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:—
265
(A).-Tabular Return of Increase and Decrease in weight of Prisoners from March
to September, 1873.
Increase.
Decrease.
Class of
Prisoners.
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.
55
061
264
300
60
18
6
W po p
122
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
421 76 20
9
+ 530 343
17
6
3
1
370
European
Chinese
Malay
Indian
Total
(B). Statement of Prisoners at present Sick in Hospital 18th October, 1873.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LTC.O.88
885
3 PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
Whether
State of Health
No.
Namce.
on Admission to Gaol.
General Circumstances and Habit of Living.
Period of Stay in Gaol before taken ill.
Long
or Short Sentenced
រ 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 Wab
9
Sick.
Gob Team..
10
Kong Wah
11
1.430
23.5
153
32.6
12
1871
1872
January to May 1873..
May to September 1873
::::
1.878
22.4
541
38.7
13
Ing Hye
1,283
20.0
617
53
14
Tanah Hah
703
64
15
Zooh Wee..
16 Zap ah Quay
17
Tanah Kee
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.
H. L. RANDELL, Principal Civil Medical Officer, Straits
Settlements.
(Signed)
F. K. HAMPSHIRE, M.B., Colonial Surgeon.
T. IRVINE ROWELL, M.D., Acting Colonial Surgeon,
Chang ah Poh
39 Zap Kee Chee
In delicate health
Not registered
Healthy
Consumption
Healthy
++
IB! Tay Hob
19
Elet Doh
20
21
Zenpah Soon
22
Lee Toey
23
Ino. Overree
24
Chuah Kow
25
Koh Zong..
26
Zap Foo
27
Tan Teng Hin
28
Lee a Chye
Lee Gook..
Hob sh Fook
Pungootoo Innoos
Ditto
Syphilitic taint
Not registered
Healthy Ditto
Not registered
Ditto
Ditto
Healthy
Not registered
Healthy
Not registered
Feeble
Healthy
Healthy
Ditto
Rheumatic Ulcer on leg Ditto
Not registered
Coolio
Cartman
Hawker
Poultry seller
Grass cutter
Tinker
Bostman
Arruck seller
Blacksmith Coolie
2
2
Fisherman Hawker
6 days
6 months
Short. Lung.
Bazaarman
19 days
Short.
Coolie
15
1J
Long.
Coolie
18 months
"
Rice beater
3 years
18 months
JJ
6 days
Short,
19 months
Long.
1
Short,
19
"
Long.
Short.
Pauper
Gardener, lived well
Not registered
Carpenter
Pork seller
lived well
Coolio, lived well
Chanduo seller
"
1
Long.
"
20
""
2
Short.
"
Official under Government,
"
Long,
2 days
Short.
1 ..
Long.
1 "
14 months
Weakly
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
Laug.
11
35
See Hok
Ditto
Fruit seller
4 days
Short.
TI
$6
Not registered
Mason
8 months
Long.
#
37
Leah Wat
Fruit seller an opium smoker
I day
38
Taib
Gardener, lived well
1 year
Piremen
18 days
Shurt. Long. Short
40
Tan ah Choan
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 Hock..
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
Coulic
3 years
Loog.
48
Chuah Chew
Healthy
Pauper
25 dara
Short.
++
49
Chuah Wan Sev
Ditto
Coolic, lived well
3 mouths
50
Furoze Mabarnoke
Ditta
Stoker
2 H
51
Benjamin 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 Le
Leprous
Pauper
None
"
60
57 Tan al Boon
58 Ang Zeow..
59 Moyd
Ang Tit
61 Kamis
Healthy
Coolie, lived well
15 days
"
Ditta
Bostulan
1 mouth
Long.
Ditto
Bill collector.
21
Short.
"
Ditto
Poultry weller
2 days
Laing.
"
Dito
Stoker
2 months
Short.
62
63
Lewah Bee
Dirto
Stone cutter
11
3858
68
Ab Koey ..
64 Wong nh Tak
65 Zesh Sung Hot
66 Kub Tong..
67 Ông Tay
Ab Kyo
(128)
A urlicate man
Ulver on big toe
Healthy
Not registered
Fruit seller
13 days
"
Poper
1
Colie, lived woll
3 mouth
..
Ditto
Cart driver
3
"
■
Clerk
1 year 3 month
Long,
Healthy
Cook
13 days
Short.
3 Y
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