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Miss EASTMOND.-The idea was to have them for two or three years; to try how the scheme would work it was proposed to have them for two or three months, and if they answered to bind them for two or three years. In 1896 one Sister goes on six months' leave, and three would be due in 1897, two in 1898, one in 1899 and one in 1900.
THE PRESIDENT. Have two Sisters been away at the same time for any length of time?
Miss EASTMOND.-Only for two months; they were up in Japan.
Dr. CANTLIE. Do not you think these girls you propose to train at the Hospital could be made useful for Government employ, to nurse the wives of policemen and Governinent servants not receiving a high rate of pay, or to nurse privately?
Miss EASTMOND.-I could not say if you could employ them; it would be a risky enterprise, I think.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Would it not be good to have one or two distinct nurses in con- nection with the Government Civil Hospital for policemen's wives and their children?
Miss EASTMOND.-I should not like to say.
Dr. PRESTON.---Who attends to these patients now?
Miss EASTMOND.-Portuguese chiefly and Chinese. Our Sisters are sent out from home; they are trained in the London Hospitals. We have no difficulty in getting them.
Dr. CANTLIE. Suppose any young lady in Hongkong were to offer herself to be trained as a nurse?
Miss EASTMOND.-It would mean that probationers would have to rough it a good deal. These girls would have to live at Miss Johnstone's.
Dr. CANTLIE.--I don't mean these girls; I mean young ladies who would wish to train as nurses. Do not you think you could give them sufficient training?
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Miss EASTMOND.-If you want to train a nurse you want her constantly under your eye. I feel I could not possibly train a nurse as they are trained at home. should not like to say I could; I do not think I could do it properly.
Dr. CANTLIE.-The chief reason is that you have no accommodation for them at the Hospital?
Miss EASTMOND.-I do not think the cases here lend themselves in the same way for training a nurse.
Dr. CANTLIE. Do not you think they could train sufficiently here to deal with the class of cases we meet with in the tropics?
Miss EASTMOND.-In the same way as we could train these Eurasian girls, but not to take the place of the Sisters in the Hospital.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-That is the one great point; you could not train them suffi- ciently to take the position of Sisters in the Hospital?
Miss EASTMOND.-No.
Dr. CANTLIE.-You could give them a local certificate ?
Miss EASTMOND.--Yes.
Mr. MCCONACHIE.-Any vacancies occurring in the staff would require to be filled up from home?
Miss EASTMOND.-Yes; if you keep the staff as at prosent.
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