In an enclosed report by Mr. MCCALLUM of analytical work done, is an interesting account of the water supplied to the town, which it is pleasant to know is a good potable water in spite of its very unpleasant appearance and when filtered is very good drinking for Europeans, for the Chinese they must put up with both the dirt in it and the limited supply they are able to get. Another analysis made some time ago of the water from one of the largest streams in the Colony, passing through the Military grounds to the sea showed the water to have been so defiled by the washermen and squatters on the hill sides as to render the stream below them nothing better than an open sewer. From the opening of the sewers not being carried far enough out into the tide way and the want of thorough flushing the stench along the Praya Wall is most offensive, especially so on a hot day when the tide is low. I think I have said enough, though I have not mentioned the markets and after all it is a mere reiteration of what has been said in former reports, and as far as I can see what I may still continue to complain of in future ones.
I have the honour to be Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
Honourable F. STEWART, LL.D.,
Acting Colonial Secretary, &c.,
&c.,
&c.
PH. B. C. AYRES, Colonial Surgeon.
LABORATORY
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 1st February, 1881.
SIR, I have the honour to lay before you a report of the work done in the Government Laboratory since taking up my appointment in November 1879.
On arrival I found there was no laboratory and scarcely any Apparatus, Appliances, Chemicals, &c. An indent was therefore made for such articles as were considered necessary and these arrived from England in May, in the meantime no adequate laboratory had been provided and some difficulty was experienced in even storing them safely.
On the opening in July of the New Lock Hospital as an addition to the Civil Hospital, a room was placed at my disposal in which some work could be done.
Forty-five Analyses have been made including a few researches for poisonous substances in cases of suspected poisoning.
Finding that the milk supplied for the use of the patients in the Government Civil Hospital was largely adulterated with water, it was deemed expedient to examine the milk as sold by milkmen in the ordinary way of business, samples of cows' milk (in all 15) were purchased from different places and analyzed, the results are tabulated below. Water was the only adulterant detected, and although this may be considered as merely a dilution of a valuable food, yet the question arises, is the adulterant used pure, judging from its source it is not likely to be so. It was observed that all the samples rapidly entered into the lactic fermentation, when once started, no doubt, this was aided considerably by the comparatively high temperature; it was however a sure sign that the houses used as dairies had received scant attention as regards cleanliness. As milk has been traced to have been the source of infection in some cases of infectious disease, it is desirable that these milk shops be made subject to inspection to see they are kept clean and fit places for dairies.
Owing to the usually turbid and yellowish appearance of the water obtained from the Pokfoolum water supply, a monthly sanitary analysis has been instituted, the results for the last three months of 1880 are given below. When filtered this is a good potable water, both the mineral and nitrogenous organic matter being low. In its unfiltered state the matter in suspension is considerable at all times and after heavy rain is excessive, this could, however, be almost entirely removed by an efficient filtration before entering the aqueduct, such filtration would tend to oxidise and destroy the organic matter present in and at the same time improve the appearance of the water.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES Esq., M.R.C.S., &c.
Colonial Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals.
HUGH MCCALLUM, Analyst.
Sanitary Analyses of water from Pokfoolum water supply.
Degree of Hardness Grains per gallon Parts per Million 1880 October 3.5 0.7 0.018 0.060 1.2 November 3.1 0.6 0.010 0.040 1.0 December 3.0 0.5 0.010 0.046 1.0All had a yellowish, opalescent and turbid appearance.
Analyses of 15 samples of milk purchased in Hongkong.
6 Genuine 2 Adulterated with 10 per cent. water 1 11 per cent. water 1 14 per cent. water 1 20 per cent. water 1 22 per cent. water 1 40 per cent. water 1 Deprived of Cream. ColostrumHUGH MCCALLUM, Analyst.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 6th March, 1881.
SIR, With reference to your request that I should estimate the morphine value of the different preparations of opium used for smoking purposes and furnish you with what information I could relative thereto, I have the honour to lay before you the following remarks.
The morphine value of the different preparations of opium depend chiefly on the amount of extract yielded by and the percentage of morphine present in the crude opium from which they were prepared. Now as opium varies considerably in this respect the preparations thereof will vary accordingly. There is also more or less loss of morphine during the preparation of smoking extract, the loss being greater the longer it is submitted to moist heat and the higher the temperature. Making due allowance for variations from these causes, the results obtained from the different kinds examined, and stated below, may be taken to fairly represent their average percentages of morphine.
Indian opium, average morphine value of 5 to 8 per cent.; quantity of smoking extract yielded by ... 70 to 80 per cent.
1st Quality of prepared opium, from Hongkong opium farm yielded 5.86 per cent. morphine.
2nd Quality of prepared opium, from Hongkong opium farm yielded 7.30 per cent. morphine.
Cake prepared opium from a coolie smoking house said to have been prepared from opium dross yielded 6.28 per cent. morphine.
Opium Dross, (scrapings from opium pipe) yielded 4.76 per cent. morphine.
Average quantity of extract yielded by 65 to 70 per cent.
It is generally assumed that the effect of smoking opium is similar to that of eating it and that this is principally due to the morphine it contains; this assumption appears very problematical when the following facts are taken into consideration.
1st. That Indian opium is the kind most prized by smokers and it is characterised by its usually low percentage of morphine.
2nd. That the Chinese estimate the value of opium according to flavour and the quantity of extract it yields.
3rd. The mode of preparing smoking extract tends to the destruction of morphine.
4th. The large quantity which can be smoked without any apparent toxic effect not only by habitual smokers but also by beginners.
5th. There is no authentic case of acute poisoning from opium smoking.
An experiment has been made bearing on this point and although not conclusive it is confirmatory of the idea that morphine is not the active agent which gives pleasure to the opium smoker.
Description of Samples of Prepared Opium Submitted for trial Opinion of a Chinese Expert, in one of the Opium Firms, Hongkong Opinion of a Nine Years Opium Smoker No. 1.-Prepared Opium from Opium Farm Is fairly good, is a mixture of Bengal Opium and something else Good No. 2.-Prepared Opium, minus morphine Is black and coarse, smell fairly good, is not Opium Coarse, but can be smoked, contains Opium with some other mixture, is not so good as No. 1 No. 3.-No. 1, with 10 per cent. morphine added Very coarse and black burns like charcoal, contains no Opium Not very good No. 4.—No. 1, with 20 per cent. morphine added Same as No. 1 Fairly good, but not so good as Nos. 1 and 3The prepared opium minus morphine was made from Patna opium having as little as possible of the other opium constituents removed with the morphine.
The samples were submitted without any remark beyond desiring an opinion as to quality. A second trial was made with similar results:
Description of Samples of Prepared Opium Submitted for trial Opinion of a Chinese Expert, in one of the Opium Firms, Hongkong Opinion of a Nine Years Opium Smoker No. 1.-Opium Farm prepared Opium, contained 7 per cent. morphine Appearance coarse and when burned becomes black and hard, it is Bengal Drug but not pure, it is mixed with some other stuff and has no taste Very good No. 2.—No. 1, with 15 per cent. morphine added Burns very quick and has no taste or smell of Opium at all Just like No. 2, only a shade better No. 3.-No. 1, with 25 per cent. morphine added Colour red and coarse when burned gives out plenty of smoke and leaves simply ash and no Opium to smoke When applied to the light burns like Opium, but in a moment it burns quite black and the dross leaves a bad smell. When burning gives out strong smoke No. 4.-Prepared Opium, minus morphine Same as No. 1 Same as No. 1. Not goodIt will be observed that the Chinese expert bases his opinion on the physical appearance of the extract, its behaviour in the flame of the lamp and its smell, not on its effect when smoked. The nine years opium smoker apparently judged of its quality in a somewhat similar manner, but as he actually smoked a considerable quantity of each, viz.:-nearly a quarter of an ounce of each of those to which morphine had been added and over two ounces of No. 4 in the second table, his opinion is considered of most value. At my request he got some of his friends to try No. 4 in the second table and they agreed with him that it was good. On one occasion in about twelve hours he smoked a quantity of opium, to which morphine had been added, equal to at least twenty grains of morphine.
If the effects of opium smoking are similar to those of opium eating and morphine the active agent, it can only be said regarding the former mode of using the drug that a more elaborate, troublesome, wasteful, and expensive method could scarcely be devised to obtain a minimum of effect from a maximum of power.
In connection with the above, I may mention that I have visited a number of opium smoking houses of different classes, but have not as yet been fortunate enough to see that profound sleep with beautiful dreams, &c., which has been so graphically described. In the coolie houses, I have seen men asleep after their evening pipe, and also most probably a hard day's work, they having taken up their quarters there for the night; however, a slight shake with the sight of a ten-cent piece, and they were very soon wide awake.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES, Esq., M.R.C.S., &c., Colonial Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals.
HUGH MCCALLUM,
Analyst.