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Do you refer to 1894 or any special period ?--I refer to 1891, 1892, 1893, when I made my chance visits to the Hospital.
Latterly, have you seen overcrowding?--I do not know if I could give a special date, but I know that on several occasions when I have been there since the present improvements were introduced the wards where the sick are have been overcrowded.
Dr. Ho KAI-Can you give any example of any ward?--I have seen a ward on the left-hand side going past the doctor's house with from 25 to 28 patients and even over 30. I do not know the measurements of the ward.
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THE PRESIDENT-What made you think the ward was overcrowded?-The num- ber of patients to the floor space and air space; granting the ordinary space required by a patient in a tropical place like Hongkong the patient did not get the amount of space he should have had.
ward.
With regard to filth, where did you notice that?-In every ward and outside every
Dr. Ho KAI--Was it on the floor ?--Yes; on the walls, bedding, clothing, and the cubicles when they were there.
THE PRESIDENT--Do you consider that the same state of things exists now ?—No; the cubicles are not there now, and it is very much cleaner; in fact the Hospital is fairly clean now.
So that your remarks as to the filth apply to a former state of things?—They do; the Hospital might be cleaner even yet, especially the clothes of the patients, outside the wards, the verandahs, and the lobbies. The walls are not so bad now because they get a periodical white-wash.
Do you consider the Hospital is in a fair sanitary condition ?--I do not think there is enough light or enough air. Generally speaking, there is not enough air space.
If a sanitary expert stated that the Hospital was in a fair sanitary condition would you consider that statement correct or not ?—I cannot give you an answer to that until I know who the so-called expert is.
Do you
consider it is in a fair sanitary condition ?-Taking medical considerations into account, I do not think it is. There are wards where the patients are suffering from blood poisoning of every description where they are a distinct danger to every- body in the Hospital suffering from open wounds.
Which are these wards?--I have not been there every week, but I speak more especially of the surgical ward.
How many cases of that description have you seen there ?--I should say over a hundred during the last two years.
How do they constitute a danger to other patients in the ward ?—Through contaminating the air and spreading infection.
Have you traced any infection from any of these cases?—I have seen half-a-dozen patients there with healthy wounds who have contracted blood poisoning in the wards. I have seen a man who was suffering from septicemia take off his plaster and give it to a man in the next bed to him, and that man has died.
How
many cases would
not say, perhaps 15 or 20.
you say have come under
your own observation ?—I could
Can you give us dates approximately when you saw these cases ?-During most of 1894. I have seen them during 1895 since the present cleaning has gone on.