Page 31 - HKU Surgery 110 Anniversary E-Book

Chapter I: The Cradle of Our Origins

The First Student

Manson had a skilled team working as Mainland China, India, the Straits
alongside him at the College, Settlements and the Federated Malay
including surgeons Dr James Cantlie States. They paid an annual tuition
(who would succeed Manson as fee of $50 and for years, tuition fees
Dean) and Dr Gregory Jordan and and donations were the only sources
the volunteer practitioners. Their of income for the College. Many
success in advancing Western returned to their home countries
medicine in Hong Kong would rely because, as Dr Sun found in Macau,
heavily on the students they taught they were actually allowed to practice
– including one very famous student. medicine there.

The future revolutionary leader and “A very large number of minor
founder of the Republic of China surgical operations, such as opening
in 1912, Dr Sun Yat-sen, was in of abscesses, catheterisation, reduction
Hong Kong in 1887 and had been of simple dislocations and of
assisting as a dresser, or surgeon’s fractured bones, removal of nasal
assistant, at Alice Memorial when polyps and other small tumours etc.,
the College opened its doors. He was [were] performed in the Out-patient
among the College’s first class of 12 department by the visiting medical
students, who attended lectures in officers, the house surgeon, and the
the morning and late evening and senior students.”
acted as dressers during the day. - 1890 Annual Report of the AMH
Sun became close with Cantlie and -
was one of the first two students
to graduate, earning a distinction. The College was renamed the Hong
Later, he spent a brief time in Macau Kong College of Medicine in 1907,
and Guangdong before launching followed quickly by the offer of a
into revolutionary activities. But large donation and government
his experience at the College left willingness to grant land. But before
a deep imprint. On a visit to The that could happen, the new Governor Dr James Cantlie (left) lecturing to students of the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese.
University of Hong Kong in 1923, he Frederick Lugard announced his new
told his audience that the University pet project to establish a university in
– which was established on top of the the city. In 1912, the College instead
College – had been his “intellectual became the Faculty of Medicine of
birthplace”. the new University of Hong Kong
(HKU). During its 25 years as an
Other students came from further independent entity, the College had
afield for the opportunity to be admitted 128 students, of whom 60
trained in Western medicine, such graduated.

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