April 23, 1898.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:
The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL-But could to bis miod be got over, but the third you have not risen.
The PRESIDENT-I apologise for not rising, The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL-May I ask what rule you are enforcing?
The PRESIDENT-Rule 17; rules of debate and Standing Orders.
The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAI-Has anyone infringed it ?
The PRESIDENT-When the President rises any member speaking shall be seated. I take it that when I rose Mr. May resumed his seat.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -With these few remarks beg to move the following resolution :-" That this Board do appoint a branch hospital to the Tung Wah Hospital, to be established on a site to be approved by the Board, as a place to which patients suffering from plague may be removed, provided always that such hospital be under the control of the Sanitary Board and under the supervision of one or more duly qualified European medical practitioners, and that the patient be allowed the option of being treated according to western medical science or Chinese medical methods, and that the burial of those who die in the flospital and the removal of patients therefrom be conducted under regulations to be approved by the Board and under the supervision of the doctors."
Mr. EDE, in seconding, said he entirely agreed with what had fallen from the Captain Superintendent of Police He would beg, however, to emphasise the particular point in the requisition in which it asked that a hospital be opened under the control and supervision of the Sanitary Board and its medical officers. The President's remarks hinged entirely upon the supposition that the hospital would be under Chinese doctors.
The PRESIDENT-The Captain Superinten- dent of Police stated that those who might have a desire to be treated after Chinese methods could have their wishes gratified.
Mr. ED-I have taken your words down, and you said "Control of Chinese doctors."
The PRESIDENT-I regret that I must call you to order.
Mr. EDE-Very well; I will sit down. The PRESIDENT-What I object to is that patients should be allowed to be treated by Chinese native practitioners. If the Chinese are to be treated according to their methods the hospital must be under Chinese medical control, (To the Acting Secretary)-Will you kindly read the motion which has been proposed.
Mr. EDE said he did not allude to the motion but to the remarks made by the President with reference to the requisition convening the meeting. In that requisition it was distinctly stated that it was to consider the advisability of appointing a bubonic plague hospital "ander the control and supervision of the Sanitary Board and its medical officers." In speaking of that the President mentioned that the requisi- tion was to have a hospital under the con- trol of Chinese doctors, which was quite a different thing. Mr. Ede added that he entirely agreed with what had been said by the Captain Superintendent of Police as to the effect his proposal would have upon diminishing the number of dead bodies found in the streets and the number of people who rushed off to Kow loon. He thought it would be a very excellent thing. It had worked before, and he thought it ought to work now quite well.
The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL, in sup- porting, said they ought not to compel the Chinese to receive European food and medicine when by adopting a different method in 1894 the number of cases brought to the notice of the authorities was doubled at once.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said he should just like to point out that neither the mover nor the seconder of the resolution had given them any hints as to what the objections of the Chinese were to the present system, so he must imagine what they were and deal with them. The ob- jections he had heard made to the removal of plague patients to the Kennedy Town Hospit. were that they were completely cut off from all religious ceremonies which were an integral part of the Chinese treatment of diseases, that they were entirely separated from their rela- tives, and lastly, and so far as he could gather leastly, that they did not obtain Chinese medical treatment. The two first objections
one he thought it was imposible to get over. He thought that in the interests of humanity it would be an evil for the Government of a colony such 88 this to recognise in any way the so-called Chinese treatment of disease, and especially the treatment of infectious disease. Dr. Clark explained the manner in which he thought the two first objections could be got over-by providing & shelter for the relatives of the patients and another for the priest, or whoever it was who did duty on the occasion of the religious ceremonies in question-and continuing said his own experience was that the Chinese were not very wise, but so far as the coolie class were concerned they did not attach any very great im- portance to Chinese doctors, who were in many cases most ignorant and illiterate meu. Under these circumstances he felt inclined to move an amendment, unless Mr. May would consent to omit the words " according to Chinese methods" from his resolution. He could not possibly consent to support any resolution which gave countenance to the quackery of the so-called Chinese doctors.
The PRESIDENT-I propose as an ameud- ment to Dr. Clark's amendment-
he He
Mr. EDE-But it has not been seconded. The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL said would second it as a matter of form. added that what Dr. Clark objected to had already been sanctioned, and he did not think they need go back on what the Government had already decided. It would be different if western science had shown that it was capable of curing the disease. But he thought 98 per cent. of the people at- tacked died in 1894 and 88 per cent. this year. Really they had nothing to do with the treat- ment under which people chose to die. At home a father was liable to be proceeded against if he did not procure proper medical treatment for his child, but a grown-up person could choose his own medical treatment.
The RESIDENT-They are compelled by law to be isolated in an infectious hospital if they are suffering from an infectious disease.
The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL said that this had nothing to do with isolation. Mr. May had already proposed that this should be an isolated hospital. What they objected to was compelling them to be treated by European doctors.
THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-I rise to a point of order. No member can speak twice in Committee.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE said he was not prepared to omit the words mentioned by Dr. Clark from his resolution because if he did it would do away with the utility of the hospital such as he wished to establish. If they said people must be treated according to western methods they simply made the hospital a little more attractive to the Chi- nese by adopting the proposals of Dr. Clark. The fact of the mater was that the Chinese coolie had been treated by the Chinese quack doctor from being a little child and he wished to be treated by him still, and he asked members of the Board to put themselves in the same position. He ventured to say that not a single Englishman there would go to a Chinese hos- pital to be treated if he could help it, and it was just the same with the Chinese coolie-he did not understand the treatment of the European doctors.
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The PRESIDENT—I mer as an amendment to Dr. Clark's amendment that the Medical Department undertake the care of sick проп their arrival in hospital and that the Sanitary Board undertake all duties in connection with the removal of plague cases to the hospital." In 1894 the mortality amongst the Chinese when the native doctors were allowed full scope was 93.4 per cent., in 1898 when the treatment was entirely in the hands of the Medical De. partment it was 74 per cent. These figures speak for themselves. I have carefully read Dr. Lowson's report more than once during the last week, and cannot find that it substantiates what Mr May has stated, namely, that the day after the opening of the Glassworks Hospital the number of cases which came to the notice of the authority was 50 a day whilst it was 25 before. couldnot find any statistics in the Sanitary Board offices which bore that out, and I shall
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be much obliged if Mr. May can give the notui dates and figures. I see from Dr. Lowson's report that "On the 21st May 1894, the Glassworks Hospital was opened and this relieved our staff to a certain extent, The hygiene of this hospital, however, caused a great deal of trouble and it was only by the occasional employment of severe measures that this place was prevented from becoming w ́der- tain death trap to every one who entered it.” For my part I do not think that the Chinese object to Western methods and my experience at Kennedytown Hospital during the years 1895, 1896, and 1897 and this year proves this. I say if a Chinese Hospital is allowed we shall have endless troubles.
The amendment was not seconded. On being put to the vote the motion was carried.
The Standing Orders having been suspended. on the motion of the CAPTAIN SUPERINTEN- DENT OF POLICE, seconded by Mr. EDE,
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE proposed that the Board appointa sub-committee consisting of the Medical Officer of Health and Mr. Brewin to approach the committee of the Tung Wah Hospital as to the institution of a branch hospital on a site to be approved by the Board and to make the necessary enquiries and arrangements.
Mr. EDE seconded.
The PRESIDENT pointed out that under Standing Order 31 it is necessary to have three members on a committee and suggested the addition of the Captain Superintendent of Police to the sub-committee, and with this addition the resolution was adopted.
THE EMIGRATION OF PLAGUE PATIENTS.
Health the question of the emigration of plagué On the suggestion of the Medical Officer of patients was considered as a matter of urgency.
The ACTING SECRETARY read correspondence the Medical Officer of Health on his reasons on the subject, including a communication from for objecting to the resolution passed by the Sanitary Board on the subject on the 14th inst.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH proposed that the resolution dealing with the emigration of plague, patients be rescinded on the ground that it would lead to the villages in the locality which were practically unaffected becoming
contaminated.
The PRESIDENT seconded, and
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The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, in supporting, said he only proposed the resolu tion in question as a matter of tactics, his object being to get the Board to permit the institution of a Chinese hospital. With a Chinese hospital in the colony there was no excuse for people going outside the limits.
rescinding of the resolution be postponed until Mr. EDE proposed as an amendment that the the Chinese hospital was provided.
The ACTING REGISTRAR-GENERAL seconded. On the amendment being put to the vote it was lost and the motion was carried.
THE CLEANSING OF DWELLINGS, from the Acting Governor, who enquired
The PRESIDENT said there was a question -
whether the inmates of Chinese houses were allowed to cleanse their houses under the super- vision of the Board's officials.
and undertook to explain to His Excellency the The MEDICAL OFFICEE said they were system adopted by the Board.
HOUSE TO HOUSE VISITATION,
On the suggestion of the CAPTAIN SUPERIN- TENDENT OF POLICE, it was decided to take steps for the increase of the staff employed in house to house visitation, THE DISINFECTION OF EUROPEAN OFFICES AND HOUSES,
The PRESIDENT-I take this opportunity of calling attention to the insanitary condi- tion in which many of the business offices in the centre of the town are kept. Quite recently I have myself seen many of them; the staircases are kept very dirty and as there are frequently numbers of Chinese coolies and messengers hanging about there is a fear of infection taking root and growing m this dirt. My remarks also apply, to the set- vants' quarters attached to many of the residences. Unless the occupiers occasionally inspect those the Chinese servants will not keep them clean. A simple method of prevention is to place lb of chloride of lime in an ordinary
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