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established at Yaumati, as I before suggested, it would not only have benefited the poor class living in the neighbourhood, but would also have somewhat lessened the number of prisoners in the Gaol, as those patients, who now resort to this city for treatment and are arrested for begging in the streets, would cease frequenting it if they obtained medicines free of charge there.
8. During the plague epidemic in this Colony, the quantity of disinfectants in daily use in this Gaol was doubled and every precaution was taken to prevent its introduction. Three Chinese, a few days after being incarcerated, showed symptoms of the disease which, I believe, was contracted outside the Gaol, as it may be inferred from the following brief notes:-One of them, 46 years old, was sentenced on the 19th of May to two months' hard labour for neglecting to report a plague case.
He was confined in a special cell together with two others who had been convicted of a similar offence. On the 27th he had plague, and on the same day he paid his fine and was released. Another patient, aged 21 years, got one month hard labour on the 5th of June, for stealing from person. I passed him as fit for work, but on the 8th he had fever and was kept in Hospital. Gradually the signs of plague became manifest. You will recollect that you and Surgeon-Major JAMES saw this man on the 13th. He was released next day. The other man, an old offender, 45 years old, was sentenced on the 12th June to fourteen days for fighting. On the 20th I had to examine him for punishment for not having picked all his oakum. I noticed that he did not look well; he was feverish, temperature 99°2. He was immediately put in Hospital. This man stated that he had felt sick for the last three days. He complained to me some days previously of constipation and was treated accordingly. On the 21st he was also released. All these three patients were conveyed to the Epidemic Hospital at Kennedytown. It is generally admitted that the mean period of incubation of plague is five or six days or about a week. It is evident that these men had contracted the disease before their imprisonment. This Gaol was as fortunate in the late plague epidemic as it was in the small-pox epidemic in 1889.
9. In the Female Gaol some prisoners were under treatment for considerable time, three women who had been convicted of breach of plague and one of small-pox Ordinance, were put on observation. Another woman was also under medical observation, as there was doubt about her sanity. Her mind was found to be affected.
The Matron, Mrs. M. NOLAN, has continued to discharge satisfactorily the duty of nurse.
10. The sanitary condition of both Gaols may be pronounced to have been good. The admissions into Hospital would have shown a considerable reduction on those of the previous year but for 34 prisoners that were sentenced for trespassing in the infected area and for other offences against the plague Ordinance and were kept for observation for twenty days. One of them, as already stated, had the symptoms of plague developed a few days after being admitted. It was also thought prudent, as in the case of the female prisoner, to keep on observation a man who had neglected to report a case of small-pox.
11. Many serious injuries which have occurred cannot be said to be accidental, but have been self inflicted by the prisoners to escape from hard labour. Some prisoners let the shot fall upon their feet causing big wounds and fracturing bones, others hurt their fingers, or preferred flogging, which leave indelible marks, rather than work at the crank. A high percentage of these convicts for want of food or help to emigrate where they could get decent living are committed to Gaol again.
12. The supply of lymph having ran short for about three months, there was an interruption in the vaccination of the prisoners, but I do not think it was of much consequence, for, as I have stated before, the majority of the Chinese prisoners are found to have been vaccinated or inoculated when very young in their homes.
The subjoined table gives the number of the prisoners that have been vaccinated since it was first started :-
Year.
Total number of vaccination and re-vaccination.
Taken.
Failed at first vaccination and re-vaccination.
Total number of those who have been vaccinated or inoculated outside
the Gaol.
1888
2,051
1,354
697
1,951
1889
2,060
1,445
615
2,057
1890
1,736
1,024
712
1,722
1891
2,836
1,090
1,346
2,521
1892
2,625
1,985
640
2,618
1893
1,417
763
654
1,325
1894
747
242.
505
746