mission. It would be well if the Government considered the advisability of reducing this fee, and at the same time making arrangements for free out-door attendance to those who may apply at fixed hours on certain days of the week. Should this be done, information to that effect might be published in the Chinese newspapers. At present almost the only applications for out-door treatment are made by European destitutes, generally loafers, in the Colony, and prostitutes, neither of which deserve any encouragement.
The general health of the Police has on the whole been good. Table I. shews the total admissions to be 498, or 90 less than last year, and the number of days spent in hospital 6,134, shewing an average daily sick of 16.8 or 6 less than last year. Referring to Table II., the average daily sick cent. for Europeans is 4.58, and this compares favourably with the rate in England. The rate of sickness of the Indians is only 3.23 per cent., and is very much under that of India. The Chinese force shews a still smaller percentage, viz.: 1.84 and I doubt if such another body of men could shew such a low rate of sickness in any other part of the world. Five Europeans died, three in and two out of hospital, the latter the result of accident. Including those two it makes the apparent death rate 3.23 per cent. or 32.3 per thousand. This is very high, but excluding one death, the result of Syphilis, it brings the rate to 22.3 or not much higher than prevails in England. The death rate among the Indians and Chinese is exceedingly small.
Comparing Tables III. and IV., the Police force shews a smaller rate of sickness than the troops, but a much higher mortality. This may in some measure be accounted for by the fact that all bad cases, among the troops are sent to England.
Table III. shews the admissions from the different Police Stations, but as none of them shew any excess of sickness, no remarks are necessary.
Table V. gives admissions into and deaths in hospital with the diseases.
There were four admissions from Typhoid fever, all recovered. One was a particularly tedious case, the patient suffering from no less than two relapses. It is a singular fact that all the cases came from on board ship. This looks as if the water supply was at fault, and it would be well if the source of water supplied and the mode of supplying it to the shipping were enquired into. Fevers of a malarious type caused a very large number of admissions, some of the cases being of an extremely severe character. There were three deaths, two of the cases having been brought into hospital almost moribund.
The admissions for venereal are about the same as last year. There were two deaths under this head, that of destitutes who came under treatment in an advanced state of tertiary syphilis.
Bronchial affections were very common, but not generally of a severe type.
Dyspepsia was a common cause of admission, probably the result of the excessive use of alcoholic drinks.
Bowel complaints were numerous, most of them being of a mild type.
A large number of admissions from General Debility, mostly the result of climate. There were 11 admissions from Delirium Tremens and no deaths.
Seven cases of opium poisoning, all recovered.
About one-tenth the total admissions were from contusions and wounds, all of them were of a slight nature with few exceptions. There was one case of wound of the lung which resulted in death, another was an extensive wound of the elbow joint, which completely healed in three weeks leaving the almost free use of the joint.
There were no less than 71 admissions with no appreciable disease. The cases remaining under observation from a few hours to one or two days.
16 cases were brought to hospital in a moribund condition, dying within a few hours after admission.
The total number of deaths for the year was 49.
There was one admission from snake bite. The man was bitten in the foot whilst on his way down from the Peak. There was considerable swelling but no constitutional disturbance, and the case did well in a few days. From several cases of snake bite which have come under observation, during the past year, I should be inclined to state that the specimens found here are not of a very deadly nature.
The total receipts during the year amounted to $7,787.82 of this sum $1,122.48 was from the Police and $2,028.00 from the Board of Trade.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
J. MURRAY, Surgeon-Major, A.M.D.,
Acting Superintendent.
Dr. Pr. B. C. AYRES,
Colonial Surgeon.