190
The number of sick is still high, and it is expected to continue so, as long as no improvement is made in the quarters provided for them, the Central Station, No. 3, 7 & 8 Stations and the Police Hulk being the most noteworthy for their crowded and unwholesome condition. Aberdeen Station has been better this year, there having been only 17 admissions to Hospital from this Station, as compared with 32 in 1880; this Station generally sends in fever cases of the worst type, but the improvements made seem to have had a good effect on the health of the men stationed there of late. I find also that the Police are not provided with water-proof coats, so that they are often wet through day after day in the rainy season, another reason for so much sickness amongst them.
Sickness
among
TROOPS.
the troops seems to be still on the increase, the admissions to Hospital in 1881 being 1,116 as compared with 1,075 in 1880.
The number of admissions to Hospital and deaths for the last nine years are shewn below.
1873. 1874.
1875..
1876..
1877.
1878.
1879.
1880. 1881.
Admissions to Hospital.
Deaths.
1,446
12
.1,067
10
716
9
563
2
973
9
944
10
..1,035
8
..1,075 1,116
13 4
I think that three things may have something to say for this increase, and those are the amount of undergrowth or jungle on the hill sides above the barracks on the south side of the Queen's Road, of which there seenis to me far too much, and should, I think, be cleared away periodically; another is the fouling of the streams by the washermen, some of which are now little better than large open sewers; and as regards the barracks on the north side of the Queen's Road, the drainage surrounding them and opening into the sea on the Praya from which the most unbearable and unwholesome stenches proceed at low tide.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.
This Establishment still occupies both the old and the new Lock Hospitals. Though these buildings are far superior to those used in previous years for the purpose, they are by no means sufficient in accommodation or fitted for a purpose for which they were never designed. The plans sanctioned some four years ago by Sir MicHAEL HICKS-BEACH for the new Government Civil Hospital have not been carried out or anything been done towards it. Repairs and many things required have been put off time after time, the proposed plans for the new Establishment always being expected to be shortly proceeded with. As concerns the new Lock Hospital, instead of water closets earth closets were ordered without consulting the Medical Department, with a result that is both unpleasant and certainly prejudicial to the patients, there being no urinals either. It is not to be expected that a patient suffering and often in great pain should trouble himself about dry earth; it is impossible unless the staff already large is largely increased to keep men continually on the watch at these closets; the consequence is the dry earth system is so incompletely carried out as to become comparatively useless. The pans provided as urinals the patients never trouble to pick up, but use standing, and more often the drain trap of the bath room is used as a urinal; the consequence is that the floors and walls of the closets are always polluted with urine and the whole place becomes disgustingly offensive notwithstanding the frequent use of disinfectants. To keep these closets in anything like order, there ought to be a man looking after each of them night and day, and this would necessitate a staff of sixteen men alone to work these closets only. I pointed them out to Mr. CHADWICK, the late Sanitary Commissioner sent from Home, and he entirely agreed with me that such contrivances were most unsuitable for a Hospital. Sir MICHAEL HICKS-BEACH in his dispatch gave special directions concerning the construction of the Hospital water closets and latrines, but none of these have as yet been carried out. I regret not being able to coincide with Surgeon- Major MURRAY, the Acting Superintendent, that the dry earth closets have acted even "fairly well" for the reasons I have given above as well as for those he gives himself.
There is another matter to which I wish to call attention and that is the number of severe injuries in the way of contusions, fractures, and wounds admitted to the Hospital of late years, many of which come from aboard ship and are the result of injuries received while in a state of drunkenness, from falls from the rigging or down hatchways, or in drunken brawls in which any weapon that comes handy, the sailors sheath knife marlin spikes, &c., is used. The chief way liquor is obtained by seamen on
notice.
board is from the Chinese bumboats and others, this has been the cause of much trouble to the Cap- tains of, and medical men in attendance on the vessels, who have brought the matter to my Could not something more be done to prevent this illicit sale of liquor in the harbour? which is always of the worst possible kind.
The admissions to Hospital this year have been more numerous and are as follows, compared with last year.
1880.
1881.
Police,...
588
498
Board of Trade,
80
117
Private paying Patients,
132*
193
Government Servants,
47*
67
Police Cases, Destitutes,
101*
139
107*
222
1055
1236
This shews a startling increase in the number of destitutes, and of this class of patients the numbers have been increasing yearly. The Government servants are principally Gaol Officers whose Outside they are obliged to live in quarters inside the Gaol and outside are very unsatisfactory. similar houses to the Chinese, all the small houses that formerly existed, suitable for Europeans, having been absorbed in the mania for building Chinese houses for the purpose of selling them. Consequently it is impossible for men of this class to obtain decent habitation for themselves and their families.
The total number of admissions to Hospital was 1236 a larger number than usual as shown in the following suminary of the last nine years.
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880 1881
Admissions.
952
829
1,010
1,000
950
1,289
1.071
1,055
1,236
The number of the deaths was slightly more than last year, being 49, but even so was much below the average, as the following figures indicate.
Year.
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880 1881
Deaths.
55
95
59
36
49
50
55
44
49
In 1877 there were 49 deaths to 950 admissions, this year, with 1236 admissions, the deaths were only 49. The year 1878, in which the greatest number were adinitted in all the nine years viz. 1289, the deaths were only 50. This shows that the type of disease admitted to the Hospital is for the most part of a very mild character.
Table V shews the characters of diseases admitted to Hospital. Fevers, Bowel and Chest com- There has been this year a larger plaints and Venereal disease are the chief causes of admissions. number of cases than usual, of wounds from various causes, principally contused and incised.
Table VI shews the Rate of Mortality in the Government Civil Hospital for the past ten years and the past year compares very favourably with the previous years.
Table VII shews the admissions and deaths during each month of the year as usual, the summer months from June to October are credited with the largest number.
Table VIII shews the number of dead bodies brought to Hospital, there is a very large increase, the number being 144 as compared with 103 in 1880.
*These figures were by some wistake inaccurately given in the printed report for 1880 and are now corrected.