There were a number of cases of rheumatism caused by exposure to wet and cold. With a large Police Force and sea-faring population this is only to be expected.
Three Europeans were admitted with heat apoplexy: two made a complete recovery, but the third when discharged from Hospital, though well in other respects, suffered from aphasia. Consider-
ing the power of the sun in Hongkong and the notorious carelessness of sailors in exposing themselves
to its rays, it is a matter of surprise that more cases of the sort do not occur.
Only one case of delirium tremens occurred; though 13 others were on the high road to it when admitted. It is worthy of remark that all of these were Europeans. There is ample evidence in the Hospital and in the Post-mortem Room, that both Indians and Chinese suffer from the effects of drink, but they seldom come under treatment for this alone.
Bronchial catarrh is somewhat prominent in the list, but pulmonary affections are not very frequent. There were fourteen cases of phthisis, which is about the average.
Bowel complaints were less frequent last year than in 1876, and in most of the severer cases were contracted at other ports in the China seas.
One Chinese was admitted suffering from round worms, a common complaint among the natives. The Indians and Chinese were almost the only sufferers from colic and constipation, which may be attributed to their diet.
Affections of the liver were not more frequent than usual, and the causes were much the same, principally excessive drinking, and a few said to be malarious in their origin.
One interesting case of abscess of the liver was admitted in October, and bade fair to make a good recovery. Several abscesses, one of them containing 30 oz. were tapped with the aspirator, and did well; the first one, after discharging for some weeks, healed up. Complications have now set in, however, which will exhaust the patient, and bring about a fatal termination to the case.
Enlargement of the spleen, with anemia, was recorded in three cases, one European and two Chinese. This enlargement was observed in a number of the Indian Constables, admitted from other causes; they appeared to suffer no inconvenience from it, and it did not seem to interfere with the performance of their duty.
Admissions from venereal disease remained about the same.
Boils, of which Hongkong is said to be specially productive, only brought 11 patients to Hospital, and of these, 7 were Chinese. They presented no remarkable features and yielded readily to treatment. 47 cases were set down to debility. These comprised seamen, destitutes, and Police suffering from causes incident to their several modes of life.
Privation accounts for 10 admissions, and 3 deaths; being either the predisposing cause of disease or aggravating that already in existence.
51 admissions were for observation, seamen, Police and prisoners.
Seamen who were malingering or whose ailment was not apparent were taken into Hospital, in order to form an opinion as to their fitness to proceed to sea, or to do their duty on board.
Policemen suffering from slight indisposition, chills, strains, or feverishness from exposure to the sun, were taken in for a day or two, and then returned to duty.
Prisoners arrested in the evening and desirous of avoiding a night in the Police cells, complain of illness, and are sent to Hospital for observation.
Three cases of opium poisoning were brought in, two of which recovered under treatment, but the other was seen too late to derive any benefit from medical assistance.
Wounds of all sorts were numerous, and occurred mostly among Chinese. Many of the injuries were superficial, but some were mortal, though this does not appear in the table, for all the Chinese who had received fatal injury, were carried away by their relatives.
One exception, the only case which reached a fatal termination in Hospital, was that of an old Chinese man, aged 76, who had been attacked on the Sháu-kí Wán road by thieves and hacked about the hands, arms, scalp, neck and lower extremities. He never recovered from the shock of the injuries, but died as soon as the reactionary fever set in.
Six cases of gunshot wound were admitted, only one of which, a European, was allowed to remain Of the other five, Chinese, some had been shot by in Hospital till the termination of his case. burglars near Yau-má-Ti, the others came from Custom cruisers. All five were taken away a few days
after admission.
+
Four cases of scalds are recorded; one was a trivial case, and the other three were sufferers from the Yesso explosion: two of them were retained in Hospital and the other was sent back to Hospital in an exhausted condition after a fortnight in Gaol. The accident on board the Yesso made the