1876 — Page 243

No. 93.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following Annual Report of the Colonial Surgeon, with Returns annexed, for the year 1876, is published for general information.

By Command,

H. E. WODENOUSE, Acting Colonial Secretary.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 13th April, 1877.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 8th April, 1877.

SIR-I have the honour to forward my Annual Report for the year 1876, together with the Tables showing the workings of the different Establishments under my supervision.

POLICE.

The health of the Force has been considerably better than last year, there have been fewer ad- missions and deaths. The health of the Indian part of the Force is much improved, there have been fewer admissions to Hospital from this part of the Force by 58, as compared with 1875, and only one death, as compared with 5 in the past year. The recruits have been stronger men and better fitted for the climate of Hongkong. Tables I and II show the rate of sickness and mortality in the Force and the months in which the greatest number of admissions to Hospital took place, which as usual is during the summer months and caused by exposure to the rains while on duty. The principal discasos being Remittent and Intermittent Fevers and their sequelae, Diarrhea, Dysentery, &c., &c.

TROOPS.

Table III gives the strength, sickness and mortality among the Troops stationed in Hongkong in 1876. In this case, there has been a very great decrease in both sickness and mortality.

1874,...... 1875, 1876,......

Admitted to Hospital.

1,067.......

716.......... 563...

Deaths.

.......10.

9.

The sickness, as the above figures show, being little more than half what it was in 1874, and the deaths only a fifth.

The 28th Regiment only arrived in February, and therefore have been less than a year in the East, which may account for the improvement in part. But it will be seen that there was a great improve- ment in 1875 compared with 1874, and that was in the case of the 80th Regiment, which had been out two years. The main cause, I believe, is the improvement in the drainage, &c. of the barracks, and to this may be attributed the great improvement in the health of the Troops. I am happy to think that my reports of the sanitary state of the Colony quoted by the Commanding Officers of Engineers were the means of procuring the requisite alterations in the drainage of the barracks which was in very bad condition.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.

I have great satisfaction in thinking that the troubles as regards the building of the new Govern- ment Civil Hospital are likely to be brought to a speedy termination. The present building occupied us the Government Civil Hospital, though a great improvement on the one destroyed by the Typhoon of 1874, has very serious defects, many of which I pointed out in my last Report, but on the whole it has worked more satisfactorily than might have been expected.

I forward with this Report, one made by the Superintendent on the working of this establishment.