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pale
THE SMALL POX HOSPITAL.
The Friend of China has criticised me very severely for what I have said on this subiet previous reports, and, I think, in a very one sided and intemperate manner.
It is asked "w peculiar advantages Dr. AYRES has to enable him to correct the errors of his predecessors in
This Establishment has been under my charge for the last four years, as when the temporary field?" Now, although I have no desire to set my opinions up against such notable auto Government Civil Hospital was moved to the Central District, it was too far off for the attendance of as have been quoted, still I have some right to give an opinion. In Hongkong, which is
the Superintendent.
There have been only seven cases admitted, all of them of a comparatively mild type, and there a trading port, are to be found natives of all parts of the Chinese Empire, and I speak t personal inspection of their homes and habits. I think Hongkong has the only prison in C
were no deaths. under European supervision that contains anything like a daily average of five hundred Cha prisoners of every class, from compradores to beggars from all parts of the Empire. I have had nearly six years experience in this Colony, and I doubt if many have had greater advantages f myself for forming an opinion on the subject of opium smoking; and over seven years in Bengal Assam should give me some experience in opium eating.
any
Much has been said about the Western nations not taking to the habit of opium smoking. any Western people had the patience necessary for the enjoyment of the habit. Has
Weste nation taken up the Indian Hooka and Narghile for the purpose of smoking tobacco? I think. Neither has the use of opium for eating or Indian hemp for smoking and eating been indulged in Western nations to any extent for similar reasons. A's little would an Asiatic think of indulging the athletic and violent exercises, common among all Western nations, for pleasure. It is rare for most inveterate Western tobacco smoker to sit down and smoke a pipe and do that only, he must talk, walk, or do something else at the same time, so the short pipe, cigar, or cigarrete, or chewing the favourite Western modes of using tobacco. And therefore my friends would look upon meat fool if I advised them, as the Friend of China suggests, to give up alcohol and tobacco in a of opium smoking.
I distinctly say that opium smoking, as generally indulged in by the masses, is too limited produce injurious effects on the constitution. It is a very small minority that are able to indulg the habit to injurious excess, the drug being far too costly to admit of the masses indulging to extent, independent of other reasons.
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I also distinctly state that the habit of opium smoking is not of necessity an increasing one more than the habits of tobacco smoking and spirit drinking. The habit of opium eating is, but of opium smoking is decidedly not. In the majority of cases, or rather I should say except in a small minority of cases, it is usual to find that the opium smoker has indulged in the same quam of the drug daily for years, neither increasing it or lessening it. Why, in the reports quoted by Friend of China, the quantities used daily by individuals are given, and the proportionato nuk using the drug in those quantities daily, and so evidence is given of the correctness of my states by the authorities quoted against me.
Dr. JAMES WATSON says: "My opinion of opium is that, except as a medicine, it is necessary, and for other purposes is seldom if ever of any service." Just so, and that is my opin also, but the same may be said of alcohol and tobacco.
Dr. WATSON continues: "While alcohol is only injurious when taken irregularly and int large quantities, and, to the majority of people, who either work with head or hands, is, in some sle or other, if not a necessity, a great comfort, and, as a dietetic agent, of considerable value."
Well, opinions differ as the Friend of India says, and Dr. PARKE's experiments go to showt alcohol is anything but a benefit to workers with head and hands, and is certainly not a neces but used medicinally may be of great benefit as a dietetic agent and otherwise.
My opinion is that opium, tobacco and alcohol, except when used medicinally under compt direction, are in no case necessities, but in the way generally used by habit are distinctly luxer fortunately indulged in to excess by only a small minority. Generally used for pleasure and con by the individual indulging in them, very often, even when the indulgence is limited, to the dise fort more or less of his family and friends. Such being my opinions, I should not think of re mending the use of any of these drugs as a habit to any one, used in that way they may do han can do no good.
Being an individual of active habits and restless temperament, I have no sympathy with the sinoker or eater. I like tobacco smoking, and indulge, though very moderately, in alcoholic lig but have no prejudice in their favour, believing that they are not necessary, but simply luxuries, moderately indulged in, do me no harm. I prefer tobacco to alcoholic liquors, which I rarely in except as Dr. WATSON observes as a dietetic agent"; yet do not set myself up as an exaup
be followed.
years.
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM
Two of whom died. One was Is under my charge, and this year there have been five inmates. an old 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 ideas. 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- worked, 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.
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 increase on last year, the Naval show a slight decrease, the Police are nearly doubled, but have only two mild cases of constitutional 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 F 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 cause, 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, 1 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. complaints inseparable from promiscuous intercourse, is not the case. That hereditary disease is contracted in Registered Houses for the use of Foreigners I am 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 discase is contracted in these houses of a sort is undeniable, but it is possible and by no means Self abuse common to contract disease from the chastest women, and marriage cannot prevent it. will cause discharges which come under the head of venereal disease. No law made by man can
have now a considerable number of weak and broken-down prisoners in for minor offences, sub That "the licensed brothels for foreigners are in themselves a source of infection," except of mild
There has been a considerable alteration in the type of prisoners in the Gaol of late of the sturdy desperadoes and pirates that used formerly to form the majority of the prisones petty thefts, gambling, begging and committing nuisances, who spend a great deal of time in flow and have to be put to light work all the time they are in confinement. They are a great trouble anxiety and in many cases the loss of freedom is about the only punishment that can be permit with that exception they have never been as well off in all their lives. The separate cells and new diet scales have been very useful in dealing with this class of prisoners.
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