CO129-256 - Governor Sir Robinson - 1892 [8-12] — Page 215

Enclosure 2.

Renort by the Registrar General.

212

Hon: Colonial Secretary,

I have read and careilly considered the scheme

of the Colonial Surgeon on which I have been asked to re-

port.

So far as I understand the scheme has two chief

objects in view,

1. To secure more reliable returns of the real causes

of death.

2. To furnish medical assistance and medicine to the

poorer classes of the Colony.

As regards the first part of these two objects

there can be no doubt that it would be highly advantageous

to have the real causes of death certified by properly

trained medical officers or practitioners. But, in consider-

ing this matter, it must be remebered that the Chinese as

a whole are not in favour of Western medical methods and

that they would offer strong opposition to any system of

improved registration of the causes of death which would

necessitate anything in the nature of an invasion of the

privacy of Chinese comestic life, on which they lay so much

stress. If properly certified certificates of death are to

be made compulsory, I do not see how interference with Chi-

nese domestic life can be avoided. Such interference would

in my opinion, only tena to intensify the prejudice existing

a.ong the Chinese against Western methoos and so fur frou

succeeding