Letter From Sun Yat-Sen To James and Mabel Cantlie Announcing His Presidency (2/25/1912)

Updated February 26, 2014


Republic of China
The President's Office

Nanking, January 21st/1912.

My Dear Dr. and Mrs. Cantlie,

It will be your pleasure to hear from me that I have assumed the Presidency of the Provisional Government in China, which I accepted with disinterested fervour in order to render myself an instrumentality to rescue China with its four hundred million population from environment of impending perils and dishonour. I ought to have written you much earlier, but something or other always prevented ,e from doing so, having been kept exceedingly busy since I arrived here and especially so since I occupied my present post, as you may well imagine and fairly forgive. It makes me feel more grateful to you when from the present position I look back on my past of hardships and strenuous toll, and think of your kindness shown me all the while that I can never nor will forget. I can say so far that the state of things here in Nanking is improving rapidly with a well founded prospects of future promise. I may not write you as often as I wish, but you may learn from the news-papers what I am doing from time to time. Kindly convey my best compliments to all my friends in London whom you know and happen to meet, and oblige.

With best wishes and kind regards, I remain
Yours very sincerely,
(Sgd.) Sun Yat Sen

Selected bibliography: Wellcome Library.

Li Hung Chang Letter Accepting Invitation to be Patron of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (1889)

updated October 5, 2013

(English translation)

To the Authorities of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese:

Gentlemen,—I am in receipt of your letter informing me that I have had the honor of being elected Patron of your College. I also thank you for your desire to perpetuate my name on your College walls.

I wish every success to your benevolent design. I learn that there are between 20 and 30 students in the College studying medicine, and consider it most proper that they should also pay attention to the sister subject of chemistry and understand how to compound and how to analyze, thus ensuring greater accuracy in the diagnosis of disease and the preparation of remedies.

I remark that your countrymen devote themselves to practical research and base their scientific principles on the results of investigations, thus differing from those who rest content with theories.

The happy results which ever attend the treatment of disease on scientific principles are evidence of the advantage to be derived from the constant study of anatomy and chemistry and the consequent illumination of the dark path of knowledge.

There is no doubt that when your admirable project is achieved it will be appreciated and imitated, and that it will, through your students, be a blessing to China.

Trusting that you will prosecute your scheme with unflagging energy, and wishing you my compliments,

I subscribe myself on the accompanying card,

(Sgd.) Li Hung Chang. (Li Hongzhang)

[The above letter was read by James Cantlie, Dean, at the meeting of the College Senate held on October 12, 1889. Li’s patronage was procured by Patrick Manson, co-founder of the College. In 1887 Dr. Manson visited Li who was said to be suffering from cancer of the tongue. Luckily it was only a sublingual abscess, which was successfully opened.]

[Li remained Patron of HKCMC until his death in 1901. HKCMC was absorbed into the University of Hong Kong in 1912, and finally closed in 1915. During the twenty eight years of its existence, the college had admitted 128 students, resulting in 51 licentiates. Exactly how many actually practiced in Hong Kong is unknown.]

[I remember reading the text of the original letter in Chinese about two ~ three years ago, I can no longer remember where from. This is a good lesson why bibliography is important. Likewise, I took  note of the name of the person who had the letter translated into the above English text, I've no idea where I put the note... (10/5/2013)]

Selected bibliography: The British Medical Journal, December 7, 1889, p.1313.

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.