th of October, 1897, Sir C. Gage Brown calls attention to Dr. Manson's address, and specifies the three possible modes in which, on a previous occa- sion, he advised that this instruction should be given. These are:-

1. That the selected junior medical officers should be required to attend a course

of Dr. Manson's lectures on tropical diseases at St. George's Hospital; or

2. That they should be sent to Netley for lectures and clinical instruction; or

3. That they should join the head-quarters hospital of their particular Colony to receive six weeks' instruction from the principal medical officer before being attached to districts.

As regards 1, Sir C. Gage Brown is most in favour of this. Dr. Manson is also in favour of a scheme of this kind, but he wishes it to be a general scheme, as he thinks that it would look like putting pressure on candidates solely in his own interests, if attendance at his lectures were made a sine qua non.

He therefore suggests that the Secretary of State should make known his wishes on the subject of the education of candidates for appointments in the Colonial medical service to the General Medical Council, and request their co-operation and suggestions; that the Secretary of State should address the Deans of the medical schools throughout the country pointing out the need for greater attention to the teaching of tropical medicine, and that he should ask the Managing Committee of the Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, if they would be willing to give facilities to medical men and students for availing themselves of the opportunities their hospitals and dispensaries afford for the practical study of tropical diseases; and, if so, what arrangements they would suggest.

In the "Times" of the 23rd October it was stated that the action of St. George's Hospital in arranging a course of lectures on tropical diseases had been imitated in at least two other medical schools, and if we can get the War Office, the Admiralty, the India Office, and the Foreign Office, all of whom are interested in having their officers well versed in the diagnosis and treatment of tropical diseases, to combine with us in pressing the matter on the various medical bodies, there seems to be little doubt that much more can be done in this direction. There must be several retired medical officers of the various services (Colonial, Indian, &c.), who would be exceptionally well fitted to lecture on tropical diseases. Among our own men, there are Sir W. Kynsey (Ceylon), Dr. Rowell (Straits Settlements), Dr. Ayres (Hong Kong), Dr. McCarthy (Gold Coast), Dr. Crane (Jamaica and Trinidad), &c.

I would therefore write, as proposed by Dr. Manson, and enclose a copy of his. lecture, saying that Mr. Chamberlain considers the matter to be one of the greatest importance for the Colonies, and urging the various medical bodies to give the matter their earnest consideration; and I would send a copy of our letter to the Foreign Office, India Office, War Office, and Admiralty, asking them if they concur, so that, if possible, we may be able to say that those Departments share our views as to the importance of the matter.

• Copy attached.

1918-12

† 21549, not printed.

A

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

7

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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