M 15
Broncho-pneumonia was the cause of 1,172 deaths, 8 of which were non-Chinese and 805 of which occurred in infants under one year. The death rate among the Chinese from diseases of this system was 5.1 per 1,000 as compared with 5.5 last year.
Tuberculosis.
The number of deaths from tubercular disease was 1,493 and 23 of these occurred in non-Chinese. There were 877 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, 859 Chinese and 18 non-Chinese, and 57 deaths from tubercular meningitis. The percentage of deaths due to tuberculosis was 14.3 as compared with 14.8 last year.
Nervous Diseases.
The number of deaths from these during the year was 427, as compared with 405 last year. The deaths of Chinese infants from tetanus and convulsions were 159 and from meningitis undefined 75, as compared with 182 and 142 last year.
Malaria.
The number of deaths from malaria in 1917 was 416, as compared with 378 in 1916, of which all but 5 occurred in Chinese. In a large proportion of the cases the disease was contracted outside the area of the Sanitary Board.
The following tables show the distribution of the deaths in the Colony and the Police admissions to hospital for malaria during the last eight years :-
Table of Deaths from Malaria.
Year Non-Chinese Victoria Kowloon Shaukiwan Aberdeen Stanley 1910 9 282 70 125 68 6 1911 8 176 26 54 43 5 1912 18 214 80 34 44 3 1913 110 47 33 53 9 1914 73 58 19 47 20 1915 4 157 66 27 46 32 1916 9 182 75 25 36 19 1917 205 98 29 68 11* Since 1914 a large number of coolies have been employed in the Stanley district constructing a reservoir.