242
#
the students who were to be honoured that day by being presented with diplomas. The first was Mr. Chan Kun Shing, who after a very brilliant career as a student of that College had obtained the diploma which entitled him to be regarded as a student who had passed through his course with great dis. tinction. This student had several offers for his services waiting him at the close of his career, and had unfortunately to leave the colony to assume the duties of an appointment he had accepted in Singapore before that meeting could be arranged. His diploma, which certified that he passed his examination with great distinction," would be laid on the table that day and forwarded to him in due course. The next student was Mr. Ho Nai Hop, who had the unique experience of finding himself free from all professional examinations six months before the close of his study. The College rigidly adhered to its regulation that the minimum curriculum of study should be five years, but while Mr. Ho Nai Hop only this month completed his term of five years he successfully left the last of his professional examinations behind him last October. He had thus had a
The diplomas were theu presented by the Governor.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
average
|
March 25 1899.
brilliant forensic efforts of Mr. Francis and other lawyers: why not give them the status of barristers and allow them to practice in our courts. He did not know how the legal profession would regard such a proposal. However, putting these difficulties on one side, they now came to the question which Mr. Francis put so forciby before them, and that was the question of a graut from the Government. No one could appreciate more than he did the splendid generosity of Mr. Belilion in offering this money, but he saw the difficulties ahead of them if the Government granted on endowment; His Excellency called attention to the splendid services rendered gratuitously to the College up to the present time, and suid that if the College became a Government Institution that would mean Goverment officers with the
pay uecessary to attract good Government officers, and he thought they would lose a good deal of hearty co-operation which they had received up to the present. However, he could only say he sympathised most deeply with the movement, that he appreciated the good results which had been apparent
"Pto now, and that he should take care inform himself fully of every argument which had been put forward, and if he could see bis. way to do it give any assistance which could fairly be given ou behalf of the people of this colony by the Government towards the further- ance of the work of this admirable college of
medicine in Hongkong (Applause.)
►
to
A hearty vote of thanks was accorded His Ex- cellency on the motion of Dr. TROMBÓN, who expressed the gratification of himself and col- leagues for the way in whiol Sir Henry had ex- pressed his sympathy, adding that while he had carefully guarded his position they thought they might have more substantial results from such a guarded statement than from one less guarded.
The proceedings then terminated.
DIOCESAN: SCHGOL AND ORPHANAGE.
ANNUAL PRIZE DISTRIBUTION,
mately come home, and he was glad to say that gradually there was an increasing number of Chinese people who were asking to be treated in accordance with the western system, because undoubtedly China had something to learn from us in science, and especially in medical science. In listening to the observations of Mr. Francis he felt in a position of considerable difficulty, and he realised the cleverness of the governing body of the Institution in determining that the governor should be the chairman of the General Council (Laughter, and hear, hear) – because having got him there they could hammer him in the face of the public and place him upon his defence. (Langhter.) There was nothing easier for a Governor to do thau to say pleasant things and to make in- definite promises which might or might not be carried out in the future. He might tell them at once that so far as that Institution and its work was concerned it had his heartiest sym- pathy. (Hear, hear.) He thought that when Mr. Francis complained of the want of recogni- tion of the students the answer to that was to a certain extent provided by what the Governor was now doing. The proof of the padding was half-year in which to quietly review his work in the eating. At this moment four of these without the burden of examinations before him students were employed by the Government of and to do such special reading as had seemed the Straits Settlements and he had been happy to him desirable. This must necessarily prove enough to secure the services of Mr. Ho Nai of incalculable value to his future profes- Hop, who had just received his certificate, as sional usefulness. His appointment by the assistant Medical Officer in the extended ter- Governor for medical work on the mainland ritory of Kowloon, and he looked forward in did him credit. While students of the College the future to having the satisfaction of employ- had frequently been of service to the Governing still more students from that Institution. ment for special work daring smallpox and (Hear, hear.) Nobody recoguised more fully plague epidemics, this was the first official
than he did the advantage to the Chinese com- appointment on the permanent staff of 8 munity of having a number of gentlemen trained graduate of the College as such.
in a proper system of medicine to whom they might appeal with confidence. Then all knew perfectly well that in medical treatment faith and confidence were tremendous factors. They knew that the
Chi- nese either in Hongkong or in its ex- tended territory would appeal to a European doctor with a certain amount of trepidation which he would not feel in appealing to one of his own countrymen. Therefore he realised the benefits of having some trained men among the Chinese who would be able to treat their own countrymen; but when they came to look at this matter from the point of view as to the necessity of passing an Ordinance, what could an Ordinance do ? An Ordinance could never give public confidence. The confidence of the Chinese could only be won by the professional success in the treatment of cases by the students who had been trained in that College. (Hear, hear.) He had very little doubt from the thoroughness of the training they had received that that success would be attained, and the best proof of that was their experience with regard to the Straits Settle- ments and that an application had just been re- ceived for another student from the College. When they came to look into the question of Government assistance they must consider that the Governor and tue members of the Govern ment of a colony like this were the trustees of the public funds, and that no Governor could off his own bat come forward and say You shall have so many thousand dollars, and you shall have this and that." They must go to responsible people and ask for their opinion and then thin the matter over. They all realised the benefits which had been derived from the education given to these students, and the benefits which would be derived here
Hitherto successive Government Inspectors and elsewhere by the Chinese population, have followed the English practice of coming but when they came to look into the ques-
to the school to examine the boys, but this tion of giving a regular grant from the pub- year Mr. Brewin conducted only the vivå lic funds, and beyond this, authorising a
voce examination in our large school-room on medical diploma then they found themselves in 14th December and summoned boys and girls a difficulty which could not, apparently, be got from half a dozen schools to meet at the Uity over by Dr. Ho Kai, who was one of the Com Hall on 21st to 23rd December for the written missioners appointed when the matter was looked work. Of our 102 boys examined 96 passed, or into before. He had not seen the papers, and 94 per cent., as compared with 82 per cent in he did not know what had been done, but 1897. In copy writing, English history, he thought there would be a difficulty in giving elementary science, and drawing, 100 per a regular diploma and starting, so to speak, a
cent. passed; in reading, 99;| Geography, different standard here from the standard accep. 92.7; English grammar. 91.3; arithmetic, 88.2; ted all over the world as the British standard of composition, 83,3; dictation, 82; algebra, 78.9; the medical profession. Mr. Francis was press-euclid, 70.8 per cent, and in mensuration one ing on this point but as well might it be said, passed and one failed. There are several able and clever young men in lawyers' offices here who have had much ex- perience in the drafting of pleadings, &c., and
His EXCELLENCY, after asking them to ex- tend to him his sympathy in the difficult posi- tion in which he found himself, said he had listened with the greatest interest to the strong istatement made by Mr. Francis in his nost éloquent address, and he need hardly say that as Chairman of the Council of the College of Medicine he endorsed and approved every word spoken by him. (Hear, hear.) But as Governor he might have to consider the matter from another point of view. Nobody could value more highly than he did the benefits which had been conferred by this Chinese College up to the present moment upon the Chinese, and he valuel éspecially the generous action of the medical gentlemen connected with the colour in ...coming forward and for 12 years giving their services out of their love of the splendid science of medicine and for the purpose of bringing within the reach of their Chinese follow subjects here and elsewhere the benefits of western me- adioine. (Hear, hear.) In alluding to the Tang Wah Hospital, His Excelleney said that the object lesson which he thought was gradually coming home to the Chinese was that the European method of medicine was on the whole better than the Chinese method. He did not come there that day to attack Cany system. He came there simply for the purpose of hearing what was said, of realising what were the true facts, and to try to see how they could secure the best results. But in the Tung Wah Hosbital the patients were allowed to choose whether they would be treated accord- ing to the Chinese method or according to the European method, and it frequently happened that there would be two patients side by side, one of whom would be treated by the Chinese dootor and the other by Dr. Cheung and Dr. Thomson and their assistants according to the European method. He found that in 1895 the death rate among those patients who were treated by the Chinese method was 38:67 per cent, whilst the death rate among those treated by the European method was 24:58 per cent. Last year the death rate among those treated under the Chinese system was 30 per cent, and the death rate of those treated under the European system 13 per cent. (Hear, hear.) These were figures which must appeal to the Chinese people, when they realised the meaning of them. These figures meant that of these people who were treated by the Chi- nese practitioners in that Hospital ont of every 100 patients 17 died who would have been saved had they adopted the western
44
12
"WHERE TO GET GOOD HEAD-PIECES.' At noon on the 22nd March the annual prize distribution in connection with the Diocesan School and Orphanage took place. The chair was occupied by the Bishop of Victoria, who had kindly consented to hand the rewards to the successful pupils. There were also present the Rev. R. F. Cobbold, Mr. G. Piercy (head master). Dr. Bateson Wright, the Rev. C. Bone, the Rev. T. W. Pierce, the Rev, F. Flynn, and Mr. Granville Sharp.
The HEAD MASTER, on rising to read his re- port, said My lord, we are pleased to see you in this school, knowing your many years' experience in education will enable you to understand and appreciate our work and its difficulties.
The report read as follows:-
School was taught on 219 week-days; the scholars numbered 235, being 50 more than in the previous year; the average attendance was 120.37 compared with 100.58, our highest re- cord.
Eleven candidates entered for the Oxford University Local Examinations in July and 9 passed, viz., 1 in the Senior, 3 in the Junior, and 5 in the Preliminary,
Three boys entered for the local examination of the London College of Music and
method. These were facts that would nlti-' who have had the advantage of hearing to Mr. E. Ralphs left in March, to b
assistant master in Queen's College::
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.