Petition of 23 Medical Practitioners Urging the Government to Regulate the Medical Profession (5/3/1882)

updated October 5, 2013.

To His Excellency, William Henry Marsh, CMG, Administrator of the Colony of Hong Kong, etc., etc., etc.

The humble Petition of the undersigned Medical Practitioners practicing in the Colony of Hong Kong.

Sheweth,

That it is expedient that persons requiring Medical Aid should be enabled to distinguished qualified from unqualified Practitioners.

That at the present time there is no Law defining or regulating the persons entitled to practice medicine in this Colony, except such as was in force in England at the time of the assumption of this Colony by Her Majesty.

That your Petitioners think it desirable in the interest of the persons residing in this Colony that the laws regulating the qualifications of Practitioners in Medicine and Surgery as at present in force in England, or such portion thereof as are applicable and with such modifications as may be deemed fit, should be extended to this Colony, or that an Ordinance for such purpose containing the necessary regulations be passed.

Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that Your Excellency will be pleased to give a favorable consideration to this Petition.

Dated the 3rd day of May, 1882

And your Petitioners will ever pray, etc.

Ph. B.C. Ayres, LRCP (Edin), MRCS, etc. [1]
W.S. Adams, MD, CM [1]
R.A. O'Brien, MD per W.H.
William Hartigan, MCPI, LRCSI [1]
Carl Clouth, MD
C. Gerlach, MD [1]
Ho Kai, MB, CM, MRCS (Eng.), etc.
W.A. Thomson, MB, LRCS (Edin.), Deputy Surgeon-General AMD
R. Hungerford, LRCP, Brigade Surgeon
Arthur B. Cottell, Surgeon AMD
Sam[ ] H. Crick, MB, MS, MRCS (Eng.), LS (Lond.), Surgeon AMD
W.O. Wolseley, LRCSI, LR & OCRSLM, Surgeon AMD
W. London Gordon, MD, Deputy Inspector-General RN
Robert Bentham, LRCP&S (Edin.), Surgeon RN
Arthur W. Russell, LRCST, LK & QCPT, LM, Surgeon RN
James Stockwell, LRCP (Eng.), LRCS (Eng.) [1]
R. Young, FRCS (Eng.)
A.S. Gomes, MD, MRCS (Eng.), LRCP (Eng.), LFP&S (Glas.), etc., etc. [1]
L. Pereira Marques, MK, QCPI, LRCS
W. Lockhard, MD [1]
William Young, MD, CM, MRP&S (Quebec) [1]
E.M. Alvares, LRCP (Edin.), LFPS (Glas.)
J.A. Andrews, MD

[One of the doctors participated in the discussions of defining and regulating medical persons entitled to practice in Hong Kong, J.C. Fisher, declined to sign the Petition. Here are his grounds:

I must decline to sign this Petition for the following reasons:

1stly. - The introduction of the British Medical Acts operate very unfairly against Medical men who have had no opportunity of obtaining the legal qualifications required by the Acts.

2ndly. - No proper Medical Council could be formed in the Colony to supervise the working of these Acts, and to take care that they would be carried out fairly and without prejudice. This body is the great protection to medical men in England.

3rdly. - I am of the opinion that the introduction of these Acts cannot be shewn to be necessary to the protection of the public in this Colony.

J.C. Fisher, MD
Hong Kong, April 21, 1882.

John Charles Fish, from the United States, was permitted to continue his practice in Hong Kong without having to registered when the Medical Registration Ordinance was enacted on April 5, 1884.]

[1] Doctors registered with the government to practice in Hong Kong on May 3, 1884.

Selected bibliography: The Hong Kong Government Gazette, June 9, 1883, Notice #202.