285
-
only disease among the opium smokers that could be put down to opium. At the same time I am not of opinion the debility is directly so caused, as their powers of digestion are not impaired and the result of their treament is as follows:-
No.
1,
2,
བ
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
1
Age
years.
No. of years as smokers.
..40
..32
.64
.70
...35
..63
.70
Consumption.
per diem. 3 mace 1 mace
5 mace
Weight on Weight at admission. end of first month.
94 tbs.
91 lbs.
99 lbs.
100 lbs.
101 lbs. * 100 lbs.
THIT
3 mace
2 mace
2 mace
3 mace
99 lbs.
100 lbs. 98 lbs.
90 lbs.
105 lbs. 102 tbs. 102 tbs.
94 lbs.
The sole treatment these prisoners received was Quinine mixture with low diet for the first few days, and then the full ordinary diet of the Gaol. They all but the one marked with * increased in weight and that one was only in Gaol two weeks; he lost no weight.
The lightest weight of these 7 was 90 lbs. on admission, whereas the lightest weight among the opium smokers admitted into Gaol was 80 and he was never under treatment at all. The average weight of the opium smokers was about 105, and 28 of them were up to or over the average weight of Chinamen admitted into Gaol which is about 110 lbs., that is giving a very liberal average from calculations made. My strongest chair coolie who is a giant compared with 99 out of every hundred in the Gaol, only turns the scale just under 130 lbs. It takes a great deal of fat and muscle to make up for the smallness of bone in Chinamen. Again I have to state that I find no special symptom as the result of opium smoking or its immediate stoppage. On the list of opium smokers the men range from 18 to 70 years of age, having been smokers from 1 to 52 years, and consuming from 1 to 5 mace. As I have stated a Committee of Inquiry is at present sitting on the subject of overcrowding in the Gaol. The question is whether the system can be rendered according to European ideas sufficiently deterrent to prevent overcrowding or whether we shall be compelled to increase the accommodation for the increasing number of scoundrels coming from China proper, for not one in a hundred is born and bred in Hongkong, or been a resident for as much as ten years.
I recommend a further reduction of diet, which years ago was reduced to what it is now on my recommendation, and I still think, as I said years ago, the system of giving, from 10 to 20 strokes of the rattan for petty thefts, &c., instead of from a fortnight to three months' better entertainment in board and lodging with lighter work than any coolie has outside, would do some good as a deterrent, That is the system pursued in India, and if the Indians can bear the rattan, I don't see why the Chinese cannot.
GOVERNMENT LUNATIC ASYLUM.
Table XId shews the number of admissions, nativity, sex and disease of patients received into this Institution. The number of admissions have been larger than usual and have in the majority of cases been received from ships in harbour, Coast Ports and Japan. It is a question whether this Colony should be saddled with the keep and expense of sending to their own country of destitute insane patients from the Coast Ports, and the matter has been referred to the Secretary of State. Of course in all cases in which their nationality can be proved, the Consuls pay their expenses. The building, which has been now in use a year, has proved all that can be desired in the accommodation it affords. Three remained at the end of the year. Most have been sent to their native countries incurable.
TUNG WA HOSPITAL.
The total number of patients treated in this Hospital which is entirely managed by Chinese Directors and Doctors was 1,967. Of these 1,006 died. The number of out patients treated was 111,878.
The number of moribund cases admitted was 283.
The number that remained in Hospital at the end of the year was 99.
The number of Patients, admitted to the Small Pox wards was 36; of these eighteen died. The majority of these patients were children.
The number of Vaccinations performed in Hongkong and Kowloon was 2,120. The chief reason for the great mortality in this Hospital is that most of the patients, when admitted, are hopeless cases, the Chinese having a great antipathy to going into Hospital at all except in the last extremity, or in cases of utter destitution.
TEMPORARY LOCK HOSPITAL.
The new Lock Hospital being still occupied as a portion of the Civil Hospital, the private houses mentioned in my previous reports are still occupied for this purpose and are barely sufficient to meet the requirements. I hope, as I said in my last report, to be able to state next year that the patients are transferred to the new Buildings.
Table XVa gives the number of patients admitted for the past 28 years and the average number of days detention which is 15.6, showing that the majority of cases are of a mild type.