M (1) 7
The total number of deaths was 14,569 and the general death rate was 25.16 per 1,000. Of this total there were 14,241 Chinese and 328 non-Chinese civilians and the death rate was respectively 25.47 and 20.46 per 1,000.
Infantile mortality.—Among infants of one month or less, 15 non-Chinese and 1,067 Chinese, died. Of those infants who were more than a month old but less than a year, 36 non-Chinese and 3,149 Chinese died. The total number of children who died at the age of a year or less was therefore 51 non-Chinese and 4,216 Chinese. These figures are derived from reliable statistics because the registration of deaths is compulsory, but as births are not registered in every case the Chinese birth rate given above is not accurate. (These statistics are derived from the Medical Officer of Health's office).
III. METEOROLOGICAL RETURNS, 1922.
Month Barometer at M.S.L. TEMPERA-TURE HUMI-DITY Cloudiness Sunshine WIND Rain ins. Max. Mean Min. Rel. Abs. p.c. hours. Direction Vel. miles p.h. ins. January 30.11 64.5 60.5 57.6 81 0.43 February March 30.04 68.5 64.1 58.1 83 0.46 61 94.7 E 13.4 2.660 April 29.96 75.7 71.0 67.6 81 0.62 76 153.1 E by S 12.0 2.020 May June 29.83 83.3 78.6 75.4 85 0.83 74 175.8 ESE 12.4 5.495 July 29.74 86.5 81.9 78.8 81 0.89 79 183.4 S by E 10.4 6.525 August 29.72 87.3 82.5 78.6 81 0.90 58 246.6 ESE 11.6 12.800 September 29.65 87.3 82.4 78.8 82 0.91 78 180.0 SSW 7.7 17.535 October 29.78 85.7 80.4 76.5 78 0.82 60 205.3 NE by E 10.1 9.935 November 30.00 80.5 75.5 72.1 74 0.66 56 223.2 E by N 12.2 2.025 December 30.18 66.8 61.7 57.4 59 0.43 64 197.8 ENE 9.3 0.535 December 159.4 ENE 10.0 0.740 Mean or Total 29.93 77.7 72.3 68.8 77.5 0.65 71 166.35 E 11.6 69.435IV. GENERAL REMARKS.
On Beri-beri.—In the Tung Wah Hospital, which receives the greatest number of cases of beri-beri, the number of such patients was 309 in 1912, 826 in 1917, and 846 in 1922. Making allowances for the increase of the population and possibly for a greater readiness to resort to hospital, there does not appear to have been any considerable increase during the period in the number of patients affected. The visiting medical officer to the Tung Wah Hospital considers that the poorest members of the Chinese community are the persons who suffer most frequently and that in this colony, at any rate, beri-beri is practically confined to the Chinese. The beri-beri patients equalled 12 per cent. of all of the patients admitted to the Tung Wah Hospital this year.