MEDICAL NEEDS OF THE NATIVES. 321 



X^o, a little knowledge is dangerous, and the native assistant surgeon 

 would revert to the witch doctor's methods to get a living or starve. — R.M., 

 Mapumulo. 



Yes, the lines indicated are practical. 1 he men, during training, 

 would not get out of touch with their people as they would do if trained 

 in Europe. I am strongly in favour of their not heing sent out of South 

 Africa. — R.M., Dtmdce. 



Yes, because the patients and assistant surgeons would use a common 

 language ; because even heathen natives know a person trained by Euro- 

 peans is a !)etter qualified person to treat them than a native medicine 

 man, and because the trained native doctor would automatically oust the 

 heathen medicine man by his greater skill. — R.M., Ladysmith. 



Xo : such men would not be trained to be exact and particular, while 

 they would have the use of powerful drugs. Even if so far traitied 

 environment would he too strong for them, and they would relapse into 

 native ideas and customs. — Rev- B. Ross. 



Yes : it takes a native to properly understand the thoughts and ways 

 of natives. That is why native teachers do so w^W.—Rcv. Johaiuics 

 Asintp. 



Conclusion. — Although for the ptirpose of stimulating dis- 

 cussion I have quoted more of the negative than of the affirma- 

 tive answers, the consensus of opinion is decidedly in favour 

 of training selected men as native assistant surgeons. 



Question 4. 



If such assistant surgeons are appointed, should they be undet 

 supervision ? If so, whose supervision ? 



There is almost complete unanimity of opinion that native 

 assistant surgeons should be under the supervision of Europeans. 

 The opinion of the Resident Magistrate at Nongoma that, " The 

 suggestioti is unthinkable without the closest supervision," would 

 tind verv considerable support. There is considerable diiTerence 

 of opinion as to the nature of the supervision. I classify the 

 answers as best I can. 



Special Super- 

 Dist. Surgeon. Med. Council. Magistrate. vi.sor. 



Magistrates 12 7 2 2 



Missionaries 23 488 



Other suggestions for control are the Native Affairs Depart- 

 ment, a medical missionary, and a local European practitioner. 

 Personally, I favour the appointment of a special supervising 

 officer for district surgeons, as there is an officer for magistrates. 

 Then the native assistant surgeon might work under the district 

 surgeon. 



Further suggestions offered by my witnesses are that tlie 

 native assistant surgeons should be paid wholly or partly by 

 the Government, that the scale of pay should be fixed, that they 

 should be required to keep a " case book " to be submitted regu- 

 larly to the district surgeon, and that they should be liable to 

 supervision at the discretion of a magistrate or other responsible 

 officer. 



