1872 — Page 240

IV.-TUNG WA HOSPITAL.

This Institution was opened about the middle of February, and from that time till the 31st December, 922 patients were admitted, of whom 287, or over 1 per cent, died. A number of these were no doubt in an almost moribund state when received. The building affords comfortable quarters for the destitute sick. The food and clothing supplied to the patients is good. They seen to have a large number of attendants, but I never found them at hand when they were wanted. It is a very objectionable practice, that of allowing the patients to dress their own wounds. They are perpetually meddling with the dressings, and applying ointments or lotions. Such things as lint, cotton rags, or cotton wool, seem to be quite unknown Paper seans to answer the purpose of lint, and they have the greatest objection to simple water dressing, which is admitted to be the best of all, for wounds and sores. The treatment of surgical cases shows an amount of ignorance which is much to be deplored. Seeing that the Institution was endowed with such a large sum of by the Colonial Government, I think that the Directors might be asked to set apart one ward money of their Hospital for the treatment of patients by foreign Doctors, or they might open a Dispensary in another part of the City where foreign advice and medicine might be obtained gratis.

The increase in the number of the Vaccinations is noteworthy. In 1871, 500 were vaccinated by native operators, and in 1872 the number had increased to 900..

Tables A. B. C. & D. show the Statistics of the Seamen's Hospital for 1872.

V. THE GAOL.

The number of prisoners in the Gaol in 1872, was 6,268, in 1871 it was 3,917. The greatest number of prisoners in Gaol was on the 15th May, when there were 86 Europeans, 15 Colored men, and 509 Chinese; total 610. The smallest number was on the 29th December, when there were 50 Europeans, 11 Colored, and 310 Chinese; total 371 prisoners. The health of the prisoners during the year was very good. The number of trifling cases, which formerly was made up prin- cipally of cases of bruised feet, has considerably decreased since the prisoners were taken off the roads,

The admissious into Hospital and Mortality is shown in Table VII. Six severe cases of Remit- tent Fever were admitted into Hospital of which 2 died. There were 22 cases of Intermittent, soine of these after resisting large doses of Quinine, were eventually cured by the internal administration of Carbolic Acid.

Table VIII. shows the rate of sickness and nortality. In 1871, the rate of sickness to total number of prisoners was 3.04 per cent, and the mortality 0.22 per cent. In 1872, it was 2.04 per cent and 0.15 per cent. In the beginning of September, an order was issued by His Excellency the Governor that no prisoner should be allowed outside the Gaol walls until 3 months of his sentence had expired, that he should be put to hard labor, and for 10 days of every month be kept on low diet." The low diet was bread and water for Europeans and Americans, and rice and water for Chinese. This diet was to be kept up for 10 days in every month for 6 months. giving this a fair trial it was found that Foreigners could not stand hard labor on low diet, although the Chinese did not seem to suffer. The regimen was therefore changed to 5 days low diet twice a month but no hard labor during those periods. Up to the end of the year, the health of the Europeans was excellent, and I think the Chinese were decidedly in better health under the new regulations. Whether this arrangement can be kept up for 6 months, or during the hot scuson, remains to be seen.

VI.—THE LOCK HOSPITAL.

After

Tables A. B. C. D. E. &. F., show the Statistics of the Hospital and the working of the Contagious Diseases Act in Hongkong. In Table C. it will be found that of the 432 men diseased, 129 con- tracted the disease clsewhere than in Hongkong. The average number of men in Port and Garrison per month is 12,010, and the average of men diseased is only 0.29 per month. Last year the average was 0.34.

Table X. shows the rate of mortality among the Foreign Residents for the last 15 years. Although there was a good deal of sickness in the Colony last year, the mortality was small. Of the 65 deaths recorded, 23 were of Portuguese, and of these 15 were children under one year.

children.

Table XII contains the result of the Meterological observations taken at the Civil Hospital in 1872. The heat during the summer was comparatively moderate for Hongkong. The month of April was hot, but in May, after the rains began, the weather became again very cool. Easterly and North-casterly winds prevailed, and May, which is usually one of the hottest months in the year, was retnarkably cool. Diarrhea and Dysentery were very prevalent in May, especially among The mouth of August was very hot and at that time there were several cases of Remittent Fever of a very severe type. In this City the cases were few, but at Aberdeen nearly 100 men of II. M. S. Barossa were attacked with fever of a malarious type. 54 cases were sent to the Melville Hospital from Aberdeen, and several severe cases occurred on board of one of the ships of the P. & O. Company which was then in Dock. It is probable that the great heat at the time may have tempted the men to leave their ship for cooler quarters on shore, and that they slept on the ground or within a few feet of it, a proceeding which is almost certain to be followed by an attack of fever.

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