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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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4. I do not gather from the correspondence that Dr. Milne has as yet proved himself to be possessed of the qualities to be desired in the permanent assistant—if one is to be appointed—and I do not, therefore, support the suggestion put forward in this respect. I would rather be disposed to recommend an extension for one year or longer of Dr. Milne's present engagement.

5. Indeed, I venture to doubt, having regard to the local circumstances, the desirability of the appointment of a permanent assistant. I am disposed to think that the "continuity" desired might be obtained by so extending or otherwise arranging the periods of service of the Director and the Assistants that the dates of the termination of their agreements would be different. This opinion, which I venture to express with some hesitation in view of the opinions already put before you, is shared by Mr. McDowell, the Principal Civil Medical Officer of the Colony, who has recently, at the request of the Resident-General, visited the hospitals and medical institutions of the three Western States.

6. Mr. McDowell has also suggested that all records of work done in the Insti- tute for Medical Research, and the results, positive and negative, should be duly Had this chronicled, and be the property of the Institute and not of the Director. been the case in the past all the previous work in detail would have been available for the information and guidance of Dr. Daniels.

7. Mr. McDowell concurs in the view held by Sir P. Manson that it is to be regretted that there should be a disposition to relegate to the background the import- ant subject of beri-beri.

It is true that there is at the present time no beri-beri in the Kuala Lumpor jail, where Dr. Hamilton Wright's experiments were carried out for the most part, but beri-beri is endemic in both the Federated Malay States and the Colony, and urgently requires thorough investigation of the causes of the disease.

8. Just now there is a serious outbreak of beri-beri in the Singapore prison, and I am asking that Dr. Daniels may visit that institution at an early date, in connection therewith.

Enclosure in No. 25.

I have, &c.,

W. T. TAYLOR.

SUBJECT: Institute for MEDICAL RESEARCH, KUALA LUMPUR.

(No. H. C. 58/04.)

SIR,

Resident-General's Office, Selangor, Malay Peninsula,

January 8, 1904.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of copy of the Secretary of State's despatch, No. 434, of 4th December ultimo, on the subject of the work at the Institute for Medical Research, forwarded under cover of H.C.O. letter, No. 2907/03, of 30th December.

2. The Director has seen the whole of the correspondence, and I enclose copy of his minute dated 6th January current.

3. I consider that at least one permanent assistant should be appointed, and that he should be a Bacteriologist, and suggest that Dr. Milne, one of the present assistants, should be tried, see paragraph 3 of Mr. Daniels's minute.

I may here remark that there are not always vacancies in the Medical Depart-

ment to which non-approved specialists can be transferred.

4. In regard to the objections to the grant of free passages every three years, may I be permitted to refer Your Excellency to paragraphs 1 and 2 of Mr. Daniels's minute in which I concur?

5. I also entirely concur with Mr. Daniels in deeming that a Conference amongst the Medical Officers would not be attended with good results.

His Excellency the Acting High Commissioner,

Federated Malay States,

Singapore.

I have, &c.,

W. H. TREACHER,

Resident-General, F.M.S.

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MINUTE by Director of Institute for Medical Research, F.M.S., dated 6th January, 1904. RESIDENT-GENERAL,

1. It is not in contemplation that the study leave should be spent in England, at any rate as a rule, but rather at other tropical institutes where good work is being done, such as Manilla, Queensland, Hong Kong, Ceylon, Burma, &c. This would cost less in both time and money, would suit our purposes better, and probably enable us to get some reciprocal advantages. The place where such leave should be spent to be decided by the Resident-General with special reference to the particular disease, human or animal, which is to be studied.

2. The assistants, not being allowed practise, and being at least professionally equal to the members of the medical services, will have smaller incomes, and this study leave though spent usually in the Tropics will be considered as compensation. Similarly, as the assistants will receive smaller salaries than any other profes- sional or scientific workers there can be no room for real dissatisfaction.

3. In my proposals I had asked for two permanent assistants to specialise in the two main branches (a) bacteriology, (b) animal parasites and entomology. For the second branch (b) Dr. Liecester is exceptionally well qualified, and if there had been two permanent assistants I should have asked for him to be one of them. Unfortu- nately, however, bacteriology (a) is not only essential for research work, but is of direct importance for public health work, and as there is no bacteriologist attached to the medical service, it will, I think, be requisite that the single permanent assist- ant should be a bacteriologist. Dr. Milne has shown some promise in this line, but not sufficient at present for a definite opinion as to his suitability for a permanent post whilst unfortunately Dr. Liecester has no special capability as a bacteriologist. 4. The proposed scheme was to engage men as at present on a three engagement leaving the Government the alternatives of transferring them to the medical service or retaining them, only if they showed special ability, at the Institute, so that full latitude for selection is given.

year

5. The Director must be directly responsible for examinations and enquiries, and all such should in the first instance be submitted to him, though naturally if the examination is one that the assistants are competent to make, the work may be, and often is, done by them in whole or part. It would not be advisable to have questions or examinations submitted directly to any one but the Director.

6. As you are aware there has been practically no beri-beri in the gaol or originating in the public institutions since my arrival. examinations of cases in the hospital are made, so that the subject is not neglected, Post mortem and other though the exceptional advantages for the study of the disease no longer exist.

7. The views of the local men are well known to me, and I have taken many opportunities of discussing the various points, and do not see that any further advan- tage would result from a conference, as the views are too divergent, and neither I nor any others of the medical men would be guided or aided by the opinion of a majority.

January 6, 1904.

6268

(No. 49.)

SIR,

No. 26.

GOLD COAST.

C. W. D.

GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received February, 22, 1904.)

REFERRING to Mr. Chamberlain's circular despatch of the 28th May last,* on

Christiansborg Castle, February 2, 1904. malaria investigation, and to your reminder, General," of the 1st January, 1904,

"

I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a Minute, in which I have drawn to the matter the attention of the new Governor of the Gold Coast, to whose decision

18064

·

[Cd. 1598] June, 1903.

C

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