AnnualReport-1908

Diseases.

K 11

Cases of Notifiable Diseases recorded in each month of the year 1908.

Nationality, January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. Total. Grand Total. Plague, European, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 9 5 15 92 403 390 102 1,016 Chinese, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 2 13 13 3 2 Nil. 1 34 Others, Nil. 1 Nil. Nil. Nil. 3 18 2 Nil. 2 1 2 29 1,079 1,073 (1,073) Typhoid, European, 2 Nil. 1 2 Nil. Nil. 1 Nil. Nil. 2 Nil. Nil. 8 Chinese, 2 7 2 1 Nil. 3 2 6 2 Nil. Nil. Nil. 25 Others, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 33 Cholera, European, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1 Chinese, Nil. Nil. 6 Nil. Nil. 4 19 12 12 Nil. Nil. Nil. 53 Others, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1 55 Small-pox, European, Nil. 3 6 71 144 112 2 2 3 4 2 Nil. 351 Chinese, Nil. Nil. Nil. 17 4 10 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 31 Others, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 382 Diphtheria, European, Nil. Nil. 1 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 3 1 2 1 Nil. 8 Chinese, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Others, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 8 Puerperal Fever, European, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 1 1 Nil. 1 Nil. 3 Chinese, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 5 Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 5 Others, Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. Nil. 8 TOTAL 4 11 15 147 175 145 5 426 141 45 19 9 1,668

Plague.

There was a recrudescence of this disease during the year 1908, the total number of cases recorded being 1,073 as compared with 240 in 1907 and 893 in 1906. It has frequently happened that years of mild and severe Plague in the Colony have occurred alternately so that the 1908 epidemic may perhaps be more justly compared with the 1906 than the 1907 outbreak.

Although in 1908 an excess of 180 cases over the number of known cases in 1906 were notified it is quite possible that the 1908 epidemic was in reality not so severe as the 1906 one as in 1908 it appeared on enquiry that many fewer cases of Plague left the Colony.

If this be true it may be explained by the establishment of plague hospitals under Chinese management and by the adoption of less severe measures in disinfection, causing less disturbance of family life and business.

The total number of deaths from Plague was 986 of which 29 were from the Non-Chinese population and 957 amongst the Chinese. This gives a case mortality of 91.9 per cent. for Chinese and 90.6 per cent. for the Non-Chinese cases.

The following Table shows the number of cases and deaths according to Nationality:-

Cases. Deaths. Chinese, 1,041 957 British, 3 1 Eurasian, 2 2 Indian, 4 4 Japanese, 5 5 Malay, 1 1 Portuguese, 10 10 Filipino, 2 2 Jewish, 4 4 Cingalese, 1 1 1,073 986

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