432
Table II. gives the average strength, rate of sickness and mortality.
Table III. shows the admissions to hospital from the different stations and districts in each month of the year. Aberdeen continues much healthier and there were less admissions from Hunghom and Yaumati. No. VII Police Station contributed 67 admissions; additional accommodation is to be pro- vided by building a new Police Station for the west district, this is undoubtedly an urgent necessity, as that at No. Vil is very inadequate.
The following table gives the total admissions to hospital and deaths in the Force for the last ten years:
Year.
1889,
1890,..
1891,..
1892,.
1893.
1894,.. 1895.
1
1896.
1897
1898,..
Admissions.
590
Deaths. 14
582
7
570
7
496
7
522
6
505
15
466
8
588
14
526
488
7 19
TROOPS.
4. There has been a decided decrease in the number of admissions to the hospital as compared with 1897 notwithstanding that the strength of the Troops has increased.
From Table IV it will be seen that the rate of mortality was higher in the European troops but lower amongst the Indians.
The average daily rate of sickness is higher in both the European and Native troops, this being more marked in the former.
Of the 21 deaths no less than 12 were due to malarial fevers, there were three deaths from plague; but in no case was the disease contracted whilst on plague duty.
The following table gives the sickness and mortality among the Troops for the past ten years:-
1889,......
1890..
>
1891,...
1892,
1893,
1894,
1895,....
1896,
1897. 1898,.
Admissions.
Deaths.
1,732
16
1,915
15
1,851
17
2,844
31
2,927
28
2,905
39
3,099
28
4,274
19
4,455
15
3,896
21
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.
5. There were 162 more Asiatics admitted during the year than in 1897. Chinese avail themselves of the benefits of this Hospital as the following figures
Year.
1893,
1894,
1895,
1896,
1897, 1898,
*
Year by year more prove :-
No. of Asiatics.
613
783
1,054
1,126
1,188
..1,350
If it is the intention of the Government to meet this yearly increasing demand additional accom- modation will have to be provided.
The Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, when erected, will to some small extent effect this, but I am convinced that an entirely New Hospital supplying increased accommodation and arranged in accordance with the best modern practice will be one of the requirements of the Colony in the near future.
It is with deep regret that I have to record the deaths of two of the members of the Nursing Staff, viz., Sisters FRANCES and GERTRUDE.
They both succumbed to pneumonic plague contracted whilst in the performance of their duties. Sister FRANCES evidently contracted it from one of her Chinese ward boys, who was under obser- vation suffering from what proved to be the pneumonic form of the disease. This was the first case of the kind that had occurred here, the boy was only ill for 36 hours and rapidly succumbed.
Sister GERTRUDE must have contracted the disease whilst nursing Sister FRANCES. The loss to the Hospital occasioned by the deaths of these two ladies is well nigh irreparable, and I take this oppor- tunity of testifying to the untiring zeal and unselfish devotion which always characterised their work.
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