1878 — Page 269

THE SMALL POX IIOSPITAL.

This Establishment has been under my charge for the last four years, as when the temporary Government Civil Hospital was moved to the Central District, it was too far off for the attendance of the Superintendent.

There have been only seven cases admitted, all of themn of a comparatively mild type, and there were no deaths,

THE LUNATIC ASYLUM

Is under my charge, and this year there have been five inmates. Two of whom died. One was an oll Sidibhoy, who had become paralytic and idiotic and lingered for some months in this condition; the other was a case of Acute Mania, and the patient had mutilated himself frightfully. The rest were discharged.

TUNG WAH HOSPITAL.

The total number of cases admitted into this Hospital during 1878 was 1,646 and there were 756 deaths. This Establishment attends principally to out-patients, of whom 83,086 received advice, those admitted are in a very large number of cases incurable. The Hospital is entirely under Chinese supervision, kept fairly clean, and the patients' comfort attended to according to Chinese idens. A great number of vaccinations have been performed, 1,683 altogether, of which 100 were performed by Chinese Doctors attached to this institution in Villages and Rural Districts of the Colony.

THE LOCK HOSPITAL.

The admissions to this Hospital during the past year were 105, showing a decrease of 72 as compared with last year. Among none of the registered women was there any case of constitutional disease, the sores being all of the soft type or caused by abrasions. Two Chinese women petitioned for admission and treatment, both of them suffering severely from constitutional disease. One of these women was covered with ulcers from the crown of her head to her feet, over thirty in number, varying from the size of a crown piece to the size of a man's hand, she was nearly eight months in Hospital, but was ultimately discharged cured. The other was suffering from extensive sores on the groins and genitals and was also discharged cured.

The average number of days' detention in Hospital shows a considerable increase, but this has been caused by obstinate acrid discharges in young recruits of the brothels, who have been over- workel, not from any increase in the severer forms of venereal disease.

Table XV A shows the admissions to Hospital, the number of diets issued, and the average number of days each case was under treatment.

Table B shows the number of women under examination, 244, and the number of examinations made, 12,086.

year,

C and E Tables show the number of cases of venereal among the Naval and Merchant seamen, the Military and Police. Among the Military there has been a considerable incrcase on last the Naval show a slight decrease, the Police are nearly doubled, but have only two mild cases of ronstitutional disease. The Merchant seamen decreased, having few cases of constitutional disease.

Tables E 2 and 3 show the amount of constitutional disease among the Naval and Military stationed here, and it will be observed that only a small number of the cases were contracted in Hongkong; 7 in the Navy and 13 among the Military.

Table is conspicuous by its absence, this table showed the number of arrests of unlicensed prostitutes, but no arrests have been made this year, pending the enquiries of the Contagious Diseases Commission, the results of whose labours have lately been published. This has been probably the cunse, in part, of the increase of disease, especially among the Military.

The Commission has done good work in discovering many abuses that ought to be and will be. I hope, impossible for the future, but the conclusions come to by two of its members are open to question. I think that the evidence goes to show that much good has been done, at any rate in the prevention of the spread of disease amongst the European part of the community, and that the type of disease contracted is not to be compared in severity with that recorded to have been common in past years. That "the licensed brothels for foreigners are in themselves a source of infection," except of mild That hereditary disease is complaints inseparable from promiscuous intercourse, is not the case. contracted in Registered Houses for the use of Foreigners Inn in a position to deny, for not one of the women in these houses have suffered from constitutional disease during the past four years. That disease is contracted in these houses of a sort is undeniable, but it is possible and by no menny Incommon to contract disease from the chastest women, and marriage cannot prevent it." Self abuse will cause discharges which come under the head of venereal disease. No law made by man can