364
During the second quarter two cases occurred in Europeans, one of which was imported and the other was regarded by the medical attendant as a doubtful case; five cases occurred among Chinese, while one Indian constable also contracted the disease.
During the third quarter three British privates developed the disease in Barracks in Victoria and there were also two Chinese cases which were imported; while during the fourth quarter twelve cases occurred among Europeans, one of which was an imported case, and three were privates who developed the disease in Barracks; one Chinese case also occurred this quarter and one was a Portuguese.
It will thus be seen that out of a total of 37 cases reported during the year, 25 were Europeans, and of these, 5 brought the infection into the Colony with them, while 8 occurred in Barracks, leaving 12 cases distributed among the European civil community.
It is extremely difficult to say in what manner the infection was contracted in these cases; the usual sources of infection are contaminated water, milk or food supplies and emanations from defective drains.
In none of the above cases could any very definite proof be obtained, of the specific contamination either of drinking water or of milk, although it was found that two cases which occurred at about the same time, had obtained milk from the same source, and I am inclined to think that the ingestion either of raw oysters or of salads may have been the cause of some at least of these cases, since large quantities of nigh-tsoil are used by the Chinese market gardeners to irrigate the ground in which these salad vegetables are grown.
Steps have however been recently taken to ensure the proper provision of an adequate supply of pure water to all Dairies, and they are under the constant supervision of the Inspectors of Nuisances, while attention has also been paid to the quality of the water in the few wells which yet remain open. I append a return of the number of deaths from Enteric Fever which have been registered annually during the past twenty years, and from this it will be seen that during the past eleven years there appears to have been a most remarkable reduction in the number of deaths from this cause among the Chinese community, and one is almost inclined to attribute this in part, if not entirely, to an alteration in the nomenclature adopted by the Registrar General's Department, and not to any genuine reduction in the number of cases of this zymotic disease. The number of non-Chinese cases shows no such wide variations and this is doubtless due to the fact that each of these deaths has been certified by a registered medical practitioner.
CHINESE.
NON-CHINESE. | TOTAL.
CHINESE.
NON-CHINESE. TOTAL.
1877
145
5
150
1887
9
1878
89
1879
116
යය
3
92
1888
2
3
119
1889
1
1880
309
1
310
1890
1
1881
438
2
440
1891
6
752 SED
16
7
2
3
4
5
11
1882
679
10
689
1892
...
...
1883
262
1
263
1893
5
5
1884
132
1885
105
1886
9
7775
139
1894
2
4
.6
112
1895
10
5
15
14
1896
7
7
14
DIPHTHERIA.
Thirteen cases of Diphtheria were reported during the year, eleven of them being Europeans, one a Eurasian and one Chinese; one European case only was imported. In two instances only could direct infection from a previous case be traced, although certain of the cases were grouped within small areas; thus three cases occurred within an interval of three weeks in No 7, Health District during the earlier part of the month of December.
Two cases occurred in the Basel-Mission, one in the Italian Convent and one in the Military Hos- pital, while two cases occurred in Kowloon and a third contracted the infection there.
In several of the cases a defective condition of the house drains was discovered, and it is also interesting to note that some of them occurred in establishments or buildings in which cases have occurred in former years.
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Four cases of Puerperal Fever were reported during the year, three of whom were Chinese patients and the fourth an Indian. The deaths registered from this disease during the year were however 8, of which 7 were among Chinese; this compares favourably with the return for the pre- vious year, when 12 deaths occurred among the Chinese. It is gratifying to note that no cases of this disease occurred among Europeans during the year.
TYPHUS FEVER.
One case of Typhus Fever was reported early in the year, the patient being the Chief Officer of a coasting steamer; he was brought into the Colony from Canton, where he had contracted the disease, which speedily proved fatal.