, 1870-03-01

medical. Districts, and every DlStrlCt-SurgeOu
allowed q yearly salary Of sEI20, with the obi
cation for them, without any additional pay to
render medical aid and to furnish medicine to all
children of the Iaboring classes under 9 years Of
age ("alI handicraftSmcn mental and prndiaI
servants, boatmen and p%orter5'), and to yacci-
nate such children, likewise also t6render medi-
cal assistance and to furnish medicine to all
poor and helpless individuals until they can be
removed to the public hospital,-and to indi-
gent women in childbirth. 1t is apparent from
the aforementioned Act that the regulation had
been occasioned by a d$proportionateIy large
mortality among "the ilaant children of the
laboring popuIation',. which was attributed to
the want of medical aid and it deserves to be
particularly noticed, that according TO state
ments in the "BeportS" for 1865 which were
submitted to the British Parliament, the popu-
lation in ST. Christopher had in the first half
of 1894 been upwards Of 25, 900 SOuIS, but dur
mo the course of that year it had suddenly been
so reduced by the loss Of about 4 600 lives by
Cholera, that the census Of LIST January 1855
only showed a total number Of 20,74lRSouIS
but the census Of 9Th April 1861 Showed that
the population had increased to 24,14O; iAthe
intervening 81 years it had thus increasedS with
almost 600 yearly and it was asserted, that
the natural increase i'll the SUcCccding'4f years
may be estimated TO 300 yearly, the increase in
the same period by immigration was estimated
to 200, so that The population at the end ofJS65
could be calculated,at about 27,O0O souls In
St. Croix the population according to the census
of 9th October 1853 was y, 1852, and according
to canSus of 9th October 1850 :-23,l94l. That
thoA D|ligationS of the District Surgeons in ST.
CHI @ophcr do not extend to medical attendance
to tie adult IabOrers, when they can not be
cIasSed among the poor, is q natural consequence
of the different positions there Of the labOring
population, especially rural Iaborers, from their
position in ST. Croix.-A According to private
accounts the nUmber Of District Surgeons in St.
Christopher has afterwards been increased to Z,
and the salary to each increased to ST, 900 p. a.
The system already .estabIithed here in st.
Croix, where the Iaborers ON the estates are re
quired to pay a contribution towards the eXpen-
SEES for medical attendance to themselves and
families, affords a natural fundament for the
more extensive system of public medical ser
vice, proposed in this Draft, and it may even
with Justice be said that to the obligation now
resting on the laborers ought rightly to be con
nccted the condition that the physicians should
be appointed by the Administration, and notify
the personal choice of the employer" Z
His Excellency introduced the Draft of the
Ordinance and remarked, thdt besides the Draft
laid on the Councils table in Danish and
English, Autographed copies will be distributed
as soon as possible among the Council members.
He explained the contents Of the Ordinance and
recommended the members to read the motives
carefully as the matter was therein fully ex-
planned.
The Vice-C Chairman stated that the members
would be informed when the next meeting will
be held.
The meeting closed at q o'clock: