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Enclosure 2.
Report from the Medical Officer in charge of Gaol Hospital.
VICTORIA GAOL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 24th February, 1890.
SIR, I have the honour to submit a Report together with Statistical tables of the work done during 1889 in the Gaol Hospital.
2. It is gratifying to be able to state that the number of admissions into the Hospital was much smaller than it had been for the two preceding years. It amounts to only 244 men, 28 of whom were admitted on the first medical examinations (Vide Tables K. and L. and Table O. for the particulars of those 28 cases).
Table K. shows also these various admissions monthly.
3. Although we had eleven cases of erysipelas and five of carbuncles, they were with a few excep- tions, of a mild form. Four prisoners died in the Hospital. These deaths resulted from pleuro-pneu- monia, remittent fever, plastic bronchitis, remittent fever and acute pernicious anæmia.
One prisoner committed suicide by hanging himself in the cell on the same day in which he was sentenced.
4. The rates of sickness and mortality are given in the Table N.
5. The comparative immunity from serious disease during the past year is due, I think, to the im- proved sanitary condition of the Colony.
In this Gaol, as you are aware from your long professional connection with it and as Chief of the Medical Department, strict attention is always paid to hygienic injunctions.
6. Owing however to the fact that the prisoners belong to different social classes and occupations and come from all parts of the world, it happens sometimes that disease is seen in the Gaol long before it is met outside in the wards of hospitals. I was very much surprised when I found in the month of September of 1887, that a Chinese youth, who had been only nine days in the Gaol, was attacked by small-pox.
You will recollect that he was released on medical recommendation, by His Excellency the Governor, and sent to Tung Wah Hospital.
According to your Annual Report, small-pox did not become epidemic in the Colony till towards the end of November. Strange to relate, the case mentioned above was the only one which occurred that year in this Establishment, notwithstanding that small-pox prevailed in the neighbourhood. But in the following year in 1888, small-pox again made its appearance inside this Gaol, three prisoners suffering from it during the month of January and March.
7. The names of some cases that were attended outside the Hospital are given in the Table M. They reached a total of 217, which is greatly in excess of that of the previous year. No fewer than 74 prisoners had scabies.
Hitherto it has not been the custom to publish in the Annual Returns such diseases as trichiasis, small boils, pharyngitis and a few others which do not present serious character, yet these diseases and the treatment adopted are always registered in the books.
8. In this category is included a rather common complaint observed amongst those who go bare- footed and carry shot and stone.
The plantar surface of their feet are subject to one or more superficial abscesses about the size of a green pea.
It would appear that cold weather favours its formation.
Of the 28 cases treated last year, 11 occurred in the month of February, 8 in March, while only 2 cases occurred in the month of April and 1 in May and June.
There were 40 such complaints in 1888. I am told that some Chinese purposely walk over any rough pointed ground that may present itself, with a view to developing these abscesses.
Almost all these cases were very easily cured by making a small incision for the pus to escape, and by applying afterwards a hot poultice over it.
9. Malingering is frequently resorted to by prisoners to evade punishment or for getting light labour.
This would at times have been very difficult for me to detect, but for the ready and able assist- ance which I always get from the Gaol Officers and above all, from the warders FLORES and HAMED.
10. Two prisoners, who were found to be suffering from leprosy, were deported. One of them returned to this Colony and was again committed to Gaol for larceny.