The principal decrease in fines has been from Government Contractors, who have done their work better this year.
Table XVIII is the Meteorological Report for the year, in which it will be observed that the rainfall was 94.70, which has only been exceeded by two years out of the last ten. The temperature has also only been exceeded by two years out of the ten.
As regards sanitation, especially of the Chinese quarters of the town, it progresses but slowly. The only improvement in the houses lately built that I have noticed, is they are not so liable to take fire, having less woodwork about them, but whether this can be called an improvement is doubtful in town where a fire in the Chinese quarter, at least, might be looked upon in the light of a sanitary dispensation of Providence. Says Dr. B. W. RICHARDSON in one of his works, "Pure air, pure water, purity from damp, pure light and equable temperature. These are the five fingers of the right hand of health." I should be glad to know any one of these necessaries of health was ever discovered in a Chinese house. Pure air is hardly to be obtained in houses without chimneys, or with such as will not work. Pure water Chinese do not get much of, and it is not likely to continue pure long after being carried into a Chinese house. Purity from damp! why the whole of the back of the houses where the kitchens are reeks with it; the walls are not only saturated with water but also with urine. Pure light! how much light of any sort gets into a Chinese house? Equable temperature,--well you do get that, it is equable enough to suffocate any but those inured to it. The nearest approach they get to the five fingers of the right hand of health is in Gaol, though, as regards air, even there a very great deal might be done still.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES, Colonial Surgeon.
Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL TO THE COLONIAL SURGEON.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 22nd April, 1880.
SIR,-I have the honour to forward the Hospital statistics for the year 1879, with observations thereon.
The Hospital work during the past twelve months has been carried on under many and great disadvantages.
When the year opened, the Superintendent and the Hospital staff had just been installed in the Lock Hospital building at West Point. The staff consisted of the Portuguese Steward, who did the dispensing as well as he could, a Portuguese, who performed some of the Steward's duties, the Chinese Clerk, one Portuguese and one Chinese Wardmaster, and a number of Chinese coolies. Nearly all the stores of bedding, clothing and drugs, and Hospital furniture and fittings had been destroyed in the fire, and had to be replaced; and the limited space of the Lock Hospital building had to be adapted as far as possible to the requirements of the Civil Hospital Establishment. This adaptation entailed a certain amount of carpentering and bricklaying, and the building itself being somewhat out of repair, it had to be thoroughly overhauled; the business of the Hospital being carried on as usual during the alterations and repairs.
The cold was severely felt both in the beginning and end of the year, but stoves have now been placed in most of the rooms which were not so provided.
accurate.
The description of the temporary Civil Hospital building contained in my last report, is tolerably accurate. The accommodation for patients, however, is there overstated, as, if each patient in the large wards be allowed 90 square feet and 1,200 cubic feet of space (not a large allowance), the numbers which can be accommodated must be stated as under:-
Ordinary cases, 29 Special, 12 Private, 7 (Medical and) Surgical 4 Venereal 1 Female 1st Class 2ndwas replaced with a proper table format to better represent the data. Also, minor corrections were made to improve readability and adhere to the original content.