IMKDICAL NEEDS OF THE NATIVES. ^2^ 



II. 



The need having been demonstrated, it remains to suggest 

 how this need is to be met. It is evidently impossible, even if it 

 were desirable, for a sufficient number of natives to obtain train- 

 ing in Europe. The expense involved j^uts such a course beyond 

 the reach of almost all natives. The medical education must 

 needs then be obtained in this country. The universities and 

 colleges of South Africa, which might l)e expected to ofifer a 

 suitable course, are closed to native students. Hospital orderlies, 

 dispensers, male and female natives, can, of course, be trained in 

 native wards and hospitals, but useful as these people are, they 

 cannot luidertake the work which we expect from the native 

 assistant surgeon. In dealing with this point Dr. McVicar, of 

 Victoria Hospital (a native hos]>ital ) at Lovedale. says: "A 

 definite line may be drawn, however, between adequate and in- 

 adequate, scientific and unscientific, safe and imsafe medical train- 

 ing. The line is drawn at the subject — Practical Anatomy. A 

 thorough experience of dissecting the human body is the essen- 

 tial element in a sound medical training. I do not see how any 

 person can percuss or auscultate the chest, assist at a difficult 

 labour, or even lance an abscess with safety unless he is familiar 

 with the appearance, situation, and relationship of the internal 

 organs and the positions of blood-vessels and other important 

 structures, and this familiarity can be obtained in no other way 

 than by patient dissection." Most men who have thought deeply 

 about this matter would agree with Dr. McVicar. so we must 

 look for an institution which could olTer adequate oi)portunities 

 for dissection. The obvious place for this work is the South 

 African Native College at Fort Hare, near Lovedale, where the 

 college and the hospital should not find it difficult to arrange for 

 this work between them. A three or four years' course at Fort 

 Hare, followed by a year or two of work in a native hospital or 

 ward, and then a few years" practice as assistant to a suitable 

 district surgeon with a large native practice, should give our 

 ])icked native the skill he needs. As one selective agency, I 

 would advocate the Matriculation Examination if the University 

 authorities will listen to our request to make that a suitable 

 examination for native students. The junior certificate examina- 

 tion, suggested by Dr. McCord, is not a sufficiently good dis- 

 criminating test. 



Even, however, if we began to train these men they would 

 not give us the supply of medical helpers, of which we now 

 stand in need, and as a speedier relieif it would be well to allow 

 and, indeed, induce such men as Dr. McCord, Captain Hertslet. 

 S.A.M.C, Dr. McVicar, Dr. Backenstowe. and others to train male 

 natives as hospital assistants, who could be sent out lo work 

 under selected district surgeons. These men would correspond 

 to the hospital assistants in India, who, after passing an examina- 

 tion equivalent to standard A^II. spend four years studying materia 



