409
Typhoid Fever.
The number of cases of this disease during the year was 73 as compared with 66 during 1906 and 90 in 1905; eighteen of the cases were imported,
The European cases numbered 48, while the Chinese cases numbered 12, and 13 cases occurred amongst the other races in the Colony. Twelve of the European cases, one of the "other Non-Chinese" cases and all the Chinese cases died. The case mortality among the European cases was therefore 25 per cent.
In most of the cases of Typhoid Fever that occur in this Colony the infection is probably contracted by eating salads of raw vegetables, which have been grown in Chinese market-gardens, where it is customary to water and manure the plants with diluted human excreta-both urine and night-soil. Residents in the Far East should carefully avoid such articles of food as water-cress, lettuce, etc., in view of this danger of contracting Typhoid Fever, Cholera or Intestinal Parasites, all of which diseases may be conveyed in this manner.
It will be seen from the above figures that this disease is much less prevalent among the Chinese than among Europeans in this Colony, the ratio of cases to population being in the case of Europeans 4:78 per 1,000 and in the case of Chinese 0-038 per 1,000.
Cholera.
Seventy-four cases of Cholera were imported into the Colony on board one steamer during the autumn; one of the cases was a European, 72 were Chinese and the remaining one belonged to the class "other Non-Chinese". Thirty-two of the Chinese cases died. The great need of a quarantine station was demonstrated anew by this outbreak and steps have since been taken to meet this want. They will be referred to in the Report for 1908.
Small Pox.
During the year 341 cases of Small Pox were certified, of which 14 were European, 314 were Chinese and 13 were of other races; eleven of the cases were imported. One of the European cases, four of the "other Non-Chinese" cases and 270 of the Chinese cases died.
The number of vaccinations for the year was 6,799 (7,450 in 1906).
Diphtheria.
Forty-three cases of Diphtheria were notified throughout the year. Sixteen of these were Europeans and four were "other Non-Chinese" leaving twenty-three Chinese cases. Most of the cases of Diphtheria occurred during the earlier months of the year, and follow- ed an outbreak during the last three months of 1906. Diphtheria has been comparatively rare in this Colony and it is somewhat significant that so extensive an outbreak should follow the great Typhoon of September 18th, 1906, with its consequent wholesale pollution of the atmosphere by the dead bodies of men and animals.
All of the Chinese cases died, and one European child also died.
Puerperal Fever.
Only three cases of this disease were certified throughout the year, all of these in Chinese. The average number of known deaths from this disease for the decade ending 1904 was eleven.
The scheme inaugurated in 1905 for supplying trained Chinese midwives to attend the poor in their own houses has proved most successful, largely owing to the supervision exercised over these women by Dr. ALICE SIBREE, who is engaged in medical missionary work in the Colony. Three of these midwives were employed at the beginning of the year, and in March the number was increased to six. They have attended 578 confinements dur- ing the year as compared with 188 during 1906, and they exercise a general supervision over