65
applied to the Pasteur Institute at Paris for a more virulent strain of the virus, and we hope to have better results this year.
If we can only diminish in this way the number of rats and at the same time persuade the Chinese to continue the periodical cleansing, we shall do much, I am sure, to diminish the annual prevalence of plague in this Colony.
We cannot expect, however, to be free of the disease until many of the insanitary and filthy dwellings in the crowded quarters of the City have been demolished and reconstructed on approved sanitary principles.
With this end in view the Government is voting an annual sum of money for the resumption of these insanitary areas.
Enteric Fever-This disease has been somewhat more prevalent, at no time however was it epidemic. 129 cases have occurred during the year, as compared with 44 in 1903, and 55 in 1902. Nearly one-half of these occurred during the last three months of the year. Thirty-three of the cases were imported.
Malarial Fevers.-To show the diminution which has occurrel since 1900, the
year in which anti-malarial measures were instituted, I give the admissions from this class of endemic diseases to the three Hospitals whose returns are given in these annual reports for the past four years:
Admissions from Malarial Fever.
1901.
1902.
1903.
1904.
Government Civil Hospital, ...... 787
349
346
221
Gaol Hospital,
98
63
93
59
Tung Wah Hospital,
508
404
205
210
Total..........1,393
816
644
490
At all these hospitals the diagnosis of this disease is made by means of the microscope.
The annual number of cases of malarial fever at these hospitals bas thus fallen in four years from 1,393 to 490, no clearer proof can be required of the efficacy of these measures.
Beri-beri.-This disease has been much more prevalent, 739 deaths having been reported, as against 397 in 1903. An enquiry into this disease is now being conducted by Dr. Koch and the Government Bacteriologist, and it is to be hoped that some light will be thrown upon this malady about whose etiology so little is really known.
Dengue. There were only 43 cases admitted to hospital, as against 123 in 1903, and 422 in 1902.
The following table gives the number of cases of infectious disease notified in each month of the year :-
Disease.
Plague,
Small-pox, ...
January.
February.
March.
April.
Enteric Fever,
3
19
8
Scarlet Fever,
1
Diphtheria,...
1
Puerperal Fever, Cholera,
May.
June.
July
September.
October.
November.
August.
December.
To-
tal.
3 4 40 135 194 | 96 19
3 14 24
9
5
510
10
6 3 }
1 2
64
6
8 6
10
17
34
12
129
1
2
2
1
6
1
}
6
16
19
5
41