ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COLONIAL SURGEON (FOR 1879).
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 4th May, 1880.
SIR,
I have the honour to forward my Annual Report for the year 1879, together with the usual Tables showing the working of the different Establishments in my Department.
I also forward the Report furnished by the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital concerning the working of that Establishment. I regret that my Report has not been sent in before, but the absence of the Superintendent on leave caused some delay in furnishing the Hospital Report and Tables.
POLICE.
The health of the European and Indian Police has been much better than in 1878, but the Chinese portion of the Force has suffered more severely from sickness, the admissions to Hospital being nearly double that of the previous year.
The Police Hulk and Aberdeen have furnished between them more than half the number of sick. Special Reports have been made on both these Stations. Aberdeen is an unhealthy district, but much has been done lately to improve the Station, and it is hoped some improvement in the health of the Police Force stationed there may be shown this year. The Police Hulk is old and rotten, is greatly deficient in accommodation required, and has, I believe, been condemned.
But though sickness has been much greater among the Chinese, there have been only two deaths among them as compared with one last year. The mortality among the Indian portion of the Force remains the same as in 1878. The mortality among the Europeans being three this year as compared with one last year. One died while away on leave; another was accidentally drowned.
Many of the Police Stations are greatly deficient in accommodation and cubic space, the Chinese, especially, sleeping in much overcrowded rooms, the Central Station and the Police Hulk being among the worst in this respect.
TROOPS.
The numbers admitted to the Military Hospital show a considerable increase, though the mortality among the Troops has decreased by two as compared with 1878. Yet, though more have been admitted to Hospital, the percentage of sick as regards strength shows a slight decrease, as will be seen by reference to Table IV.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.
The buildings occupied by this Establishment were totally destroyed by fire, December 26th, 1878, and in the beginning of the year 1879, the Lock Hospital was given up for use as a Government Civil Hospital, there being no other building in the Colony equally suitable in accommodation.
It is needless to say that this building falls very short of the requirements of a general Hospital, but as Aladdin's Lamp is not in possession of the Government, the loss of a Hospital is not to be repaired in a day.
I am happy to say there appears some prospect of the new Civil Hospital being completed by next year. Still the accommodation afforded by the Lock Hospital is not so despicable as might be supposed; it is in every way far superior to the building that was occupied as a Government Civil Hospital when I arrived in the Colony in 1873, and the quarters occupied by the staff, as well as the wards occupied by the sick, are much larger as well as lighter and more airy.
The staff of the Hospital now consists of the Superintendent, a properly qualified European Apothecary and Analyst, a Steward, a Clerk, a Portuguese Wardmaster and a Chinese Wardmaster, both of whom have been in the service some time, the latter over sixteen years. The Nurses, all Chinese, are a better class and better paid than they were, and are similar in all respects to the nursing staff of the Naval Hospital.
The staff as I found it in 1873, consisted of the Superintendent, an aged, unqualified Apothecary, who was Clerk, Storekeeper, Collector of Accounts, Hospital Record and Apothecary all rolled into one. How he did all the work, and how he managed to do it so well as he did, is a marvel to me. There were also two European Wardmasters, both being continually reprimanded for drunkenness, and both were ultimately dismissed for that reason. The Chinese Nurses were by no means as good as they are now, nor were they as well paid.
I think that the staff we now have is all that is required. I do not think there is any necessity for another Surgeon; on an average there is not more than three hours' work for one to do daily. I have done the work of the Superintendent for many months at a stretch, as well as my own, without inconvenience to myself or the patients. I am only aware of one case that has not received prompt attendance, and that might have been avoided. As a rule, where injuries are so severe as to require immediate attendance, they are generally past help by the time they are brought to Hospital.