629587-1899-Report-on-the-Health-and-Sanitary-Condition-of-Hongkong-after-p- — Page 3

SUPPLEMENT TO THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1899.

iii

Enteric Fever.-There were 52 cases reported as against 65 in the previous year; twelve of these occurred in April, most of them were imported.

Scarlet Fever. These cases both occurred on board II.M.S. Powerful and were imported from the Mediterranean.

Cholera.-These were evidently cases of Acute Choleraic Diarrhoea due to indiscretion in diet; they occurred in April.

Malarial Fever.-As usual malarial fevers prevailed during the summer months; there were no cases of the pernicious type in the Government Civil Hospital.

Discases of Respiratory Organs.-These were as usual chiefly prevalent in the winter months and account for many deaths amongst the Chinese.

RELATIVE MORTALITY IN THE DIFFERENT SEASONS.

From the following return it will be seen that the two months April and May were the most fatal both for Chinese and Non-Chinese; this is accounted for by the prevalence of plague during these months

Excluding the deaths from small-pox and plague, it is seen that the mouths in which the least number of deaths occurred were April, May, and June.

The winter months, though the healthiest, give the greatest mortality; this is due to the greater number of deaths from diseases of the respiratory organs amongst the Chinese at this season of the year.

1898.

POPULATION :-NON-CHINESE 15,190. CHINESE 239,210.

DEATHS.

Month.

Non- Chinese.

Rate per 1,000. Chinese.

Rate per 1,000.

Total Deaths.

Total Deaths excluding Plague and Small-pox.

January

23

401

424

386

February

27

17.90

440

23.55

467

378

March

18

499

517

394

April.......

39

708

747

823

May

45

- 30.02

710

30.77

755

323

June

30

422

452

288

July

August..

September

14

333

347

337

22

23

October......

12

22

> 15.54

372

17.87

394

392

364

387

386

391

403

402

November..

17

13.10

361

18.96

378

378

December.

21

382

403

403

Total.........

291

5,383

5,674

4,390

GENERAL SANITARY CONDITION OF THE COLONY.

Though much has been done of late years to improve the sanitary condition of the Colony by :---

(a.) The removal of illegal cocklofts, mezzanine floors and backyard obstructions; (b.) The concreting of the Chinese houses not only in Victoria but at Hung Hom, Yaumati,

and Taikoktsui in British Kowloon ;