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THE PAUPER HOSPITAL in EARLY SINGAPORE (Part IV) (1850-1859) - Section 1

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THE PAUPER HOSPITAL in EARLY SINGAPORE (Part IV) (1850-1859) - Section 1 269 SINGAPORE MEDICAL JOURNAL ' . Vol. 16. No.4. December, 1975. THE PAUPER HOSPITAL IN EARLY SINGAPORE (Part IV) (1850-1859) - Section 1 By Y. K. LEE A general introduction to the study of the Farm. In a memorial to the Governor they medical history of early Singapore has already wrote:6 been outlined. i Amongst the numerous natives comp- The history of the Pauper Hospital and Tan rising the inhabitants of this highly privileged Tock Seng Hospital from 1819 to 1829,2 1830 island, especially of our own countrymen, to 1839,3 and 1840 to 18494 has already been there are many who are unfortunately dis- documented. abled by sickness and various causes from In the decade from 1850 to 1859, the total maintaining themselves by honest labour population of Singapore increased from 52,891 and thereby obliged to wander in the prin- to 81,734 and the proportion of Chinese from cipal thoroughfares for alms. Although we 53 to 61 per cent. Waves of immigrants came sincerely acknowledge with deep thankfulness from China. Worsening conditions in China that a charitable institution has been built due to the Taiping Rebellion had driven thous- for their accommodation, yet the want of ands of peasants to the ports of Amoy, Canton funds renders the necessity of raising a and Swatow, where hungry and poverty-stricken, monthly subscription contributed by the they were recruited by brokers and left China shopkeepers, but this gratuitous under- as indentured labour, the great majority to taking, we beg to respectfully apprize your South East Asia. Singapore became the distribu- Honour is not an easy expedient. About tion centre of Chinese labour throughout the three years ago, we had submitted a peti- British and Dutch territories in the region. tion praying for the restoration of the Pork Singapore was a town predominantly of men Farm and suggesting the appropriation of and of transient immigrants. 85.8 per cent of its revenue for the relief of the distressed the total population, and 93.5 per cent of the patients of the Pauper Hospital, through Chinese population were men. your Honour for transmission to the Supreme Government of Bengal, but as yet With this background, the history of Tan we humbly remind your Honour that no Tock Seng Hospital for the decade 1850 to 1859 reply has been to us. view will be traced. vouchsafed We our settlement as highly favoured by the The Governor-General, the Marquis of condescending visit of the Most Noble the Dalhousie, made a three-day official visit to Governor-General. We have prized this Singapore from 17th February to 20th February most favourable opportunity of renewing our 1850. During his short visit, the Governor- humble supplication for the gracious besto- General visited public buildings and institu- wal of the charitable object aforementioned tions and made himself acquainted with the summed up in the accompanying petition affairs of the Settlement. This included a visit addressed to the Most Noble Marquis of to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which "was filled Dalhousie, which we humbly and earnestly with destitute and diseased Chinese, and aid request may be submitted to his Lordship was solicited for it on the ground of the great and supported by your Honour's powerful influx of these pitiable sufferers". The Governor- recommendation. The gratitude to which General donated 1,000 Rupees to the Hospital. your Honour shall be entitled from both of The Chinese merchants seized the opportu- ourselves and the afflicted will truly be nity of the Governor -General's visit to submit inexpressible, should our humble effort be a petition for the re-establishment of the Pork crowned with success.... The Singapore Free Press reported that "His Lordship expressed some doubts as to the Toa Payoh General Hospital, Singapore. policy of such a piece of class taxation, but he Y. K. LEE, A.M., M.D., F.R.C.P. (London), F.R.C.P. (Edin.), hinted that if farm was not re-established, F.R.A.C.P., F.C.L.M.,LL.B., Senior Physician. the some assistance might be afforded to the Hospi- DECEMBER, 1975 270 tal from some other source."7 Action was taken It was complained that maimed, blind, soon after the Governor -General's return to lame and diseased Chinese were brought in India (vide infra). crowds from beyond the seas and left upon shores to seek shelter in the Pauper A few days after the Governor -General's the or to fill the streets with loathsome visit, Tan Tock Seng died on 24th February, Hospitals obvious that this evil had "Justice of the Peace and one of our worthiest beggars. It was chiefly, if not entirely, from the faulty and richest Chinese merchants."7 arisen system in the use of the old pork monopoly, The orders of the Governor -General -in - when a revenue was levied for the express Council respecting the revival of the pork tax purpose of keeping up a lazaretto for all and Tan Tock Sing's Hospital were made on decrepit and disabled Chinese who might the 11th April 1850, and were transmitted by be found unprovided for about the Settle- Government of Bengal in a despatch to Gover- ments, and under this encouragement there nor Butterworth on 29th April 1850.8 was never any want of qualified inmates. It There would be no restoration of the Pork was apparent also that the more limited Farm nor grant of money for the hospital. An institution at present kept up must be open Act to prevent immigration of diseased paupers in a great degree to the same abuse, unless was under study, and in recognition of Tan the wholesale influx of diseased paupers Tock Sing's generosity a small hospital establish- into the Straits was restrained by law. An ment would be granted, but only to look after Act for this purpose has been under the the sick and not for the healthy paupers. The consideration of Government for some time Governor -General's visit to Singapore when he past, and this was again pressed upon his saw for himself the circumstances of the settle- Lordship's attention by Colonel Butterworth ment, had achieved more than frequent peti- at Singapore. This Act will receive the early tions, memorials and despatches sent from attention of the Legislature. thousands of miles away. The Pauper Hospital at Singapore receives . The application of the proceeds of medicines from Government and its duties any given tax to a particular object is in are performed in a creditable manner by the itself objectionable. All imposts should be Civil Surgeon, Mr. Traill, who appeared to paid alike into the general treasury, and if labour under great difficulty for want of the these intentions were declared, the Governor- usual subordinate assistants. The Governor- General -in -Council apprehends the Chinese General -in -Council on this ground and more residents in the Straits would cease to solicit in recognition of the liberality of Tan Tock the re-establishment of the tax. The Gover- Sing, would be disposed to assent to a small nor-General has inspected the several hos- hospital establishment being granted. The pitals and other public institutions and extent of this aid will best be regulated by works. The Hospital and Poor House at the Government of Bengal in communica- Singapore built by Tan Tock Sing appeared tion with the Governor of the Straits. In to his Lordship to be an excellent building. adjusting this aid, care must be taken not to It was filled with destitute and diseased make any allowance for the establishment the inmates of which Chinese, and aid was solicited for it on the to the Poor House, of Lordship -in - ground of the great influx of these pitiable should, in the opinion his Council, be required to do all the work for sufferers, and also on the ground that the themselves and on refusing to do so, they to a similar institution in Government gives should be ejected from the asylum and annual Malacca a sum by way of subscrip- treated as offenders against the law if found tion. again as vagrants in the street." is . The Governor -General -in -Council Before this despatch arrived in Singapore, disinclined to the grant of money to the the Senior Surgeon's Annual Report on the Hospital at Singapore for same reason that Civil Medical Department for the year 1849/1850 he objects to give the proceeds of the pork was received by the Governor and forwarded to tax for its support, namely, that his Lord- Bengal on 22nd May 1850. Parts of the section ship -in -Council fears that such an act would on Tan Tock Sing's Hospital will be quoted to tend to aggravate the evil rather than to show that if Tan Tock Sing had not died pre- cure it. maturely, he might have endowed his hospital 271 SINGAPORE MEDICAL JOURNAL with funds; that in the Senior Surgeon's opinion, means of opinion that under existing circum- Government should provide for the local stances it would be expedient to make it a paupers; that the Medical Officer of the hospital place of too great attraction. We are placed was placed in a ridiculous position where he was here under much peculiar circumstances. expected to practise medicine with all facilities The immense migrating population poured denied him; that the large numbers of immi- into this Settlement annually from China grants who created special problems should during the junk season, and which may be be curbed; that the hospital did not serve its estimated at from 10-12,000, who do not function as a hospital, it was used only to keep come to reside but merely make this place a the paupers out of sight:9 centre from whence they radiate to all parts ..
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