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Report on the Ophthalmic Department of the Tung Wah Hospital by Dr. Harston.
In making my report with reference to the ophthalmic department of the Tung Wah Hospital I have in the first place to thank the Directors of this institution and through them Dr. JEU HAWK, for their invariable courtesy and ready acquiescence in any suggestion of mine for the benefit of the patients.
The ophthalmic department, as mentioned in last year's report, was opened in December, 1905, and work has been continued uninterruptedly to the present date.
Hours of Attendance.
Originally patients were seen on Thursdays from 5.00 p.m. At first patients were few in number but the growth of the department as soon as it became known amongst the Chinese was extraordinary. On more than one occasion as many as fifty patients were present.
Those who are acquainted with the time and trouble that have to be expended over each individual case to ensure accuracy of diagnosis and treatment will not be surprised to learn that often one could not leave the hospital till nearly 8.00 p.m. on these occasions. I must therefore take this opportunity of thinking Mr. LEUNG CHIK FAN, Mr. TAN TEK SENG and others from the College of Medicine for Chinese, who have assisted me in the work.
I have now placed an extra day at the lisposal of the hospital and attend on Mondays as well as Thursdays. The department is growing so fast that it might eventually be necessary to add still another day, though this would fall rather heavily on one who has a busy private practice to attend to as well."
Objects.
The objects of this department are two‘old :-
(1.) The relief of the appalling amount of suffering from eye disease existing
amongst the Chinese.
(2.) The practical training of, Chinese Students of medicine in this special subject to enable them more effectually to relieve their afflicted fellow country-
men.
Prevalence of Eye Disease in Hongkong,
With regard to the first of these objects, it has always been the opinion of oculists at home and on the Continent that Egypt was par excellence the country where eye diseases flourish most. A slight acquaintance with the Chinese calls for a modification of this opinion. The Egyptian Government has recently made most laudable endeavours to cope. more effectually with the ravages of eye disease more especially with the infectious oph- thalmias by instituting a system of travelling hospitals and these have been a great success.
In Hongkong these infectious ophthalmias are always extraordinarily prevalent. I may mention here that in 1905 I made a systematic examination of the eyes of the children in three of our large charitable institutions in Hongkong, the result was the astounding revelation that over 70% of the children were affected with Trachoma. I considered it my duty to make a report on the subject to the Sanitary Board. The Board was interested but shrank from adding to its many labours. I can only add that should the Government, which at present is evincing such interest in Hygiene as far as school children are concerned, ever desire to deal with the subject my services if wished for will be, as far as the exigencies of private practice permit, at His Excellency's disposal.
The infectious ophthalmias have formed the bulk of eye diseases treated during the year.
This obtains at all eye hospitals but the relative proportion of those attending at the Tung Wah Hospital for these complaints is far higher than is the case at say the London eye hospitals, not even excepting the Royal London (Moorfields) Ophthalmic Hospital which is on certain days inundated with immigrants dumped in East London.