Ove
With regard to the examinations of the women at the Hospital, I have always carefully watched newcomers, and I have never seen the slightest approach of anything like diffidence on the score If modesty, but there is always a look of anxiety and doubt on the face which, in nine cases out of en, clanges to a smile of relief when they find it does not, as they appear to dread,
cause them
any
in; thenceforward they do not seem to care about it. That any woman should like it is not to be xpected. it is a nuisance no doubt to have to come to the Hospital and interferes with their occupa- ons. With regard to the remarks made about the detention of the women in Hospital and the doubt t diagnosis of disease, it is a matter of experience. I always detain a woman if she has a discharge nd there are any inflammatory symptoms with it, or if there are sores, as much for the women's "nefit as any one else. Women with purulent discharge from the urethra or orifices of the glands bartholim are always detained. If all the women with innocent discharges were locked up the lospital would be always full.
The health of the men in the different forces in the Colony during the past five years and the all number of women in Hospital is, I think, sufficient guarantee of the discretion used. For instance, is year of 12,086 examinations, in only 105 cases was detention required. In promiscuous intercourse ere must be a certain amount of risk to both paties, Urithritis, or as it is called Uncomplicated Gonorrhea, a sores from abrasions are among the most common, and some men and most young prostitutes are rv subject to them, this is of course disease, but it is of a trivial character and easily cured, if not lowed to run on. These complaints furnish the greatest number of cases reported here, both among en and women. As Surgeon-Major GRANT observes "so far as Syphilis is concerned, the number instances in which secondary affection has supervened is remarkably few and of a mild form," and is to this end that my attention is directed. I am not desirous to fill the Hospital unnecessarily, d I have never had any complaint from the women, not even any grumbling, nor any need to secute them for such disturbances as they made formerly. Which, if the evidence before the ominission is to be believed, they must have been to great extent justified in.
HEALTH OF THE COLONY.
Table XVI shows the population, mortality and percentage of deaths of the European community llongkong in the last ten years. Of these years three only show a lower percentage, and the same umber a less number of death than 1878, so that the health of the Colony, as far as Europeans are oncerned, may be considered to have been exceptionally good, as the same allowance must be made very year for those who leave the Colony almost hopelessly ill.
Table XVIII shows the Annual Atmospheric Report, by which it will be seen that though the rat was as great as in any preceding year reported, yet the rainfall was considerably above the average, hich bears out what has been voted in previous reports that the greater the rainfall is in tropical ountries the better the health of the inhabitants.
Tuble XVII shows the work done by the Inspectors of Nuisances. There is a considerable crease in the number of persons summoned, and the amount collected is more than double that of et year, being $2,111.83 as compared with $857.96. I regret that no improvement has taken place 1 the construction of houses occupied by Chinese, many of which render the possibility of the in- abitants keeping them clean out of the question, not only are the plans wanting in all sanitary rinciples, but the construction is in many cases so faulty as to render them absolutely dangerous not aly to their inhabitants but also to passengers through the streets. I could point out houses which ave had to be rebuilt to my knowledge three times, the previous buildings, though quite new, having illen down of themselves, from no atmospheric cause or convulsion of nature, but from faults of onstruction only, and this in a town where earthquakes are not unknown and which Typhoons have aited frequently and severely. I reported on the want of all sanitary arrangements in this class of Duses especially in 1874, and the necessity for this being remelied in a town in which they are coming yearly more numerous, and requisite owing to the rapidity with which the Chinese opulation increases.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES, Colonial Surgeon.
The Honourable
W. H. MARSII,
Colonial Secretary,
S'c.,
sc.,
fe.