1877 — Page 274

want of space in the Civil Hospital very painfully felt. The Hospital had at the time 44 bels occupied, and as there were only 10 left vacant, and these were nearly all in the female and venereal wards, the only course was to spread mattresses over the floors and passages, and there deposit the wounded as they were brought in. The number of the sufferers and the severity of their injuries taxed the resources of the Hospital staff to the very utmost, but every one responded manfully to the call and did their best.

On several occasions noisy lunatics were sent to the Hospital, for want of a better place. Lack of accommodation necessitated their being kept in close confinement, which could not be otherwise than detrimental to them, and their insane vociferations day and night were a source of great annoy- ance to both patients and attendants. Provision being made elsewhere for them in September, no lunatics have been admitted since that time.

There were 49 deaths during the twelve months, as compared with 35 in 1876. Of these 20 were moribund on admission, and 3 were attributed to privation.

The receipts from paying patients in 1877, amounted to $3,619.36, less by $1,100 than the receipts for 1876. There were fewer patients in Hospital in 1877, and some of the accounts due for 1877 have been collected in 1878. The fees for Board of Trade patients are not here included, as they are paid directly into the Treasury. Hospital stoppages for the Police are paid in the same way.

A reference to the tables shows that 236 Chinese were treated in the Civil Hospital in 1877. This is about the usual number, and as usual, about one half of them were Policemen, and most of the rest were brought in by the Police-cases of assault, or sick destitutes picked up in the street. The presence of nearly all these 236, therefore, was in great measure compulsory. The Lokongs are sent in because they are in receipt of pay from the Government, and it is to the interest of the Colony that when disabled, they shall be restored to health and efficiency as soon as possible, and Police cases are brought, in order that they may be disposed of before the Magistrates without delay, and that trustworthy evidence shall be forthcoming as to the nature and severity of the injuries sustained.

The medico-legal work performed by the Superintendent of the Hospital in 1877, consisted as usual of giving evidence before the Magistrates and in the Supreme Court touching the nature and severity of the injuries in criminal cases sent to Hospital. In addition to this, there were 116 dead bodies examined and reported on, of which 82 were adults, viz., 6 Europeans, 7 Coloured, and 69 Chinese; and 34 were children, all Chinese.

In some of these a superficial external examination only was made, and there being no marks of violence apparent and no suspicious circumstances attendant on the finding of the bodies, nothing further was done.

In a number of the cases, however, death had resulted from poisoning or from criminal violence, and in these a thorough and complete investigation of the body and the internal organs was made and in some cases the contents of the stomach were examined.

The examination of the 116 bodies brought to Hospital, showed every variety of death from homicide, suicide and disease.

The Coroner's returns record the cause in all cases coming under the first two heads, and in the third category, the diseases were found to be principally those leading to sudden death, viz., heart disease, ancurism, and apoplexy.

The suicides were from opium poisoning, hanging and possibly drowning.

Of the 34 children, some were still-born, and the rest had died from disease and mal-nutrition. There was little reason to believe that in any of these cases death had resulted from violence. The bodies had been exposed in the street, and on the hill-side, or thrown into the water to avoid the trouble and expense of burial.

There is, however, little or no check to homicide in a hundred ways among the Chinese, for as there is not, and cannot be, any correct diagnosis of disease among them, registration of the cause of death must be a mere form, and the Registrar has no guarantee that the cause stated to him is the

true one.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

Dr. Pn. B. C. AYRES,

Colonial Surgeon.

C. J. WHARRY, M.D.,

Superintendent.