437
Private Paying Patients.-The number of First and Second Class patients for the past two years
has been as follows:
First Class, Second Class,
1895.
20
..101
1896.
65
146
It must, however, be borne in mind that many first class patients have had to be treated in second class wards and second class patients in third class wards on account of the accommodation not being adequate for our requirements.
The total number of Private Paying Patients was 632 as against 498 in 1895. NATIONALITIES.-Europeans,-There was au increase of 27 as compared with the previous, year. Coloured. The largest increase was amongst the Indians, 246 more having been admitted than in 1895. The Police account for 116 of this number; the remainder are principally destitute Indians who have come to the Colony in search of work.
Asiatics. From Table VII. it will be seen that of the total number treated 1.126 were Asiatics, the following figures prove conclusively that the Chinese are annually in increasing numbers availing themselves of the benefits of this Hospital:-
Year.
1898,
1894,
1895,
1896,
Number of Asiaties.
613
783
.1,054
......1.126
C
If it is intended that the Hospital shall nicet with the public requirements further accommodation will have to be provided.
This would be effected to a great extent by the addition of a Hospital for Women and Children, a much-needed requirement as at present there is no separate children's ward and third class European and Native women have to be treated in one general ward with the children.
Tung Wah.-A daily medical inspection of this Hospital was maintained during the year, 116 cases were transferred to this Hospital from the Tung Wal, 14 of these being carried over from the previous year.
The following diseases caused the greatest number of admissions:
Fevers:
Simple continued (Febricula),
Enteric,
Intermittent,
Remittent,
Syphilis..
Respiratory,
Digestive System,.
Alcoholismi,
Beri-beri,
Plague,
Injuries of various kinds,
20
17
.38.2
.123
.189
221
..166
51
54
34
.312
Deaths. Of the total number of deaths 25 were from Lung diseases, 21 from Injuries, 9 from Plague, 6 from Beri-beri.
Police. The total number under treatment was 122 more than in 1895. There was a decrease of 2 in the Europeau section of the Force, au increase of 116 in the Indian section and of 8 in the Chinese,
Gaol Officers.-There were 99 under treatment during the year as follows:-
Principal Warders, Warders.
Assistant Warders,
Turnkey's,
Gaol Guard,
Malarial Fever accounting for the greatest number of admissions, namely, 25.
6
26
22
9
36
The one fatal case was that of a European Warder, who died in July from Heat-stroke.
comm
Plague. -There were thirty-four cases under treatment during the year with nine deaths. Twenty-one of these cases were transferred to Kennedy Town Hospital, particulars of the European cases are briefly as follows:-
The first case, that of the daughter of Warder GIDLEY, was admitted on the 30th March and died the following day.
On the following day a Master Mariner, Mr. JAMES ERNEST CLOUD, was admitted. It is believed that he contracted the disease on board a Chinese launch running between Hongkong and Kowloon ; he too succumbed to the disease on the 4th April.