The paying patients exclusive of Police and seamen sent by the Harbour Master brought in $4,637.34 as compared with $3,441.93 in 1880. This class of patients have been yearly increasing.
This year since April, Surgeon BLENNERHASSETT and Surgeon Major MURRAY, A.M.D., have been Acting Superintendents during the absence on leave of the Superintendent. Surgeon Major MURRAY has prepared and sent in the usual report with his opinions on the working of the Establishment. I beg to call attention to his recommendation concerning the classing and pay of the Chinese Nurses in the Hospital, and I think, if it were carried out, it would be of great benefit to the working of this institution. As regards his remarks concerning the Quarters, Hospital space, &c., all these have been provided for in the proposed plans before mentioned as having been sanctioned by the Home Authorities, but how long it will be before they are carried out, I can form no idea, as the matter has now been under discussion more than thirteen years.
SMALL POX HOSPITAL.
Table IX shews the number of admissions and deaths during the year; there were seven admissions and three deaths, all in the first five months of the year. This Establishment is also under the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital. The admissions for the past nine years have been as follows:
Admissions.
Year Admissions 1873 7 1874 6 1875 5 1876 18 1877 25 1878 7 1879 13 1880 29 1881 7The admissions from Small Pox only occur as a rule in the winter months; the past season from November 1881 to date no cases have been brought in.
VICTORIA GAOL.
This year there has been a greater number of prisoners admitted to Gaol than any year in the past nine, except 1873, as the following figures shew, but the daily average number of prisoners is far greater than in any of the previous years as the following figures also shew.
Year Total number of prisoners admitted in Gaol Daily average number of prisoners 1873 4,656 388 1874 3,645 350.04 1875 4,023 374.06 1876 4,062 432.60 1877 3,964 395.22 1878 3,803 519.22 1879 3,665 576.13 1880 3,530 575.25 1881 4,150 666Notwithstanding this increase in the daily average number of prisoners, the amount of sickness among them has been somewhat smaller, 297 only having been admitted to Hospital, as compared with 316 in 1880, but still the number is very high, being more than double what it used to be; in 1873 it was only 148. The accommodation for the sick is very limited and in 1873 was decidedly insufficient.
Of the 297 admitted to Hospital, 51 were admitted as soon as sent into the Gaol, as is shewn in Table XII, A.
This is the only Public Establishment in which the dry earth system is of any service, and even here, owing to the nature of the building, it is very inefficiently carried out, for reasons that I gave in my last Annual Report, though every thing is done that can be done to make it of as much service as possible. The dry earth used, being only of decomposed granite, is very unsuitable for the purpose, is a very poor deodoriser and certainly has no disinfectant properties whatever. I was six years in charge of Gaols in India in which the dry earth system only was used, but the earth used was of the best possible kind, and the enormous space at command allowed it to be carried out with the greatest efficiency. I am quite aware of the value of the system in places for which it was designed; it has never been any where in force in crowded towns. In India or any where else, it is a very valuable
The paying patients exclusive of Police and seamen sent by the Harbour Master brought in $4,637.34 as compared with $3,441.93 in 1880. This class of patients have been yearly increasing.
This year since April, Surgeon BLENNERHASSETT and Surgeon Major MURRAY, A.M.D., have been Acting Superintendents during the absence on leave of the Superintendent. Surgeon Major MURRAY has prepared and sent in the usual report with his opinions on the working of the Establishment. I beg to call attention to his recommendation concerning the classing and pay of the Chinese Nurses in the Hospital, and I think, if it were carried out, it would be of great benefit to the working of this institution. As regards his remarks concerning the Quarters, Hospital space, &c., all these have been provided for in the proposed plans before mentioned as having been sanctioned by the Home Authorities, but how long it will be before they are carried out, I can form no idea, as the matter has now been under discussion more than thirteen years.
SMALL POX HOSPITAL.
Table IX shews the number of admissions and deaths during the year; there were seven admission: and three deaths, all in the first five months of the year. This Establishment is also under the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital. The admissions for the past nine years have beer as follows:
Admissions.
*
Year,
-1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
7
6
5
..... 18
25
7
13
29
7
1881
The admissions from Small Pox only occur as a rule in the winter months; the past season from November 1881 to date no cases have been brought in.
VICTORIA GAol.
This year there has been a greater number of prisoners admitted to Gaol than any year in the past nine, except 1873, as the following figures shew, but the daily average number of prisoners is far greater than in any of the previous years as the following figures also shew.
Total number of prisoners
Daily average number of prisoners.
1873... 1874.
1875...
1876..
1877.
....
1878.......
1879.........
1880...
1881..
admitted in Gaol.
4,656
388
.3,645
350.04
4,023
374.06
.4,062
432.60
3,964
395.22\
.3,803
519.22
..3,665
576.13
...3,530
575.25
...4,150
666
Notwithstanding this increase in the daily average number of prisoners, the amount of sickness among them has been somewhat smaller, 297 only having been admitted to Hospital, as compared with 316 in 1880, but still the number is very high, being more than double what it used to be; in 1873 it was only 148. The accommodation for the sick is very limited and in 1873 was decidedly insufficient.
Of the 297 admitted to Hospital, 51 were admitted as soon as sent into the Gaol, as is shewn in Table XII, A.'
1
This is the only Public Establishment in which the dry earth system is of any service, and even here, owing to the nature of the building, it is very inefficiently carried out, for reasons that I gave in my last Annual Report, though every thing is done that can be done to make it of as much service as possible. The dry earth used, being only of decomposed granite, is very unsuitable for the purpose, is a very poor deodoriser and certainly has no disinfectant properties whatever. I was six years in charge of Gaols in India in which the dry earth system only was used, but the earth used was of the best possible kind, and the enormous space at command allowed it to be carried out with the greatest efficiency. I am quite aware of the value of the system in places for which it was designed; it has never been any where in force in crowded towns. In India or any where else, it is a very valuable
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