YEAR.
DEATHS AMONG EUROPEANS.
F
1873. 1874. | 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. 1883.
Enteric,
Fevers Simple Continued,..
Typhus,
Diarrhoea,......
Totals,...
1
1
1
5
3 3 1
2
10
1
6
4
5
9
8
15 21 12
17 13
O
C2
4
4
0
1
1
17 17 18
14
10
9 14 10 10
13
9
25
26 24
24
27
29
38 24
29
377 19
58.-These diseases, as I have pointed out in previous reports, present many similar characteristics, so that they are easily mistaken for one another by Chinese Doctors, which is evident from the way the numbers vary in different years without apparent cause.
59. It will be seen from these tables that all have increased enormously of late years, and so prove that the sanitary condition of Hongkong, the City of Victoria especially, has greatly deteriorated, especially as far as Chinese are concerned, and appreciably as regards Europeans.
60.-Those that think sanitary work in Hongkong is being overdone are evidently ignorant of the want of it, and unaware of the mine that has been forming of late years, that some day may be sprung with most disastrous results. The report made by Mr. CHADWICK seems hardly to be appreciated by the general public.
The Sanitary Board is daily having dangerous nuisances brought to its notice which it is powerless to deal with, and until a new Building Ordinance, and others affecting the sanitation of the Colony are passed they will remain so.
During the Cholera scare, an order for a general clear-out of rubbish and filth in houses was made, and in eight days 54,800 piculs of filth were removed, most of which was of the most disgusting description, and raised quite an outcry of indignation in the Public Papers, when it appeared in the street, verifying the old proverb "What the eye does not see the heart does not grieve for." To shew how quickly this removal was made, in one day 11,000 piculs of this filth were cleared out of the Colony, and an average removal of 6,450 piculs made on each of the eight days.
61.--During 1883 Cholera appeared to a great extent in the neighbouring ports of Swatow and Foochow, and many ships were in quarantine in this harbour that had deaths on board from this disease. A slight revival of the previous year's epidemic appeared in the Philippines. It may again appear this year, and as this Port remains in many respects in the same unsanitary state as reported by Mr. CHADWICK and myself in previous years, it behoves the Government to take every precaution possible to prevent its appearance here.
62.-There seems now a chance in the near future of the markets becoming fit places to visit, without taking away one's appetite for food, and they may in time become as pleasant a sight as they are in Mauritius.
63-As we have now a Sanitary Board composed of the Heads of the Public Works, Registrar General's, Police and Medical Departments, the responsibility of settling most questions of sanitation in the Colony does not rest chiefly with me, I am thankful to say, as it did in former years, for as I got very little credit for exposing the filthy state of things existing in this City, and was pretty much looked upon as a causeless alarmist, until my reports were verified by a Commission sent from home, so most of the blame would have fallen on my shoulders if an epidemic had appeared in these years, and then only these discoveries I reported had been made.
64. In conclusion, I must add that now that Dr. DOBERCK has arrived in the Colony, the Meteorological Observations will no longer be taken by this department, or in the rough and ready manner they have been up to the present, and coming as they will from a skilled workman will be very valuable, instead of being of very little value as heretofore.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES, Colonial Surgeon.
The Honourable W. H. MARSH,
&c.,
Colonial Secretary,
&c.,
fo.