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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 23RD MARCH, 1872.
Table VIII. shows the rate of sickness and mortality. The building is always remarkably clean and in good order. The thick walls and long airy corridors keep it very cool in summer, and without any artificial heating the prisoners are kept comfortable in winter by an ample supply of blankets and warm clothing. A small room has been added to the East Wing, where the prisoners, on admis- sion, are inspected by the visiting Surgeon.
IV. THE LOCK HOSPITAL.
A full report of this Hospital will be found in Appendix II. with Tables A., B., C., D., E., & F., carefully compiled by the Surgeon Superintendent Dr. YOUNG.
Whatever may be said against the working of the "Contagious Diseases Act" at home, there can be no doubt that in Hongkong the results are most satisfactory and valuable. In Table C. it will be seen that out of the 460 men admitted to the Military, Naval, Police, and Seamen's Hospitals, 157 contracted the disease elsewhere than in Hongkong, and out of an average monthly number of 10,904 men in Port and Garrison, only 0.34 per cent per month were diseased.
The
Table X. shows the rate of mortality among the Foreign Residents for the last 14 years. The rate for 1871 is higher than usual but this is accounted for by the great mortality amongst the chil- dren of Portuguese, mostly from Small Pox, no less than 48 under 10 years of age having died. mortality amongst Americans, and Europeans, exclusive of Portuguese, was 2.48 per cent. This table of the annual death-rate of the residents would be of much greater interest could we learn the cause of death in each instance, so as to know what proportion of the deaths could be fairly attributed to the effects of the Climate. This could best be done by registration, and the production of a medical
certificate as to the cause of death.
There can be no doubt that there is ample scope for a Chinese Hospital in Hongkong. In the building formerly known as the I-tze Hospital 386 patients were received last year, and of these 157, or over 40 per cent, died. I have no doubt that the New Hospital will show better returns next year and encourage the hopes of the native merchants, who have so generously undertaken the good work.
The Committee have already done good service by appointing certain days for vaccination. Numbers of natives bring their children voluntarily to have the operation performed, and I can tes- tify to the very skilful and efficient manner in which it is done. In 1870 there were 233 vaccinated and in 1871 over 500. A vaccinator now pays weekly visits to the various villages in the Island. On his first visit to Sow-ki-wan he vaccinated 30 children. It is evident that the knowledge of this valuable discovery is beginning to spread amongst the Chinese, and as increased numbers of the rising generation undergo the operation, so in proportion will their liability to epidemics of Small Pox be diminished.
Table XII. gives the result of the Meteorological Observations recorded at the Government Civil Hospital in 1871. The summer of 1871 is generally allowed to have been one of the coolest that we have experienced for many years. Although the thermometer reached a maximum of 89°, the almost daily occurrence of showers of rain and the unusual prevalence of Easterly winds, rendered the past hot season peculiarly mild and salubrious. The winter months were characterized by a degree of cold, scarcely ever known in Hongkong. On the 13th December the summit of the
mountain of Tai-mo-shan on the mainland was seen to have a covering of snow, and on the 14th of the same month, ice was found so low as the level of Caine Road. On comparing the weather tables of previous years it is found that what were known as unhealthy years seem to depend, not so much upon extremes of temperature as upon a small annual range of the therinometer. During the so-called unhealthy years of 1865 and 1870, the annual range was only 41° and 43°, respec- tively. In 1867 and 1871 the range was 51° and 53° and both of these years have been peculiarly healthy.
The prevalence of Easterly winds and the consequent abundance of rain during these two years had doubtless a material influence on the temperature.
The spring of 1871 was dry and cool till the last week of April, when the heat became rather trying and continued so until the middle of May, when the rains commenced. During the first six weeks of wet weather Fever and Diarrhoea were prevalent. The chill produced by the fre- quent fall of the temperature, particularly at night after a shower of rain, was no doubt conducive to those diseases. As regards the Diarrhea, I am inclined to think that the quality of the drink- ing water may have been injuriously affected by the first washing of the ground after the long drought, more especially as the reservoir was at that time nearly empty. That impure drinking water has anything to do with the production of Malarious Fevers is not probable, as it has been proved in China that ships supplied with water from shore, so long as they lay a certain distance from land have enjoyed entire immunity from a malarious fever which was decimating the residents on shore. The new Reservoir at Pok-fo-lum, which was opened last year, is supplied by streams from the Southern and uninhabited slope of the hills, and is therefore not liable to be impregnated with impurities. It is satisfactory to know that during the height of the dry season the fall in the level of the water in the reservoir was only 9 feet.