Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis.
1,232 cases were reported.
Of these 19 were European patients and 6 of other nationalities. The remainder were Chinese. There were 968 deaths.
Enteric Fever.
The number of cases of this disease notified during the year was 247 as compared with 188 in 1917 and 219 in 1916. The cases of European or American nationality were 33 (21 in 1917). Other nationalities 32. The remainder of the cases were Chinese.
It has not been possible to trace the source of the infection in these cases, nor the direct infection of one case from another. The incidence of the disease has not been of the nature of a water or milk-borne epidemic, but may have been acquired by the eating of raw vegetables grown by the Chinese method or by the eating of shell-fish. As it is the custom in Hongkong to use uncovered latrine buckets in Chinese latrines, the contamination of food by flies probably plays a considerable part in conveying this disease.
Paratyphoid Fever.
Two European cases were notified.
Scarlet Fever.
No cases were notified.
Cholera.
No cases were notified.
Small-pox.
During the year 32 cases occurred (595 in 1917, 712 in 1916, and 34 in 1915), 28 cases Chinese, and 4 of other nationalities.
Diphtheria.
118 cases occurred during the year: 8 European cases, 109 Chinese, and 1 Portuguese.
Puerperal Fever.
Eleven cases were notified, one of which was of Indian nationality, the remainder occurred in Chinese.
Five Government midwives attended 625 cases (553 in 1917).
No cases of typhus fever or relapsing fever occurred.