137
Comparative Incidence on the Sexes.
Males are specially affected by the disease, 2,912 being admitted as against 206 females. This gives an incidence ratio of 14 to 1. We may consider this as re- presenting fairly accurately the liability of the sexes, and may infer that the causes operative in the production of the disease are more prevalent among males rather than that females are less susceptible to it. In evidence of this statement we may point to the fact that when the disease breaks out under what we may assume to be favourable conditions, females seem to contract it very easily, as witness for example the outbreak among the inmates of the Po Leung Kuk.
The ratio of incidence for the period under analysis is as follows :
1896.
1897,
1898,
1899.
Males.
10
11
20
16
1900,
1901,
...
13
***
14.5...
1902, 1903,
34
...
1904,
...
15.5
9.5....
Females.
1
1
1
+
1
1
1
1
1
When we consider the prevalence of the disease among the total population with especial reference to sex, we find the ratio as follows:
MALFS.
Year,
Estimated Population.
No. of Cases.
Ratio.
1895,
173,500
117
1-1,483
1896,
165,499
136
1-1,217
1897,
171,558
166
1-1,033
1898,
174,624
162
1—1,078
1899,
177,748
265
1- 670
1900.
180,967
335
1-
540
1901,
204,811
390
525
1902,
217,839
409
1
532
1903,
224,147
265
846
1904,
249,884
617
405
[In the year 1904 there were 667 admissions of males-50 however being im ported cases are omitted from this calculation].
The incidence among males is thus seen to be in the ratio of 1 to 823 of the population.
'Ainong the female population we find the incidence as follows:--
FEMALES,
Year.
Estimated Population.
No. of Cases.
Ratio.
1896,
61.211
13
1-4,701
1897,
63,452
15
1—1,230
1898,
64.586
8
1-8,073
1899,
65.742
16
1-4.108
1900,
66,933
25
1-2,677
1901,
75,753
27
1-2,805
1902,
76,461
12
1903,
82.903
17
1904,
92,422
72
272
1-6:371
1-4.876
1-1,283
PI[JL
for
1895 being only 1, is
admission
not calculated.