NERVOUS DISEASES.
529
The deaths of Chinese recorded under this heading number 843, and no less than 583 of these or 69.1 per cent, occurred in infants under one year of age, the alleged causes of death being Tetanus, Trisnius and allied disorders of a convulsive type.
The number of deaths from these diseases during the past five years has been as follows:-
1897.
1898.
1899.
1900.
1901,
.655
.572
...709
..816
..743
No less than 674 of these deaths or 90.7 per cent. are returned from one or other of the two Convents, the infants having been left there in a moribund condition. A further reference to these deaths will be found under the heading of "Age Distribution of Deaths."
MALARIAL FEVERS.
The total number of deaths among the Chinese from the Malarial Fevers was 541, as compared with 887 during the previous year, 532 during 1899, and 506 during 1898; this is equal to a death-rate. of 1.9 per 1,000.
The death-rate among the boat population alone, from this cause, was also 1.9 per 1,000.
The training of the nullahs on the outskirts of the City, as recommended in my Report for 1900, is the only practicable means of reducing the death-rate from this cause, while no time should be lost in securing an extensive European reservation in New Kowloon, within which the native popu- lation, other than a small number of personal servants, should not be permitted to reside, for it has been abundantly proved that the native population, and especially native children, constitute the main source of infection of this disease, the poison being conveyed by the Anopheles mosquito.
Fifteen deaths from Malarial Fevers are recorded as having occurred among the troops, and it would appear, therefore, to be especially necessary that all Barracks should be well isolated from the native population and that the sites should be most carefully selected and maintaine | free from mosquito breeding pools.
BERI-BERI.
There were 377 deaths from Beri-Beri among the Chinese during last year, as compared with 361 in 1900, and 197 only in 1899.
The following table shows the distribution of the disease throughout the year :-
January, February,.
March,
April,.
May,
June,
26
34
14
July, August, September,..
22
October,...
26
November,.
16
December.
138
23
40
47
44
51
38
243
As stated in previous Reports, I incline to the opinion that this disease is attributable to infected food, and most probably to damaged rice or other grain which has been attacked by some fungoid growth.
ACCIDENTS.
Among the accidental deaths of Chinese will be found 47 as the result of the collapse of buildings a matter to which I drew attention in my Report for 1900, during which year twenty deaths were so caused. There can be very little doubt that this is a preventible cause of death, and the obvious remedy is a very much greater amount of supervision over the actual work both of build- ing construction and of the repair of buildings, combined with a greater degree of legal respon- sibility imposed upon those who design and carry out such alterations or additions.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The total number of cases of infectious disease reported by registered medical practitioners during the year was 1,847 of which no less than 1,651 were Bubonic Fever (Plague); I have dealt with the outbreak of Bubonic Plague in a special report, and I also attach a tabular statement of the incidence of this disease throughout the year (Appendix A.) The following table shews the number of cases of the other infectious diseases reported during each quarter of the year:-