517
on other two died, one of pyæmic abscesses of lung and liver, the other of multiple abscesses caused by galt stones embedded in the substance of the liver to the number of about one hundred. This patient was aspirated, but none of the small abscesses were hit on.
The two cases of strangulated hernia operated on recovered rapidly. One of them occurred in a coolie who had a right inguinal strangulated hernia operated on only one month before by Dr. THOMSON of the Alice Memorial Hospital. Dr. ATKINSON operated on the left one, and the man as I have said recovered rapidly. It is not often that a man has a strangulated hernia on both sides within a nonth and recovers from a double operation.
Of other operations which did well one was the case of a young sailor who had been in Hospital for some tine suffering from compound fracture of thigh.. Necrosis followed and he became very emaciated. Assisted by Drs. JORDAN and BELL and Surgeon-Major JAMES I removed the leg through the lesser trochanter, the difficulty of getting good flaps being insuperable owing to the existence of numerous sinuses. However, the leg was removed at this level because amputation at the hip meant death in this case. After the operation he remained collapsed for ten hours when his condition was so desperate that he was transfused with about four pints of saline solution at a temperature of 110° F. in the funnel of the transfuser. The pulse immediately improved and the state of shock disappeared. He recovered without a bad symptom, although convalescence was somewhat tedious. The points to remember in transfusing are to give plenty of fluid and let it be hot, say, 110° F. in the funnel, and most important of all is to give it before the patient is in extremis. This poor fellow was well and going about Hongkong in a chair when he contracted enteric fever and died a few days before the date on which he had arranged to sail for England.
A rare condition of affairs turned up in the person of a small Chinese boy, cet. 13, who was suffering from enormous hypertrophy of the gums of both upper and lower jaws. Very few of these cases are on record. Dr. NOBLE fortunately was able to get a pretty accurate mould of the growths. With the assistance of Surgeon-Major JAMES and Surgeon PENNY the upper jaw was first tackled and a considerable portion of it removed along with the tumour. Hæmorrhage was considerable, but no bad effects resulted from it. A month later the major portion of the lower jaw was removed, again with some considerable hæmorrhage. He was discharged when I was in Japan. There was no recur- rence of the tumours when he left Hospital, but I expect that in time they will recur; his present whereabouts are unknown.
21. Poisons.-The acute poisoning cases during the year included poisoning from morphia, calomel, fish, sewer gas, opium, datura, alcohol and chlorine, whilst the caterpillar plague in Kowloon introduced to our notice a peculiar form of cellulitis with anaesthesia in several of the men who had to handle tons of these animals. The disinfecting operations by chlorine gave rise to several rather. severe cases of poisoning by that vapour.
22. Vaccinations.-188 vaccinations were performed during the year.
Primary cases, Re-vaccinations,
Successful.
..69 ...90
Unsuccessful.
2 27
Total.
71
117
The vaccine supplied by the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon has again given most satisfactory results.
23. Fees. The fees received from patients in the Hospital amounted to $15,476.70, of which the Board of Trade contributed $3,080 and the Police $891.14. The fees received from patients treated in the Lunatic Asylums amounted to $551, and those for patients treated in the Small-pox Shed or Hygeia amounted to $385.50, the gross revenue from this source amounting to $16,413:20, a decrease of $1,800. On looking at the monthly receipts it is found that in May, June, July, August and September, a great reduction of revenue occurred. Plague again, I presume.
Twenty-one first class patients were treated, and one hundred and thirty-two second class.
I have to thank numerous residents who have catered for the patients' comforts and recreations. It is to be regretted that their kindness, especially to the seafaring population, is generally forgotten in our local Piccadilly-Queen's Road West-which to my mind, considering the size of the European community, is over-populated with bad grog-shops and worse liquor.
II-LUNATIC ASYLUMS.
24. There is very little to report on under this head. The total number of admissions was 47. Of these 9 were Europeans, 1 Coloured and 37 Chinese.
The number of deaths was 6, all Chinese. 19 Chinese were sent to Canton to a benevolent institu- tion there. 8 Chinese lunatics were transferred from the Tung Wa Hospital.
·
Wardmaster BAYLEY left on 31st July and Wardmaster MCKILLOP was appointed on 1st August. The two buildings are in good condition at present and very few repairs were necessary during
the year.
The fees for first class patients have been again raised, as also those for lunatics landed in the Colony from ships. The amount received in fees was $551.00.