430
21. The total number of days spent in Hospital in 1886 by members of the Force was 7043: in 1885 it was 4574; about half as many more days were spent off duty on sick leave.
22. Table V shows the varieties of disease among the patients generally, with the mortality from each.
23. Nine cases of typhoid fever were treated, of which one died.
24. Fifty cases of Dysentery were received, of which four proved fatal.
25. Four hundred and six cases of what may be called Hongkong fever were treated, with a successful result in every case but one, this latter came from Aberdeen.
Given a sub-tropical climate, a teeming population, a deficiency of water, defective drainage and a large town built with but little regard to sanitary principles, and the result is inevitable. Very few of the inhabitants escape deterioration of health, and a large and yearly increasing number suffer from attacks of fever and dysentery.
It is a common belief that this so-called climatic disease is to be attributed to disturbance of the soil, however slight in extent, but where the atmosphere is laden with foul odours from the sewers, from the surface pollution and from the reeking foreshores, these latter must be held accountable for a large share of the sickness in Hongkong.
1
26. Four Cases of Beri-Beri were admitted from a Siamese Brig, the European Mate and three Malay Seamen. They had made a long voyage from Bankok to Hongkong, had run short of provisions, and had suffered from exposure. The symptoms resembled those of scurvy, with paralysis of the extremities superadded. The treatment was directed to improvement of their general condition, with galvanism of the legs and arms, and they all recovered. A careful record of these cases would have been valuable but it was not possible to keep it.
27. Fewer cases of Enthetic disease were treated in Hospital in 1886, but it does not follow that it was less prevalent in the Colony.
28. Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatism scnt 27 patients to Hospital, of which one died.
29. Anaemia was accountable for 35 cases, Phthisis for 21, of which 5 died.
30. There were 8 admissions with ascites, all of hepatic origin, and two died.
31. Four cases of paralysis of the extremities were treated, these are sometimes registered
as Beri-Beri; with constitutional treatment and galvanism they usually recover.
32. Injuries to the eye were somewhat more frequent than in 1885.
33. Pulmonary affections were not more numerous.
34. Bowel complaints as usual caused a large number of admissions; with fewer deaths, however, than in 1885.
35. There was a large increase in affections of the liver. Among them were two cases of abscess. The first was a European Police Constable, he was treated with the aspirator, and the abscess afterwards freely laid open. He eventually succumbed, and post mortem several other large abscesses and a number of small ones were discovered.
The second occurred in a Sikh Constable, who made a good recovery after the abscess was opened with a scalpel and a drainage tube inserted.
36. Renal diseases were somewhat more frequent.
37. Three cases of stone in the bladder were admitted, in two, the stone was successfully extracted by lateral lithotomy, and the third was not willing to remain long enough in Hospital for operation. 38. Three women in labour were admitted for instrumental delivery, one of whom, was too far gone for recovery. In 1885 there were seven such cases.
39. Abscesses and surgical affections brought in the average number.
40. Poisonings were more numerous, no fewer than six opium cases coming in, of which however, four arrived too late for successful treatment.
41. Wounds of all kinds and all degrees of severity were very numerous as usual.
Gunshot wounds being on the increase. Fractures simple and compound were more frequent than in 1885; no fewer than 49 being admitted, of which seven proved fatal.
42. Operations were more numerous than in 1885.
43. Seventy-nine deaths occurred in Hospital during the year, and the number would have been larger but that some of the hopeless cases among the Chinese were removed by their relatives.
44. The receipts from patients in 1886 were larger than ever before, and amounted to $10,313.23 of which $2,501.50 was derived from the Board of Trade, and $1,036.15 from the Police.
45. In 1885 the receipts were $6,653.74, of which $1,618.50 came from the Board of Trade, and $690.87 from the Police.
46. The visiting Justices have made frequent inspections of the Hospital during the
year, and their reports have invariably been favourable. They have on several occasions suggested improvements in the building and fittings, such as the laying on of hot water to the bath rooms, the removal of the high wall which shuts in the south side of the Hospital enclosure &c., some of their suggestions have been acted on, but the two mentioned have not been carried out.
47. The collapse of the Steam Laundry Company left the Hospital dependent on the Chinese washer- men and the result is not satisfactory. One of these days, perhaps, the Hospital will have its own laundry.