Chan, JLY

Fritsche, TR

Lai, KKT

Lai, KKY

Schmer, G

Hong Kong Medical Journal

HKU Scholars Hub

Title Sir Patrick Manson: good medicine for the people of Hong KongAuthor(s) Lai, KKY; Chan, JLY; Lai, KKT; Schmer, G; Fritsche, TRCitation Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2003, v. 9 n. 2, p. 145-147Issued Date 2003URL http://hdl.handle.net/10722/44543Rights Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong LicenseHong Kong Med J Vol 9 No 2 April 2003      145COMMENTARYSir Patrick Manson: good medicine for the people of Hong KongBorn on 3 October 1844 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, SirPatrick Manson (Fig) was the second child in a family withnine children. After an attempt at an ironmaster’s appren-ticeship failed due to illness, Manson focused his attentionon medicine, graduating from Aberdeen University, withthe degrees MB, CM, and MD in 1865 and 1866. Soonafter qualification, he became a medical officer and workedin China for the Imperial Maritime Customs, firstly inFormosa for 5 years, then a further 13 years in Amoy, andfinally for a private practice in Hong Kong from 1883 to1889, before returning to London where he achieved muchin the research of tropical medicine.More than 80 years since Manson’s death on 9 April1922, many of the renowned parasitologist’s contributionsto the field of tropical medicine are still remembered andhighly respected. Rightfully dubbed the ‘father of tropicalmedicine’, Manson played a central role in elaborating thepathogenesis of filariasis and advocating novel surgicaltreatment for disfiguring elephantiasis. Manson’s criticalobservations of malarial infection would eventually leadthe future Nobel laureate Sir Ronald Ross to his elucidationof the malarial life cycle. Whereas many are familiar withManson’s key role in the founding of the London School ofTropical Medicine, few are knowledgeable of his pivotalrole in the establishment of the former Hong Kong Collegeof Medicine for Chinese, a predecessor of the University ofHong Kong Faculty of Medicine.From 1841 when Great Britain occupied Hong Kong to1883, when Manson arrived in Hong Kong, the populationhad increased from approximately 2000 to 180 000. Theprovision of medical services was not able to keep pace withthe expansive growth of the population, and was thereforeinadequate for the citizens of Hong Kong. The Tung WahHospital was viewed as a substandard facility that concen-trated on traditional Chinese medicine and avoided modernwestern medicine, whereas the Government Civil Hospitalwas regarded as a foreign facility staffed by Europeanpractitioners. To alleviate the depressing situation, it wasrecognised that free public hospitals were needed to pro-vide a comprehensive system of territory-wide health care.In fact, an attempt to advance western medicine in HongKong had been mooted in the early 1840s.In 1842, William Lockhart was entrusted by the LondonMissionary Society to build a hospital, although it wasBenjamin Hobson who managed to move the missionaryhospital in Macao to Hong Kong (on Morrison Hill) in 1843,and Dr HJ Hirshberg who eventually set up a dispensaryin Kowloon. Their work came to an abrupt halt with thetransfer of Hobson to Guangzhou in 1848 and Hirshberg toXiamen in 1853. Nevertheless, after a lapse of 28 years,the mission was again revived by Mr HW Davis, a partnerfrom the accounting firm of Linstead and Davis. Under theinitiative of a committee chaired by Davis, the NethersoleDispensary, a medical mission dispensary named after MrDavis’s mother, was opened by Dr William Young in 1881in the Tai Ping Shan district at the western end of HongKong island where living conditions were appalling andcarried a constant threat of epidemic. The immediatesuccess of this new dispensary laid the foundation for theestablishment of a new hospital whose intent was “mainlyto serve Chinese”.1 Western medicine was thus beginningto find acceptance among local Chinese people.The establishment of the new hospital, under the aegisof the London Missionary Society, was pursued with greatzeal with the Society’s contribution of HK$14 000 andlocal philanthropist, Mr ER Belilios’s donation of HK$5000.2However, it was Manson’s enthusiasm and commitmentthat made possible the new hospital’s erection, especiallyin securing land for the premises. Manson was crucial inrecruiting Sir Ho Kai, a fellow graduate of AberdeenUniversity, who was a driving force and a significant finan-cial supporter for the building of the hospital. Manson alsobecame the first Chairman of the Hospital Committee whenit opened in February 1887. The Alice Memorial Hospital,Fig. Sir Patrick Manson, GCMG, MD, FRS, FRCP, DSc, LLD, afounder of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese,and Dean of College (1887-1889)(Picture from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene)146      Hong Kong Med J Vol 9 No 2 April 2003named to commemorate Ho’s wife, was to serve as one ofthe major teaching hospitals for students of a newly formedmedical school.Manson’s ultimate goal was to establish western medic-al education in Hong Kong. Within 3 years of his arrival inSeptember 1886, he successfully founded the Hong KongMedical Society and emerged as President, with the spe-cific aims of introducing the concept of periodic medicalpublication and addressing the need for medical attentionfor poor Europeans and Eurasians. Even so, perhapsManson’s greatest contribution to the people of Hong Kongwas the establishment of the territory’s first medical school,which would be based on the principles and scientificrigours of modern western medicine. Despite his busyprivate medical practice, Manson addressed the issue of theterritory’s weak medical infrastructure in order to improvemedical care. With the utmost efficiency, he collaboratedwith Sir James Cantlie, founded the Hong Kong College ofMedicine for Chinese, and was elected its first Dean on 30August 1887. The Senate of the new College comprisedCantlie as Secretary, Dr J Chalmers of the Union Church asChairman, and Dr Frederick Stewart as Rector, as well asManson. Manson also successfully procured patronage forthe medical school from Li Hung Chang, then viceroy ofGuangzhou and on whom Manson personally attended.Li’s enthusiasm and praise for Manson and his colleagues’endeavours were evidenced in a letter of acceptance of theposition of patron.3TO THE AUTHORITIES OF THE HONGKONG [sic]COLLEGE OF MEDICINE FOR CHINESEGENTLEMEN,—I am in receipt of your letter inform-ing me that I have had the honour of being electedPatron of your College. I also thank you for yourdesire to perpetuate my name on your College walls.I wish every success to your benevolent design. Ilearn that there are between 20 and 30 students inthe College studying medicine, and consider it mostproper that they should also pay attention to thesister subject of chemistry and understand how tocompound and how to analyse, thus ensuring greateraccuracy in the diagnosis of disease and the prep-aration of remedies.I remark that your countrymen devote themselvesto practical research and base their scientific prin-ciples on the results of investigations, thus differingfrom those who rest content with theories.The happy results which ever attend the treatmentof disease on scientific principles are evidence ofthe advantage to be derived from the constant studyof anatomy and chemistry and the consequentillumination of the dark path of knowledge.There is no doubt that when your admirableproject is achieved it will be appreciated and imitated,and that it will, through your students, be a blessingto China.Trusting that you will prosecute your schemewith unflagging energy, and wishing you my compli-ments, I subscribe myself on the accompanying card,(Sgd.) LI HUNG CHANG.3And so, it is from this modest start as a medical schoolfor Chinese that the present-day University of Hong KongFaculty of Medicine came into being. The Faculty of Medi-cine now boasts 17 departments, including Anaesthesiology,Anatomy, Biochemistry, Clinical Oncology, CommunityMedicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Medicine, Microbiology,Nursing Studies, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, OrthopaedicSurgery, Paediatrics, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology,Psychiatry, and Surgery.In his address to the Hong Kong community, at theinauguration ceremony for the Hong Kong College ofMedicine for Chinese on 1 October 1887, Manson suggestedthat the College would be an opportunity for Hong Kong“to become a centre and distributor, not for merchandiseonly, but also for science”.3 Manson added, “The old Greekcities used to boast of their great men, and claim them withjealous care. Let us hope that in the new and greater Chinaof the future, when the learned dispute of their great men,not a few may be claimed for Hongkong [sic] and for theschool to-day [sic] inaugurated”.3 One of such great menwas Dr Sun Yat Sen, who was awarded the College’s firstdiploma in July 1892 with high distinction, although hisgreatness alluded not to the science of medicine but to hisrole as the founder of the Republic of China. In his reply toa toast to the first licentiates during the dinner given by DeanCantlie, Sun advocated the College to thrive “not only forourselves but for everyone in Hong Kong”.4Manson’s contributions to advancing medicine andhealth care in Hong Kong were not limited to foundingthe medical school. He was a leading practitioner in thecolony. He served on the Sanitary Board, proposing meas-ures to control infectious diseases, reduce overcrowding,clear the slums, and protect food and the water supply.He assumed a proactive role in the community, advocatingthe establishment of a dairy farm for the regular supply offresh milk for children and ill people (albeit only for theEuropean community), as well as actively criticising un-sound medical practice such as the wasteful use of quininefor fevers inaccurately diagnosed as malarial in origin.Indeed, he encompassed the roles of physician, scientist,and administrator. In recognition of his work in Hong Kongand China, in 1886, Aberdeen University conferred onhim the honorary degree of LLD, being the first academicbody to show official recognition of his distinguishedattainments in science. In 1972, the Sir Patrick MansonGold Medal was established by the University of Hong Kongto pay tribute to his contributions to medicine and theUniversity. Since its inception, the medal has been awardedto individuals submitting an MD thesis with outstandingmerit and serves as a stimulus for the pursuit of excellencein research.Hong Kong Med J Vol 9 No 2 April 2003      147AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to acknowledge Professor SK Lamof the Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, andProfessor SP Lee and Professor JS Fine of the School ofMedicine, University of Washington, for their kind supportfor the research upon which this work has been based.KKY Lai, MDVirology and Chemistry DivisionsDepartment of Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Washington, Seattle, WA, USJLY Chan, MLS, AHIPYu Chun Keung Medical LibraryUniversity of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong KongKKT Lai, BSGDepartment of PathologyUniversity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USG Schmer, MD, MPH&TMTR Fritsche, PhD, MDDepartment of Laboratory MedicineUniversity of Washington, Seattle, WA, USReferences1. Choa GH, “Heal the sick” was their motto: the protestant medicalmissionaries in China. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press;1990:168.2. Choa GH, The life and times of Sir Kai Ho Kai: a prominent figure innineteenth-century Hong Kong. 2nd ed. Hong Kong: The ChineseUniversity Press; 2000:58.3. Manson-Bahr PH, Alcock A. The life and work of Sir Patrick Manson.London: Cassell and Company, Ltd.; 1927.4. Mattock K. Hong Kong practice: Drs Anderson & Partners—the firsthundred years. Hong Kong: Drs Anderson & Partners; 1984:16.Further reading1. Evans DE, editor. Constancy of purpose: an account of the foundationand history of the Hong Kong College of Medicine and the Faculty ofMedicine of the University of Hong Kong 1887-1987. Hong Kong:Hong Kong University Press; 1987.2. Harrison B, editor. University of Hong Kong: the first 50 years,1911-1961. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press; 1962.3. Jay V. Sir Patrick Manson: father of tropical medicine. Arch PatholLab Med 2000;124:1594-5.4. Patterson EH. A hospital for Hong Kong: the centenary history ofthe Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. Hong Kong: Alice HoMiu Ling Nethersole Hospital; 1987.

Sir Patrick Manson: good medicine for the people of Hong Kong

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Sir Patrick Manson: good medicine for the people of Hong Kong

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