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Mr. MCCALLUM.-The whole thing would require to be thought out carefully. Mr. MCCONACHIE.-I understand by Dr. CANTLIE's remarks that your position would still be retained under that arrangement.
Dr. CANTLIE. Yes. There must be an enormous amount of clerical and executive work; and I do not think you could get a medical man capable of doing it except after long training. Do you know of any report which would enable us to ascertain how the Medical Officers of Health in the towns or counties of England are managed and showing the relation in which these officers stand to the sanitary authorities?
́ Mr. McCALLUM --I can give you that fully.
Dr. CANTLIE.-You lectured at the College of Medicine to the students on sanitation and they had examinations on the subject?
Mr. MCCALLUM.--Yes.
Dr. CANTLIE.--Did they do fairly well?
Mr MCCALLUM.-A certain proportion did fairly well considering the class of students they are and that they are dealing with a language that is foreign to them.
Dr. CANTLIE. Do you think these men would be of any use in the Sanitary Department to a Medical Officer who wanted to get a knowledge of prevalent diseases or the death rate or of epidemics?
Mr. MCCALLUM.--I think until something of that sort is established your mortality statistics will always be unreliable. Something of the same sort had to be started in London 200 or 300 years ago, and I do not know that they had any better men then than those you refer to, to undertake the work.
THE PRESIDENT.-These licentiates would probably do the work better than Europeans?
Mr. MCCALLUM.-Properly handled I think in a year or two they would prove to be very useful. Much would depend on how they are handled.
Dr. CANTLIE.--You think if such men were available for this work it would be possible to get more correct information of diseases?
Mr. MCCALLUM.-It is the only way I can see by which death registration can be made approximately reliable.
Dr. CANTLIE.-Supposing no Medical Officer of Health were appointed and supposing the present arrangements were going on could you make any use of these men? Mr. MCCALLUM.-I suppose I could, but not to the same extent as a properly qualified medical man.
Dr. CANTLIE-You mean they would not be very useful according to the present arrangements unless they had a medical man to criticise their reports?
Mr. MCCALLUM.-That is what I mean.
THE PRESIDENT. If a Medical Officer of Health for the Colony were appointed would it be necessary to have a Sanitary Board?
Mr. MCCALLUM.--I think SO, if you wish to carry on the sanitation of the Colony and carry the people with you; and I do not think you will succeed in making any really permanent progress in domestic sanitation unless you carry the people with you. You will never succeed in forcing it upon them.
THE PRESIDENT.-You mean the native population?
Mr. MCCALLUM.-Yes; it is as well to carry them with you as far as possible. THE PRESIDENT.-How many Chinese have you on the Sanitary Board?
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