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Dr. CANTLIE.-Supposing you had a dispensary over at Yaumati, the Chinese would rather go there for medicines than come over to Hongkong to the Hospital?
Dr. Ho KAI-Yes. It might defeat the object for which the dispensaries were established if you asked the Chinese to pay.
Dr. CANTLIE.-There has been a great variety of opinion about the qualifications of these men of the College of Medicine-whether they are able to take these appoint- ments, that they would be open to squeeze and that we could not rely upon their reports of the prevalence of diseases.
Dr. Ho KAI.—I think if you pay a man a competent salary and give them clearly to understand that they are not to have private practice they would work satisfactorily.
THE PRESIDENT.-Why not private practice?
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Dr. Ho KAI.-Because that would open the door at once to corruption, and would tempt the man to neglect his work. He would devote his time to making a private practice and would attend the richer patients or those who paid him a fee. Further- more, he would use the drugs supplied to him by the Government and charge for them. I am against their being allowed to have a private practice.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Would it do to have the dispensaries open at certain hours, and allow the men to have private practice? Would you not have the men go out of the place at all?
Dr. Ho KAI.-Not except in the morning or evening.
Dr. CANTLIE. But to see patients?
Dr. Ho KAL.-If he goes he must leave word where he is to be found; he should keep a journal showing his visits and how long each visit occupied.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Do you think they would be of good use to the Government for reporting disease?
Dr. Ho KAL.-They would be very good for that.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Do not you think they would be apt to be bribed and would hide
the truth?
Dr. Ho KAI.-No. It would be easily found out. They could not hide epidemic cases more than a few days, and then they would run the risk of losing their appointments and perhaps render themselves subject to a penalty.
Dr. CANTLIE. Do you think these men would be capable to go round to diagnose cases of small-pox, typhoid, diphtheria and other diseases?
Dr. Ho KAL-Small-pox, yes. But I do not know that they could diagnose typhoid; it is, as you know, a very insiduous disease, and the most experienced doctors are sometimes wrong in such cases.
Dr. CANTLIE. Do you, from what you know of the education of these men, think them capable of being trusted so far as ability is concerned?
Dr. Ho KAI.-Yes. If they had three years' practical experience in the Hospital they could be relied upon to diagnose a case of disease, but they should have the power to apply to the Colonial Surgeon or some medical authority higher than themselves to go over and help them in serious cases or cases of difficulty. They should be permitted to call in the advice of a European doctor, either in the Government service or not.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Then, you would like to have them under control?
Dr. Ho KAI-Somebody must superintend them.
Dr. CANTLIE.-To what extent to visit them daily?
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