20
XVI-TABLE shewing the rate of MORTALITY among the FOREIGN RESIDENTS in Hongkong during the last 10 Years.
Number of European and
American Residents.
Years.
Deaths.
Percentage of Deaths to Number of Residents,
1878,
2,767
67
2.42
1879,
2,767
55
1.98
1880,
2,767
69
2.49
1881,
5,040
64
2.10
1882,
3,040
55
1.80
1883,
3,040
81
2.06
1884,
8,040
94
3.09
1885,
3,040
99
3.25
1886,
3,040
103
3.38
1887,
3,040
108
3.55
Average of 10 Years,..
2,958.1
79.5
2.612
Enclosure 1,
Report from the Superintendent of the Civil Hospital.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 6th March, 1888. SIR, I beg to forward report of the work done at the Civil Hospital during the year 1887 with the usual statistics.
I arrived at the Colony in November 17th, and took over charge from Dr. THOMPSON on the following day.
I was very much surprised and perplexed at the state of affairs then existing at the Hospital. The two European Wardmasters were on their trial for robbing patients under their care.
To undertake the nursing of the patients in addition to the Chinese attendants who have practi cally no knowledge of nursing, I had the services of two of the Army Medical Staff Corps to the end of December, who were of great assistance, and of CHAN A LOK the Chinese Wardmaster. The latter during his long period of service at the Hospital has acquired some practical knowledge in regard to nursing and is very useful as an Interpreter. Unfortunately he is leaving soon, wishing to retire, as he does not feel strong enough to continue his work.
As the services of the Army Medical Staff Corps men were not available two Wardmasters Mr. CUBIT a Policeman and Mr. CARNEIRO Son of the Wardmaster of the Small-pox Hospital were appointed on probation for three months.
Meanwhile as the Nursing Staff of the Hospital generally seemed so inefficient, I had drawn up a scheme for the re-arrangement of the Nursing Staff, which was submitted to His Excellency The Governor. In this scheme I recommended that in addition to the two European Wardmasters who should be preferably retired Army Medical Staff Corps men, the obtaining of five European trained female Nurses, one to act as Head Nurse; this scheme is still under consideration.
Since my arrival there has been an epidemic of Small-pox. I have had under my care 111 cases of that disease, many of a very severe type. The present building which is used as a Small-pox Hospital only contains 10 beds. This had to be augmented, first by the erection of one and afterwards as this soon was filled, by the erection of two bamboo sheds. This has entailed a great deal of extra work upon the Hospital Staff. Fortunately the epidemic seems to be subsiding thanks in a great measure to the energetic measures taken by the Sanitary Department. I would strongly urge the necessity of the erection of an Infectious Hospital either on one of the Islands of the Harbour, or as far away as possible from any habitation, as the present building is quite inadequate for the treatment of such cases; also that such Hospital have a separate Medical Officer and Staff of its own. The sooner this is done the better, as the Colony is always liable to an outbreak such as this.
21
351
Remittent Fever seems to have been very fatal as out of 134 cases there were nine deaths. Altogether out of 420 cases which Dr. WHARRY classes as Hongkong Fever, there were ten deaths, as against one death out of 406 cases in 1886; out of these ten, one was a European, two were Coloured, and seven Chinese.
Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatism sent 38 cases, of which one died.
There were seven cases of opium poisoning, of which two died.
The total number of deaths were eighty-nine, the death rate compared to the total number of admissions being 5.37, the highest yet recorded.
The total amount of fees received from patients during the year was $10,275.68 of this the Board of Trade paid $2,181.75 and the Police $970,75 this is exclusive of $1,788.18 fees from patients in Lunatic Asylum which amount in previous years has been included in the Civil Hospital accounts.
Mr. WATSON the Assistant Apothecary arrived in the Colony on September 25th and forthwith commenced his duties.
Mr. Crow the Senior Apothecary and Analyst is temporarily performing the duties of Sanitary Superintendent.
I have to thank these officers and particularly Mr. ROGERS, the Steward, for the assistance they have rendered me in becoming acquainted with the working of the Establishment.
In conjunction with the Colonial Surgeon I have made certain alterations in the existing rules in order to keep the Chinese attendants more under control.
In conclusion I wish to point out the necessity there is for an assistant Resident Medical Officer. In a Hospital like this in which so many of the cases are acute and so many accidents are admitted, and in which, as I gather from the previous reports, the greatest stress of work falls in the Summer months, the work is too great for one Medical Officer; one cannot always be on duty; under the existing arrangements it is impossible to leave the Hospital for even a couple of hours without a feeling of anxiety that something may happen during one's absence; if there was another Resident Medical Officer, there would always be one on duty.
My report is necessarily incomplete from the late period of the year in which I took over the charge of the Hospital.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Dr. P. B. C. AYRES,
Colonial Surgeon.
Year.
Number of examinations.
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN MITFORD ATKINSON, M.B., Superintendent, Government Civil Hospital,
Enclosure 2.
Lock Hospital's Returns.
SYPHILIS.
Primary.
REMARKS.
Hard
And Cutane- Chancre Úts
Erup-
tion.
1885.
12,454
67168 38
93
40
36712,087
On refering to the Statistics it will be found that the Hospital Register contains 1,656 cases, 43 more than in 1886, of this number 619 were Police, seventeen more than in the previous year.
* 1 Woman was found with
1886.
12,407
111 155 51
2
1
4
33
1
37812,029
Table III shows the number from each station, Table V shows the varieties of disease a mongst the patients generally, with the mortality from each.
soft sore, but was not
detained,
There were forty cases of Dysentery of which six proved fatal. Nine cases of Typhoid were treated of which one died.
1887.
11,496
28 42 | 33*
1
3
2 21
129 11,367
t
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