457
Annexe G.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER TO THE KOWLOON-CANTON
RAILWAY.
Dr. THOMSON had charge during the year until October 5th when he proceeded to England on leave and I took over the work from that date.
Mr. NAIDU has been stationed at the camp at the North Face of the tunnel.
Although during 1906 no records of sickness amongst railway employees were kept, on account of there being no Medical Officer until towards the end of the year, it is obvious, judging from the state of things which prevailed during the summer of that year that a very great improvement has been made and maintained in the general health of the various camps; and the railway work has proceeded throughout the year with no hindrance on account of sickness.
The average number of inen employed, exclusive of European contractors and their employees, was approximately 2,400.
As these men have been scattered over the whole line from Kowloon to the frontier it has been impossible to keep an accurate record of all cases of sickness and case-books have only been kept at the two main camps, viz., North and South Faces of Beacon Hill Tunnel.
Dispensaries have been established at these two main camps and stock mixtures have been kept at Lokloha, Taipo, and Fanling.
At Taipo the railway employees also receive treatment and medicine at the Government Dispensary.
These is a European Sanitary Inspector at the North Face Camp, and scavenging coolies are employed at the larger camps to wash-out and whitewash frequently the coolie-sheds, kitchens, and latrines, to keep the nullahs free from.obstruction and prevent if possible the formation of pools, and generally to keep the camps in a state of cleanliness.
Nullah-training was found to be too expensive an undertaking to be carried out and kerosene oil has been employed as a preventative against mosquito-breeding.
The oil is poured over the pools in the neighbourhood of the camps every week. The various camps between Kowloon and Taipo are visited almost daily, Fanling and beyond at intervals.
The vast majority of cases of sickness have been due to Malarial Fever,-Simple Tertian and Sub-Tertian being general and Quartan rare. Injuries, Dysentery, Beri-beri and Parasitic Skin Diseases form the bulk of the remainder.
Five-grain Quinine tablets have been administered daily as far as practicable to all the coolies at the North and South Face Camps, and this measure has no doubt had a marked effect in reducing the number of cases of Malaria.
The administration of Quinine as a daily routine was commenced in July and there was
a steady decline in the number of admissions from that time.
Table showing number of men employed daily and number of cases of Malaria.
Average number of men employed
Jan. Feb. Mar. April. May. June. July. Ang. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dee.
3,176 1,565 2,819 |2,895 |2,215 |2,154 |1,834 | 1,717 2,454 2,634 |2,635 |2,213
daily,
Number of cases of
Malaria,
60
59
48
Percentage,..
1.9
3.7 1-7
59 166 185 203 117
2'03 74 8.5 11:01
85
62
2222
65
59
6.8 3-4 2.3 21 2.6
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