M 12
In spite, therefore, of the very definite deterioration in the health conditions prevailing amongst the Chinese inhabitants in 1937, there was little or no falling off in the health of the Non-Chinese elements. This may have been due to the fact that, generally speaking, the standard of living amongst the Non-Chinese elements was maintained. There were three still-births in the Non-Chinese community.
Deaths in infants of Non-Chinese nationality amounted to thirty as compared with nineteen in 1936 - an infant mortality rate of forty-six, the rate for the previous year being thirty-seven.
Nearly seventy-seven per centum of the deaths in Non-Chinese were certified by medical practitioners who attended the deceased in life, whereas only fifty-eight per centum of Chinese deaths were similarly certified. Many of the uncertified deaths in Chinese were in respect of bodies of unknown persons deposited in the street.
Sick and invaliding rates are not obtainable in the case of the general Non-Asiatic population.
(3) European Officials.
Table IV furnishes data regarding the health of European officials during 1937 and affords means of comparison with the state of health of this section of the community in the preceding two years.
Table IV.
1935 1936 1937 Total number of officials resident 900* 942* 940* Average number resident 881+ 930+ 918! Total number on sick list 396 453 458 Total number of days on sick list 7,144 6,134 5,908 Average daily number on sick list 20 17 16 Percentage of sick to average number resident 45% 49% 49% Average number of days on sick list for each patient 15 16 14 Average sick time (in days) to each resident 7 8 7 Total number invalided 6 10 12 Percentage of invalidings to total residents 0.66% 1.06% 1.28% Total deaths 5 7 3 Percentage of deaths to total residents... 0.55% 0.74% 0.32% Percentage of deaths to total average number resident 0.57% 0.75% 0.33%* Figure given shows the total number of European officials who received salary in the Colony in December of corresponding year.
+ Figure given was arrived at by dividing the total number of European officials who received salary locally throughout the year by the number of months in the year.