M 16
Police admitted to hospital on account of malaria during the past 11 years:--
Year. From the City. From rest of the Colony. Total. Strength of Police Force. Percent-age of Strength. 1909......... 87 50 87 1,050 8 1910.... 66 69 135 1,039 13 1911. 30 83 113 1,031 11 1912... 37 51 88 1,120 8 1913.. 68 95 163 1,170 14 1914... 101 81 182 1,206 15 1915.. 116 92 208 1,289 16 1916... 63 99 162 1,057 13 1917... 51 84 135 1,192 11 1918. 40 49 89 1,228 7 1919..... 13 74 87 1,228 7Beri-beri.
There were 555 deaths from the disease during the year (80-4 in 1918). All were Chinese except 4 amongst the Japanese community.
Infectious Diseases.
The number of infectious diseases notified during the year was 1,011 (1913 in 1918, and 919 in 1917). Of these 464 were plague, 27 small-pox and 269 cerebro-spinal meningitis (1,232 in 1918).
Tables II and III show the nature and distribution of these diseases.
Plague.
There were 464 cases as compared with 266 in 1918, 38 in 1917, and 39 in 1916. All but one were of Chinese nationality. The deaths numbered 426.
The numbers of rats caught and sent to the public mortuaries to be examined for signs of plague were for Victoria 76,793 and for Kowloon 27,311, Total 104,104 (103,641 in 1918).
In Victoria 242 were found to be infected with plague (0.31 per cent), and in Kowloon 10 (0.037 per cent). Last year 185 were found infected in Victoria and 18 in Kowloon.
Table IV shows the monthly distribution of plague-infected rats during the year.
Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis.
There were 269 cases notified as compared with 1,232 in 1918. Of these one was a European and one of another non-Chinese nationality. The remainder were Chinese. There were 204 deaths as compared with 968 during 1918.