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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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16

No. 11.

INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received March 2, 1898.)

SIR,

India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W., March 1, 1898. I AM directed by Lord (corge Hamilton to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Lucas's letter, No. 26144/97, dated the 11th February last,* upon the subject of the desirability of extending the teaching of tropical medicine in this country.

His Lordship has considered the question in Council, and now desires me to say in reply that. so far as oflicers of the Indian Medical Service are concerned, he is satis- fied with the arrangements made at Netley for their instruction in the treatment of tropical diseases. At the same time Lord George Hamilton does not doubt that an extension of the means of obtaining a preliminary knowledge of tropical medicine would be generally advantageous. I am, however, to suggest, for Mr. Chamberlain's con - sideration, that it would be a preferable plan to make arrangements under which all medical officers selected for service in Her Majesty's Colonies and foreign possessions should be required to undergo a course of training at Netley similar to that prescribed for officers of the Indian Medical Service.

I have, &c.,

26144.

SIR,

No. 12.

HORACE WALPOLE.

COLONIAL OFFICE to the GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL.†

Downing Street, March 11, 1898. In an address (a copy of which is enclosed) delivered at St. George's Hospital at the opening of the Winter Session on the 1st of October last, Dr. Manson, who is now the Medical Adviser of this Office, urged the necessity for special education in tropical medicine in the Medical Schools of this country.

2. This is a matter in which Mr. Chamberlain is much interested, as he is anxious to do everything in his power to extend the benefits of medical science to the natives of the tropical Colonies and Protectorates, and to diminish the risk to the lives and health

upon of those Europeans who, as Government officers or private employés, are called serve in unhealthy climates.

17

of the diagnosis and treatment of tropical disease, though they may, by the exigencies of the service, be placed at once in responsible positions where such a knowledge would be of the highest importance.

5. Mr. Chamberlain is, at the present time, endeavouring to make arrangements for giving to Colonial medical officers some such clinical instruction in tropical medicine as is given at Netley and Haslar in the case of medical officers of the Army, Navy, and Indian Medical Services.

6. Even if such an arrangement is eventually arrived at, the conditions of the Colonial Service will scarcely admit of the Officers being kept under instruction for more than 3 or 4 months; it is, therefore, desirable that they should have some preliminary knowledge of the subject, so that they may derive the greatest possible benefit from their clinical opportunities during this short course.

7. So far, then, as this Department is concerned, Mr. Chamberlain would be glad if any scheme could be arranged by which an opportunity for special instruction in tropical disease could be offered to the student by the Medical Schools of this country, and would be prepared to support it by selecting preferably for Colonial medical appoint- ments those candidates who could show that they had studied this branch of medicine, especially if some certificate or diploma to that effect were forthcoming.

8. Mr. Chamberlain would point to the fact that the War Office, Admiralty, India Office, and Foreign Office are also interested in this matter, and that, as Dr. Manson states, rather over a fifth part of the medical graduates of 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.

9.

Mr. Chamberlain has consulted these Departments, and finds that they share

his views as to the desirability of extending the teaching of tropical medicine in the British Medical Schools, and he would ask the General Medical Council to give the matter their earnest and favourable consideration.

10. A similar letter has been addressed to the leading Medical Schools of this country. [The other leading Medical Schools of this country and the General Medical Council.]

&c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

12793.

to

3. He feels confident that if some scheme can be devised by which it can be ensured that all the medical officers selected by the Secretary of State for appointments in the tropics shall enter on their careers with the special knowledge requisite for deal- ing with those diseases which are especially prevalent in tropical climates, great benefit will result to Europeans and to natives alike.

4. At present there is no arrangement by which officers selected for medical ap pointments in the Crown Colonies and Protectorates receive instruction in tropical medicine before taking up their duties, and, in consequence, the greater number of these officers possess at the commencement of their service only the crudest knowledge

• No. 6.

† NOTE:-A similar letter was aldressed to the Governing Bodies of :—

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL.

CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL..

GUY'S HOSPITAL.

KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL.

LONDON HOSPITAL.

MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.

ST. GEORGE'S HOSPITAL.

ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL.

ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITAL.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL.

WESTMINSTER Hospital.

QUEEN's College, BirmINGHAM. BRITISH MEDICAL SCHOOL,

COLLEGE, BRISTOL.

YORKSHIRE COLLEGE, LEEDS.

DEAR, SIR,

No. 13.

1 am,

MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received

1898.)

The Middlesex Hospital Medical School, W., March 16, 1898.

I HAVE to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th instant,* and in reply thereto beg to inform you that the Council of this School have just concluded arrange- ments with Dep.-Surgeon-General H. Cayley, F.R.C.S., to deliver a regular course of lectures during the forthcoming session on tropical medicine.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LIVERPOOL.

OWENS COLLEGE, MANCHESTER. NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE MEDICAL SCHOOL.

6535.

ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY.

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY.

GLASGOW UNIVERSITY.

ROYAL COLLEGE oF SURGKONS, EDINBURGH.

EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

DR. STEEVENS'S HOSPITAL, DUBLIN.

SIR,

MERCER'S HOSPITAL, DUBLIN..

UNIVERSITY

↑ See No. 1.

Queen's COLLEGE, BELFAST.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CORK.

Yours, &c.,

F. CLARE MELHADO,

Secretary to the Council.

No. 14.

ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received March 23, 1898.)

St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, Paddington, W., March 22, 1898. WITH regard to your letter,* with reference to the extension of the teaching of tropical medicine in medical schools, I am requested by the Dean to say that, as there

• No. E.

1918