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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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