264
Inclosure in No. 55.
Proceedings of a Board of Medical Officers, ordered by his Excellency the Governor to inquire into and report on the question of the effect of the Penal Diet System on the Prisoners in the Gaol, Singapore.
President:
H. L. Randell, Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits Settlements.
Members:
F. K. Hampshire, M.B., Colonial Surgeon.
T. J. Rowell, M.D., Acting Colonial Surgeon,
THE Board having, in accordance with instructions conveyed in Colonial Secretary's letter, Medical No. 5515, dated 26th September, 1873, inquired into the question laid before them in the letter above referred to, have come to the following conclusions:-
I. That the statement of the Superintendent of Prisons, that the weight of men when they go out is, as a rule, greater than when they come in, notwithstanding their having been subjected to the penal diet system, appears to be borne out by the Records.
II. That the numbers of Local Transmarine prisoners for 1871 (1872) compared with the period in 1873, when there were no Transmarines, and how many of each class were in hospital, are shown in Return below:—
Class of
Prisoners.
European
Chinese
Malay Indian
Total
No.
265
(A).-Tabular Return of Increase and Decrease in weight of Prisoners from March
to September, 1873.
Increase.
Decrease.
061
122
:::
Total number of
Weighed on Admission
and Discharged.
Neither Increase nor
Decrease.
1 lb. to 5 lb.
6 lb. to 10 lb.
11 lb. to 15 lb.
16 lb. to 20 lb.
Above 20 lb.
26
300
60
18
6
48
6
:::
387
289
25
59
មĒទឹម Total.
1 lb. to 5 lb.
6 lb. to 10 lb.
11 lb. to 15 lb.
16 lb. to 20 lb.
Above 20 lb.
Total.
17
310
7
36
1,220
320
121 76 20
9
+ 530 343
17
6
3
1
370
State of Health
Namce.
on Admission to Gaol.
(B). Statement of Prisoners at present Sick in Hospital 18th October, 1873.
Period of Stay in Gaol before taken ill.
Whether
Long
or Short Sentenced
General Circumstances and Habit of Living.
1 Teh sh Jee..
Not registered
2
Lim ab Heu
Ditto
Coolie, lived well... Woodcutter
1 day..
Long.
9 months
J
3
Zook Foo..
Healthy
Beef butcher
4 Lim Low Hee
Ditto
Coolie
5
Wee ah Hong
Ditto
Servant
3
"
Transmarine.
Local.
G ị Vong Chew Nghục
Ditto
7
Hoe Kong Soon
Average Average Strength. Siek.
Average Strength.
Average
8 Ko ah Wah
Sick.
9
Gob Team..
10
Kong Wah
11
Lee Gook..
1.430
23.5
153
32.6
12
1871
1872
January to May 1873..
::::
1.878
22.4
541
38.7
13
Ing Hye
1,283
20.0
617
53
14
Tanah Hah
14
May to September 1873
The Board has inquired into the number of deaths, and finds that the ratio to strength is nearly doubled during the last year. On the first eight months in 1872 the ratio was 2-25 per 1,000, and for this year, up to end of September, 3·90 per 1,000.
The Beard having seen the prisoners on the 18th instant, who were then patients in the hospital, and inquired into the state of their health when they entered the gaol, and into their general circumstances and habit of living, as to how long they were in the guol before they were taken ill, as well as to the fact of the proportions of long and short sentenced prisoners, submit the Table appended (B).
III. A statement showing the relative weights of a proportion of able-bodied prisoners, both long and short sentenced men, who have been under the penal diet system for a reasonable time, when they came in, with what they weigh now, is also submitted (Appendix C), from which it will be seen that out of 12 Europeans, only one shows an increase in weight, 1 is unaffected, but the remaining 10 all show decrease more or less.
Out of 12 Chinese, 7 men show an increase of weight, 1 is unaffected, and 4 have lost weight. Amongst 12 Malays, the numbers are equal, but the total amount of loss is greater than that gained; whereas, amongst 12 Indians, the increase appears most marked.
We are therefore of opinion that the European, who, as a rule, suffers as much from confinement as from a lowered diet, should not, unless under particular circumstances, be subjected to any lengthened system of penal diet, and that though with the other classes it appears not to have had any injurious effect, we are of opinion that it should be carefully watched, and reported on half-yearly.
(Signed)
H. L. RANDELL, Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits
Settlements.
F. K. HAMPSHIRE, M.B., Colonial Surgeon.
T. IRVINE ROWELL, M.D., Acting Colonial Surgeon,
Chang ah Poh
Leah Wat
•
39 Zap Kee Chee
40 Tan ah Choan
In delicate health
Not registered
Healthy
Consumption
Healthy
++
703
64
15
Zooh Wee..
16 Zap ah Quay
17
Tanah Kee
IB! Tay Hob
19
Elet Doh
20
21
Zenpah Soon
22
Lee Toey
23
Ino. Overree
24
Chuah Kow
23
Koh Zong..
26
Zap Foo
Hob sh Fook
Pungootoo Innoos
Ditto
Syphilitic taint
Not registered
Healthy
Ditto
Not registered
Ditto
Ditto
Healthy
Healthy
Not registered
Feeble
Healthy
Healthy
Ditto
Rheumatic Ulcer on leg Ditto
Tinker
Bostman
Blacksmith Coolie
2
2
Fisherman
6 days
Short.
Hawker
6 months
Bazaarman
19 days
Lung. Short.
Coolie
15
1J
Long.
Coolie
18 months
"
Rice beater
3 years
Not registered
Coolio
Cartman
Hawker
Poultry seller
18 months
"
JJ
6 days
Short,
19 months
Long.
1
Short,
Grass cutter
19
"
Long.
Short.
Pauper
"
Gardener, lived well
1
Long.
"
Not registered
Carpenter
20
""
Pork seller
2
Short.
"
Official under Government,
D
"
Long,
lived well
Coolio, lived well.
2 days
Short.
1 ..
Long.
27
Tan Teng Hin
Not registered
Chanduo seller
1 "
14 months
28
Lee a Chye
Weakly
Arruck seller
9 days
Shurt.
29
Cheng Choo Leng
Uteer on leg
Pauper
2
"
30
Tan Cheong
Healthy
Tea seller, lived well
I month
Long-
31
Pou Hong Cheong
Weakly
Pauper
2 days
Short.
32
Leah Kim
Healthy
Fisherman, lived well
3
"
33
Lin Tew ..
Ditto
Cake seller
13..
34
Leah See
Ditto
Tailor
2 months
11
35
See Hok
Ditto
Fruit seller
4 days
Laug. Short.
TI
$6
Not registered
Mason
8 months
Long.
#
37
Fruit seller an opium smoker
I day
38. Taib
Gardener, lived well
1 year
Piremen
18 days
Shurt. Long. Short
Pauper
1
"
41
Tan au Seng
Cook, lived well
3
42
Love Long..
Ditto
Poultry seller
I month
43
Ang Kwee..
Ditto
44|| Nesherally..
Ditto
45
Eng Rock..
Ditto
Bazaarman
"
Stoker on board, lived well
Boatman
4 days
26..
4 months
Ling.
46
(hush Kim Sew
Ditto
Triker
26 days
Short.
47
Ung Kinh ..
Not registered
Couti
3 years
Loog.
48
Chuah Chew
Healthy
Pauper
25 dara
Short.
++
49
Chuah Wan Sev
Ditto
Coalie, lived well
3 mouths
50
Furoze Mabarnoke
Ditta
Stoker
2 H
51
Brojamín Casey
Ulcer on right ancle
Sailor
1 day
52
Low Teu..
Healthy
Blacksmith
1 month
Long,
53
Bahoo Lingum
Ditto
Syce.
20 days
Short.
54
Tan ab Sien
Ditto
Boatman
28
"
Long.
55
Tan Long Tau
Liver on leg
Pauper
I
Short.
19
56
Tanah L
Leprous
Pauper
None
"
57 Tan al Boon
Healthy
Coolie, lived well
15 days
"
58 Ang Zeow..
Ditta
Bostoian
1 mouth
Long.
59 Moyd
Ang Tit
Ditto
Bill collector.
21
Short.
"
Ditto
60
61
Kamis
62
Lewah Bee
63
Ab Koey ..
64 Wong nh Tak
65
Poultry weller
2 days
Laing.
"
Dito
Stoker
2 months
Short.
Dirto
Stone cutter
11
A urlicate man
Fruit seller
13 days
"
67
Ông Tay
68
Ab Kyo
(128)
Zesh Sung Hot
66 Kb Tong..
Ulver on big toe
Healthy
Ditto
Not registered
Piper
1
Colie, lived woll
3 mouth
..
Cart driver
3
"
■
Clerk
1 year 3 month
Long,
Healthy
Cook
13 days
Short.
3 Y
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