154
The Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital to the Colonial Surgeon. -
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 10th May, 1879,
St - have the honour to forward the Hospital Statistics for the year 1878, with remark
thereon.
in a
therefore n
I was absent on leave for seven months from 11th May to December 12th, and I am position to make a complete report of the working of the Hospital for the year. Any reference to the buildings in which the work was done is unnecessary, they have been bur and may now be allowed to rest in peace.
The burning, on the morning of the 26th December, was fortunately not attended with mishap to the patients, as, with two exceptions, they were able to convey themselves to places of safet and there was sufficient warning to enable every one to be removed in time. Those of them wh were able to take care of themselves, or wore homeless, were accommodated in the Gaol infirmar for 24 hours; the others, sailors, police, &c., made their way to the boarding houses and elsewher returned to Hospital when the new temporary establishment was opened on the following day.
The staff worked very well under the trying circumstances; most of them lost some of the effects in attending to the calls of duty, and some of them sacrificed everything belonging to themselve Their behaviour on this occasion was such as to deserve some encouragement.
On the 27th December, the Lock Hospital at West Point was opened as a temporary C Hospital, and a few remarks concerning this building may not be out of place.
It is admirably situated, standing on an eminence about 107 feet above mean low water. Th raised above the Queen's Road it stands well out towards the Harbour, and lying on the North-wa side of the Peak, it has the advantage of wind from nearly every quarter.
The building itself, however, though good as a makeshift, is not large enough for a Civil Hospini and it has faults of construction and arrangement, which materially detract from its value as a Hospital The approach from the Queen's Road is in a very bad condition; the road is dilapidated, and the space beside it is used for shooting rubbish, and also as a public latrine for coolies: it is very foul some places.
The accommodation for patients is as follows
Ordinary cases,
Special cases,
Private cases,
Medical and } Surgical,
Venereal, Female,..........
1st class, 2nd class,..
}
.34
15
.10
4
1
+
The 1st class wards are badly arranged, the four rooms being only separated by a wooden partiic open at the top and bottom, and there is a stove only in one of them, so the other three are very coldi winter and cannot always be used.
The water closets are not well arranged, for they are all inside the building, and have free comm nication with the wards.
For the ordinary requirements of the Hospital there should be not less than the following numb of beds :-
Ordinary cases,
Special cases,
Medical and 1 Surgical, (Venereal,.
Female,
Is class,
Private cases,
2nd class,
Male, Female,.. Male, Female,..
.50
.20
8
6
2
6 2
and there should be as well some additional provision for emergencies, and accommodation for infa tious fevers.
The dispensary, drug store and Apothecary's quarters are all in one room, separated merely an eight-foot partition; neither of them is sufficiently large and the arrangement is palpably a bad There is no accommodation whatever for analytical work.
There is not sufficient room for the stores of all kinds, and the Storekeeper's quarters are veri
defective.
The office and consulting room both of the Colonial Surgeon and of the Superintendent of tà Hospital are not large enough and not private enough for medical examinations.
There is no operating room.
The accommodation for nurses and servants is not sufficient and it is badly arranged.
There is no proper provision for post-mortem examinations and inquests. The inspection of dead bodies and dissections have to be made in a room which is too small and badly arranged, and as there is no separate dead house it not infrequently happens that while an examination is going on, there are other bodies lying by in advanced stages of decomposition.
Inquests, instead of being conducted in a separate building, are held in the waiting room of the Hospital; an arrangement at once inconvenient to the Coroner and his Court, and detrimental to the well-being of the patients and good order of the Hospital.
There is no laundry in the establishment, and the bedding and clothing are sent to the Gaol to be washed.
The fire alarm bell for the western district has been placed in the Hospital compound, and though this be convenient for the fire brigade, it cannot be otherwise than a source of discomfort and danger to the sick in Hospital.
may
To a long list of imperfections may be added the want of a garden about the Hospital, where the patients might have the advantage of fresh air and change of scene.
On the 15th November, the Apothecary, Mr. A. A. BOTELHO, who had been ailing for some time, was obliged to retire from the service. He had served the Government for twenty-three years, and was a thoroughly able and trustworthy officer. Since Mr. BOTELHO's retirement, the Steward, Mr. SENNA, has performed the duties of Apothecary, pending the arrival of a qualified medical practitioner from England to take up the appointment.
With regard to the Hospital work, the Register for 1878 records 1,385 cases: 98 of these com. prising superficial wounds, 4 cases of dog bite, 2 of bites by men, and one of opium poisoning, were treated in the surgery and then dismissed: 19 of the others were brought in moribund from injury or discase, and died shortly afterwards.
There were thus 1,268 patients admitted during the year who underwent treatment in the Hospi- tal. Of this number 565 were Police, and the remaining 708 were made up of scamen, private resi- dents, destitutes, prisoners, members of the Chinese Customs and Revenue Services, and officers and seamen from foreign ships of war.
The number of admissions from the Police force was very large, being 147 more than last year. The increase took place during my absence, so I can only call attention to the fact. A reference to Table III. shows that the increase came principally from the Central Station, No. 7 and Aberdeen.
The causes of admission among the Police, were chiefly diarrhoea, febrile attacks, bronchial catarrh and surgical injuries.
The total number of days spent in Hospital in 1878 by members of the Force was 4,162; in 1877 it was 3,391.
The admissions from foreign ships of war were three in number: two French and one American. Room is usually found for these cases in the Naval Hospital, but when that is full they are sent to the Civil Hospital.
Table V. shows the varieties of disease among the Patients generally, with the mortality from each. There is a considerable increase on the preceding year, in the number of cases registered as febricula, while diarrhoea also appears to have been more prevalent.
Venereal disease sent a larger number of cases to Hospital, and contusions were more common. Fractures showed a slight increase.
Six cases of insanity were recorded: these were admitted into the Civil Hospital and after observation four of them were consigned to the Lunatic Asylum.
The mortality was not large, only 50 deaths having taken place in Hospital, and of these 19 were moribund when admitted.
It has, however, been before remarked that a small mortality is not a criterion of the severity of the cases which have been under treatment in the Hospital; for many of the Chinese who have become the subjects of severe injury, are removed by their friends, and swell the lists of mortality in their native places, instead of remaining in Hospital with a chance of recovery.
The number of dead bodies brought to the post-mortem Room by the Police was 118, two more than in 1877.
The receipts from paying patients during the year amounted to $4,494.95. In addition to this the Board of Trade paid into the Treasury for the treatment of merchant seamen the sum of $2,637.00 and Hospital stoppages for the Police amounted to $671.99.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
C. J. WHARRY, M.D., Superintendent.
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