Years.
XVI.--TABLE shewing the rate of MORTALITY among the FOREIGN RESIDENTS in Hongkong during the last 10 Years.
Number of European and
American Residents.
Percentage of Deaths to Number of Residents.
Deaths.
1878,
2,767
67
2.42
1879,
2,767
55
1.98
1880,
2,767
69
2.49
1881,
3,040
64
2.10
1882,
3,040
55
1.80
1883,
3,040
81
2.06
1884,
3,040
94
3.09
1885,
3,040
99
3.25
1886,
3,040
103
3.38
1887,
3,040
108
3.55
Average of 10 Years,..
2,958.1
79.5
2.612
Enclosure 1.
Report from the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 6th March, 1888.
SIR,-I beg to forward report of the work done at the Civil Hospital during the year 1887 with the usual statistics.
I arrived at the Colony in November 17th, and took over charge from Dr. THOMPSON on the following day.
I was very much surprised and perplexed at the state of affairs then existing at the Hospital. The two European Wardmasters were on their trial for robbing patients under their care.
To undertake the nursing of the patients in addition to the Chinese attendants who have practi- cally no knowledge of nursing, I had the services of two of the Army Medical Staff Corps to the end of December, who were of great assistance, and of CHAN A LOK the Chinese Wardmaster. The latter during his long period of service at the Hospital has acquired some practical knowledge in regard to nursing and is very useful as an Interpreter. Unfortunately he is leaving soon, wishing to retire, as he does not feel strong enough to continue his work.
As the services of the Army Medical Staff Corps men were not available two Wardmasters Mr. CUBIT a Policeman and Mr. CARNEIRO son of the Wardmaster of the Small-pox Hospital were appointed on probation for three months.
Meanwhile as the Nursing Staff of the Hospital generally seemed so inefficient, I had drawn up a scheme for the re-arrangement of the Nursing Staff, which was submitted to His Excellency The Governor. In this scheme I recommended that in addition to the two European Wardmasters who should be preferably retired Army Medical Staff Corps men, the obtaining of five European trained female Nurses, one to act as Head Nurse; this scheme is still under consideration.
Since my arrival there has been an epidemic of Small-pox. I have had under my care 111 cases of that disease, many of a very severe type. The present building which is used as a Small-pox Hospital only contains 10 beds. This had to be augmented, first by the erection of one and afterwards as this soon was filled, by the erection of two bamboo sheds. This has entailed a great deal of extra work upon the Hospital Staff. Fortunately the epidemic seems to be subsiding thanks in a great measure to the energetic measures taken by the Sanitary Department. I would strongly urge the necessity of the erection of an Infectious Hospital either on one of the Islands of the Harbour, or as far away as possible from any habitation, as the present building is quite inadequate for the treatment of such cases; also that such Hospital have a separate Medical Officer and Staff of its own. The sooner this is done the better, as the Colony is always liable to an outbreak such as this.
On refering to the Statistics it will be found that the Hospital Register contains 1,656 cases, 43 more than in 1886, of this number 619 were Police, seventeen more than in the previous year.
Table III shows the number from each station, Table V shows the varieties of disease a mongst the patients generally, with the mortality from each.
There were forty cases of Dysentery of which six proved fatal.
Nine cases of Typhoid were treated of which one died.