During the year there were 986 deaths from Plague, compared with 198 in 1907 and 842 in 1906.
There were 2,498 deaths from Respiratory Diseases amongst the Chinese, 748 of which were due to Phthisis, a percentage of 30 of the total deaths amongst that community.
Beri-beri caused 736 deaths—as against 562 in 1907—a very high figure.
The deaths from Malaria were 499 as against 579 in 1907, and 448 in 1906. The average number of deaths from this disease has fallen from 480 in the quinquennium 1899 to 1903 to 422 in the quinquennium 1904-1908. Military returns of admissions to Hospital for Malaria show an increase in the incidence of this disease, as compared with the year 1907. There were 515 admissions in 1908 being a ratio per thousand of the Garrison of 256 against 287 in 1907 (196 per thousand).
Changes were made during the year in the administration of the Sanitary Department by an Amending Public Health and Buildings Ordinance (No. 14 of 1908) whereby the Principal Civil Medical Officer ceased to be the Administrative Head of the Department and President of the Board, these duties being transferred to a cadet officer whose whole time is given to the work. At the same time the duty of dealing with all private drainage works and with structural defects of a sanitary nature, such as deficient window area, defective ground surfaces, obstructed open spaces, etc., was transferred to certain engineers of the Public Works Department who, as the Building Authority, are now entirely responsible for dealing with all structural defects on private premises.
This Amending Ordinance also reduced somewhat the stringency of the law in regard to the erection of cubicles in Chinese tenement houses and reduced the required floor space per head from 50 square feet to 30 square feet in all such premises as do not contain cubicles. The Ordinance also made further provision for dealing with blocks of insanitary property (s. 154a) and introduced the principle of an improvement rate for such cases.
The transfer of duties to the Building Authority has greatly lessened the work of the Sanitary Department and as a consequence it has been possible to reduce the Sanitary Staff—one Surveyor, and one Overseer of Drainage have been transferred to the Public Works Department and the number of Sanitary Inspectors has been materially reduced, while further reductions are contemplated as vacancies arise.
As a result of the final Report of the Indian Plague Commission, issued in 1908, it has been possible to effect a very considerable economy in the matter of the disinfection of plague houses, a cheap pulicide only being now in use whereas formerly both pulicide and disinfectants were employed.
(c.) CLIMATE.
The average monthly temperature throughout the year was 71.8° F. as compared with 72.2° F. in 1907 and 72.0° F. during the ten preceding years. The mean maximum monthly temperature was attained in August, when it reached 87.3° F., and the mean minimum monthly temperature was recorded in February, when it was 54.9° F. The highest recorded temperature during the year was 92.6° F. on the 16th July, and the lowest 43.7° F. on the 19th February.
The total rainfall for the year was 91.87 inches as compared with an average of 77.31 inches during the ten preceding years. The wettest month was July, with 22.26 inches, the driest, November, with 0.15 inch. The greatest amount of rain which fell on any one day was 7.0 inches on the 23rd July, while no rain fell on 213 days of the year. The mean relative humidity of the atmosphere for the year was 79 per cent, as compared with an average of 77 per cent. during the ten preceding years. The average daily amount of sunshine was 5.2 hours being 47 per cent. of the possible duration.
These figures are those recorded at the Observatory, Kowloon, and there is a very considerable divergence between that place and Hongkong (low levels), the Peak district, or Tai Po (New Territories), both in rainfall, temperature and humidity.
X.—POSTAL SERVICE.
The total Receipts paid into the Treasury in 1908 by the Postal Department amounted to $601,967 from which sum $189,535 was transferred to other heads of General Revenue under which fees and duties are paid in postage stamps, which are now sold exclusively by the Post Office, leaving the sum of $412,431 as the approximate Revenue from the Postal Service. The total Expenditure amounted to $371,486 which being deducted from the Revenue of $412,431 leaves a profit of $40,945.