336
Annexe E.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE
HOSPITALS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
During the year 1905 a total of 43 cases were under treatment for various infectious diseases.
A list of these diseases is shewn in Table II. A large majority of the patients suffered from Plague-27 males and 6 females. Four patients were admitted with Relapsing Fever, remarks on which cases will be found later on in this report. Two cases of Diphtheria were admitted. These were of an extremely mild nature and but for a bacteriological nature would have been pronounced cases of mild sore throat; they did well and recovered completely without any sequelae. Two cases were admitted reported to be suffering from Plague, these were diagnosed to be suffering from Tubercular Adenitis, and Suppurative Adenitis. The case of Acute General Miliary Tuberculosis was sent to the Hulk Hygeia" in a very early stage, suspected to be a case of incipient Small-pox: this disease, however, not developing the patient was transferred to Kennedy Town Hospital where he succumbed.
PLAGUE.
The outbreak during the year was not so extensive and widespread as in former years, but the type of disease was more severe and the mortality high. The cases notified officially amounted to 304-and of these only 33 came under treatment in this hospital-26 males and 7 females; and 45 cases in the Tung Wah Plague Branch.
Varieties of the Disease.
Only two varieties occurred among the cases admitted-the Bubonic and the Septic- 28 cases of the former being 85%, and 5 cases of the latter being 15%. No cases of Pneu- monic or intestinal Plague were admitted. The Bubonic variety seems to have been especially prevalent in the Colony, for I find on examining the figures supplied me by Dr. PEARSE, the Medical Officer of Health, that 226 of the 304 notified cases were of this variety.
Incidence on Males and Females.
Males as usual were affected in a greater proportion than females, 26 males having been admitted as against 7 females-78% and 22% respectively.
Incidence as regards Age Period.
The numbers are too small to be dealt with effectively, or to draw conclusions from. Table VII shews the age period in each variety. It will be seen (1) that most of the cases occurred between the ages of 11 and 35, (2) that Septic Plague occurs at earlier age periods than Bubonic.
Variety of the Disease in relation to Sex.
Among the males 23 suffered from Bubonic Plugue and 3 froin Septic Plague: among the females, 5 had Bubonic Plague and 2 Septic
Males-Bubonic Plague,.
Septic
""
Females - Bubonic
Septic
J
Mortality.
..700 per cent.
9:0
..15.0
6.0
the
The disease was of great severity, as shewn (1) by the apparently rapid onset, (2) by very short duration of the illness, (3) and by the extensive pathological changes found after death. These changes were especially in the direction of hæmorrhagic extravasations