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Annexe Q.
OFFICE OF HEALTH OFFICER OF THE PORT.
REPORT BY DR. G. P. JORDAN, Health Officer of the Port. During the year the work of this Department was carried on by Dr. Jordan, Dr. Keyt, and Dr. Lindsay Woods.
The work is described under three headings:-
(a) Daily inspection of ships arriving in port. (b) The medical examination of emigrants. (c) Quarantine duty.
(a) - DAILY INSPECTION OF SHIPS ARRIVING IN PORT.
During the year 3,343 vessels arrived in port and were duly boarded and examined. The usual particulars of the voyage and sickness if any are recorded on the prescribed forms and attested by the Master or Surgeon of each vessel. The causes of deaths are also noted. Of the above number of vessels 1,223 were under the British flag and 2,120 under various foreign flags.
The river steamers from Canton and Macao are not included in the above figures, as such vessels are only boarded when an infectious disease is reported or if those places are declared to be infected ports by the Hongkong Government.
(b) - THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF EMIGRANTS.
During the year the total number of emigrants examined was 43,830 of whom 188 were rejected on medical grounds. This shows a considerable reduction in numbers as compared with last year when the total number passed amounted to 96,342. This can be accounted for by the unfavourable conditions due to the war, with fewer and smaller ships available than in pre-war times, and further emigration to the Straits Settlements was stopped owing to the epidemic of cerebro-spinal meningitis which prevailed in Hongkong during the greater part of the year.
Table I shows the number of emigrants and crews passed and rejections.
Table II gives the monthly emigration figures and also of the crews.
Table III gives a list of the diseases which are accountable for the rejection of the emigrants.
(c) — QUARANTINE DUTY.
This involves the special examination of all vessels arriving from an infected port as well as all vessels having any suspicion of an infectious disease on board, whether from an infected port or not.