1841-1886
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PRESENT STATE"
381
twelve years' daily use has enabled me to perfect, is appreciated by the Profession, and that they are brought into general use, as it is impossible to imagine anything that could be used better adapted to the purpose for which they are intended, or more likely to facilitate the carrying out of the Ordinance with advantage. The two points I have constantly kept in view being rapidity of employment combined with an effectual and searching examination, I believe that I have succeeded in attaining these objects. This, however, is no place in which to describe the instruments themselves.
Table XI. shows the approximative estimate of the mortality among the foreign residents in Hong Kong during the past thirteen years. It does not include deaths among soldiers, sailors, whether of the Navy or Merchant Service, nor those buried from the hospitals, who are usually non-residents. It has no pretension to accuracy, nor can it be any more than approximative, until some system of registration of deaths is introduced. This is a matter of the greatest importance, and really of more interest to every resident in the Colony than is generally supposed, for until it is possible to obtain proper statistics of the actual mortality and the cause of death, in all cases, a valuable aid is withdrawn from the medical practitioner in the treatment of disease.
Table XII. gives the usual information regarding the work performed by the Inspector of Nuisances attached to this Department.
Table XIII. shows the annual mean state of the atmosphere during the year 1870, as recorded at the Government Civil Hospital.
J. I. MURRAY, M.D., Colonial Surgeon.
SIR,
Hong Kong, February 28, 1871. I have the honour to forward to you the Annual Report on the schools in this Colony under Government supervision during the year 1870.
2. The state in which these schools are will be best seen by considering them under the following division:-The Central School, the Village Schools supported by Government, and the schools receiving grants in aid.
3. A reference to the Tables which are subjoined will show that the Central School continues to maintain its ground in point of numbers, the average for the year being a little higher than for any previous year. "Apprehensions of a falling off in the attendance may be said to have disappeared. The commercial prosperity of the Colony can hardly fall to a lower ebb than it has been at during the last few years, and, this being so, and the boys looking forward solely to mercantile employment, depression of trade, unless carried to a much further extent than has yet been experienced, can hardly be expected to interfere with the prosperity of the school. It is to be hoped that this is an indication of some appreciation of the school for its own sake rather than for any mere money-making for which it may be considered a preparation.
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