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Colonel HUGHES.-But it will help you all the same.
Dr. BELL. If he deals with bacteriology; but if he is to do Gaol work you won't keep him.
Colonel HUGHES.-He will help you in your work.
Dr. BELL.-Yes, he will help everybody.
Colonel HUGHES.-We are talking about the Medical Department.
Dr. BELL.-A Bacteriologist, although he is an increase on former years, is not what you might call a medical man.
Colonel HUGHES.-He would take hours off your work at the Hospital.
Dr. BELL.-Very little indeed, because there is such a lot of work that cannot be handed over to the bacteriologist.
Colonel HUGHES.-Are there not lots of men who could hand over all the bacte- riological work to him and be considerably relieved?
Dr. BELL.-I don't think so. On the contrary, in the summer there is a lot of work which must be done in the Hospital; he will relieve us to a certain extent.
The Chairman.-Dr. ATKINSON suggests the employment of Native Apothecaries to do the work at Shaukiwan, Quarry Bay, Aberdeen, Stanley and the New Territory.
Dr. BELL.-Qualified from Madras and Bombay? I think one or two of those men might be very useful. I know little or nothing about them; my experience is prac- tically hearsay experience--talking to Medical Officers about them. Some are very good and reliable men.
Colonel HUGHES.--I know a good deal about them. In the Indian Subordinate Medical Department they are called Assistant Surgeons now. Some of them are most excellent and trustworthy men. You can trust them to take medical charge.
Dr. BELL.-Oh, yes. I think one or two of them in Aberdeen, Quarry Bay, Shau- kiwan, and the New Territory would be very useful.
Mr. SHARP.-Unless they were Chinese I don't fancy they would be accepted.
Dr. BELL.-The difficulty with regard to Chinese is to get them to learn English. The Government might send them to qualify in India; for I think it is necessary to have Chinese. The natives would watch the results of the cases, before they would tr ust them, the same as they do in the villages at the present time.
The Chairman.-You don't think an Indian would be quite suitable for this country?
Dr. BELL.-I don't think so. He would be looked on by the natives as a sort of stranger.
The Chairman. I don't think there is anything else to ask.
Dr. FRANCIS CLARK was then called.
The Chairman.-Dr. CLARK, are you Medical Officer of Health ?
Dr. CLARK.-Yes, Sir.
The Chairman.-What staff have you under you?
Dr. CLARK.-An Assistant Medical Officer of Health, five Senior Inspectors of Nuisances, five First Class Inspectors of Nuisances, seven Second Class Inspectors of Nuisances, and six Third Class Inspectors of Nuisances.
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