Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 675

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"From what I have seen of the Hospital I think the appointment of a European Steward, some man of perhaps a little better class than the Sanitary Inspectors, should be appointed. His duty would be to see "that the wards were properly ventilated, that the drainage or conser- vancy system was carefully carried out; to see that the Ko Fong "wards were not occupied, and that the servants did not live in the "basements, and the other petty details that a steward of an hospital at "home is supposed to look after. It is a big Hospital, and at the same "time it wants somebody all day long to look after it.

"I think he should be under the Colonial Surgeon, who would visit the "Hospital every day as at present,"

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27. Mr. MCCALLUM, Secretary of the Sanitary Board, in a report dated 8th April, 1895, said:—

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p. 59-60.

.So far as one can judge from surface appearances the drainage Appendix arrangements of the Hospital are defective........

The conservancy "arrangements for the patients are rather primitive, and, unless properly “carried out, the air in the wards must necessarily be polluted, and in "those wards where there are patients suffering from infectious diseases "where the infective matter is thrown off with the excretions from the "bowels and kidneys, the danger of the spread of such diseases to others "in the ward is undoubtedly very great. To each two bels there is a "rough wooden covered commode which is far from being air-tight. This "commode is, as a rule, only cleansed once in the twenty-four hours."

28. In a Memorandum dated 18th January, 1896, Mr. MCCALLUM writes:-

P. 61-62.

........With regard to conservancy, I am quite satisfied that the only Appendix "satisfactory method in any Hospital is the water carriage system. "Excretal matters in hospitals are nearly always infective and consequently "the speedy and complete removal of them is a matter of the first import- "ance.

This can only be effectually carried out by adopting the water "carriage system. ...

...........This should be insisted on.

The storage "for twenty-four hours of infected excretal matters and their subsequent "removal through the streets cannot be done without danger to the "community. The drainage arrangements of the Hospital are being seen

to now and when the work is completed this section of the sanitation "of the Hospital will be placed on a satisfactory footing.”

29. And Mr. McCALLUM, in his evidence on 13th March, 1896, adds :

1.22-21.

"They are remedying the bulk of the things that were in an insanitary con- Evidence “dition. Generally speaking after what is now being carried out has "been completed it will be in a very fair sanitary condition.”

P. 42.

30. Sir RICHARD MACDONNELL in his despatch of 19th February, 1872, when reporting the opening of the Tung Wa Hospital, doubtless having in mind what had been allowed to take place in the "I Ts'z," or Chinese Hospital, was careful to inform the Earl of KIMBERLEY, the then Secretary of State, that "the more continuous and frequent the

supervision maintained by Officers of the Government, whether daily, or weekly, or Appendix "monthly, the more improbable will be the chance of any great abuse having time to "mature, and this is a point on which I hope my successor may entertain the same "views as myself." Notwithstanding this very distinct note of warning, the Government had by 1894 permitted the Tung Wa Hospital to drift into an insanitary state. meeting held on 14th February, 1896, the Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART informed the Commission- My predecessor, Dr. STEWART, visited it from time to time, Evidence "and I have done so too; but we have never interfered with the medical or sanitary

arrangements of the Institution."

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