404
BERI-BERI.
There were 361 deaths of Chinese from Beri-Beri during the year, as compared with 197 deaths in the previous year. The number of deaths among the floating population alone was 66.
The deaths were evenly distributed throughout the year as will be seen from the following table:-
January,
February,
March,
April,
May, June,
33
July,
26
August,
27
September,
80
October,
33
November,...
31
December,
180
25
27
25
31
41
32
181
ACCIDENTS.
Among the accidental deaths of Chinese will be found no less than twenty (together with one Non-Chinese death) as a result of the collapse of buildings, none of which were occasioned by fires. This appears to be a very heavy mortality from an obviously preventible cause, and suggests that a very much greater amount of supervision over the actual work, both of construction and of the repair of dwellings, is needed in this Colony.
In the large Cities of England it is eustoniary for the Municipal authority to employ a number of Inspectors of Buildings, whose sole duty it is to watch the progress of construction, and of repairs to existing buildings, and to report at once any defects observable in the old work thus exposed, or any breaches of the Building laws. In this Colony much of the constructional work is left entirely in the hands of Chinese contractors, without the supervision of the Architects who designed the building or the alteration (except in the case of important European buildings). and it would seem therefore that such a staff is even more urgently needed here than at home. The matter is one which concerns the Sanitary Board only so far as the unnecessary loss of life is concerned, but on these grounds alone the Board would, I think, be justified in making a strong representation to the Government on the subject.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The total number of cases of infectious discase reportel by registered medical practioners during the year was 1.225, of which no less than 1,086 were Bubonic Fever. As this disease has been dealt with in a special report dated October 31st, 1900, the following table shows only the remaining 139 cases of the other infectious diseases: during the previous year the number of these diseases notified
was 151:
Infectious Disease.
1st Quarter. 2nd Quarter. | 3rd Quarter.
4th Quarter
Total.
Enteric Fever Chinese,
Į
European,
14
9
9
Other Asiatics,.
1
༢༠༠
3
א
.
34
12
18
44
3
7
European,
1
Small-pox
Chinese,
16
6
1
23
Other Asiatics,.
1
3
European,
Diphtheria
Chinese,
7
9
Other Asiatics,.
1
1
Puerperal Fever-Chinese,
1
5
11
Scarlet Fever-European,
Cholera-Chinese.
1
1
1
1
Total,
48
30
23
38
139
Of these 139 cases, 29 are known to have been imported, while in many other cases the source of infection could not be traced as the bodies were found in the street or in deserted houses. Twenty-one of the imported cases were Enteric Fever and seven were Small-pox, while the only case of Cholera reported during the year was also imported. The question of the medical inspection of all vessels, immediately on their entering the Harbour, is still in abeyance, pending the appointment of an officer who shall devote the whole of his time to this duty. There can be no question that such a provision would protect the Colony from the importation of many cases of infectious disease which are now unrecognized until after landing, or even escape detection altogether.