1875 — Page 241

The coloured destitutes, as usual, form a large proportion of the mortality, three of the deaths

them being from absolute privation.

among

Table V. shows the rate of mortality in the Government Civil Hospital for the last ten years, anıl that in this respect this year is the best of the ten.

Table VI. shows the adinissions and mortality of each month of the year.

Table VII. shows the number of dead bodies brought in for examination in the different months. European, Coloured and Chinese, the total is 92, as compared with 150 in 1874.

The amount paid into the Treasury on account of paying patients was:-

1875,................... 1874, ..... 1873,.

$4,882.66

3,036.73

2,440.08

showing a steady increase of the paying patients with the increased accommodation afforded. The amount paid into the Treasury by the Board of Trade for sick seamen was $1,986, and in addition to these receipts, must be calculated the Hospital stoppages for the Police which are paid into the Trea- sury by that Department.

The increase of l'atients and receipts and the decrease in mortality speaks well for the working of this establishment, and in this year's Report I speak of it from experience as an inmate for six weeks and in superintendence of it for nearly three months with satisfaction.

TUNG WAH HOSPITAL.

Of this Hospital what has been said in previous Reports might be said over again. The number of persons admitted in 1875 was 882, of whom 480 died. This large mortality of over 50 per cent being accounted for by the patients coming in the last stage of disease, very often moribund when brought in. From this it appears to me that the faith of the Chinese in the Hospital does not increase. The number of out-patients who attended was 45,685. The great good done by this Hospital is vac- cination, 1,159 were vaccinated in it last year, and during the year there has been no case of small-pox reported among the Chinese, this disease has been declining yearly in Hongkong and the vaccination. done in this Hospital must have the credit of it.

VICTORIA GAOL.

Table VIII. shows the actual number of cases treated in the Gaol Hospital.

Table IX. shows the number of prisoners treated in their cells. Two deaths are recorded, both cuses diseased before the patients came into Gaol. The principal causes of sickness are diseases of the lungs, fever, dysentery, diarrhoea and old sores. The average number of inen seen by me daily is between fifty and sixty, not only on account of sickness, but applications for change of diet, increase of clothing, &c., &c. As regards the prison diet, &c., a cominission has been sitting during the past year

and my opinions on this subject were given before it.

Table X. shows the number of prisoners, the sickness and the mortality in the Gaol.

LOCK HOSPITAL.

Table XI. A. shows, the number of admissions, which have been less than half the number in 1874. The average time of the patients being under treatment being about the same as last year.

Table B. shows the number of women brought under the provisions of "The Contagious Diseases Ordinance" in 1875.

Table C. shows the number of men diseased during the year. The number of Police admitted to Hospital for venereal disease is less than in 1874. The admissions to the Government Civil Hos- pital on this count are about the same. The military show a slight increase. The navy has suffered most, but of the 177 seamen admitted into the Naval Hospital with, venereal disease, 82 had not con- tracted the disease in Hongkong. The scamen are, for the most part, new to the place, ignorant of the whereabouts of the licensed Brothels, and are often picked up by sly prostitutes in the streets, and by the bontwomen, and to this must be attributed the excess in disease among them. The soldiers and police are resident in the town, and know their way about, and therefore show best the results of the work done under this Ordinance.

Table E. shows the character of the disease, and though there has been a slight increase this year as compared with last, there is nothing like the number of cases in former years.

Table D. shows the cause and the number of women admitted into the Lock Hospital; only 46 cases of syphilis were admitted this year, as compared with 68 in 1874. Of the 46 admitted 22 were complicated with gonorrhea as compared with 42 last year.

Table F. shows the number of unlicensed prostitutes apprehended and convicted, 33 in number, of whom 9 were found to be diseased.

No cases of Typhoid fever have been brought into Hospital from the Brothels, which have much improved in cleanliness and the number each is capable of holding being given when I inspect the houses before they are licensed, prevents overcrowding. The Inspectors now thoroughly understand what is required of thein, and it will be their fault if any brothel gets into its former filthy state without being reported.