THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 6TH JULY, 1878.
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for such exceptional events as this accident to the Yesso. I have seen a London Hospital as badly crowded for a longer time after a railway accident with as horrible scenes and formidable operations going on in different wards.
Cases are continually being sent down for treatment here by the Canton Imperial Maritime Customs, I do not understand why, as they have their own Surgeons; but a few weeks back a case of Small Pox was sent down from Canton in a Revenue Cruiser, to admit which the Small Pox Hospital had to be specially opened, as we had no cases here at the time. On this most extraordinary proceeding, I made a special report.
We have now, I am glad to say, a temporary Lunatic Asylum. I called special attention in my report of 1874 to the way in which lunatics were confined in the Hospital and Gaol, who not only kept the whole Hospital or Gaol in an uproar, but whose terrible cries became a public nuisance to the residents in the neighbourhood. This has, I am glad to say, been remedied this year.
I have already in previous reports noticed the unwillingness of Chinese to go into Hospital, and this does not apply only to European Hospitals, they will not go into the Tung Wah Hospital till in either the last extremity of disease or destitution, hence the enormous mortality of this Hospital, as explained in the report of 1876.
I cannot say that I have found the Medico-legal and Post-Mortem work to interfere materially with my other duties, during the time I took charge of the Government Civil Hospital, though I had to the full, the average amount of this special work, nor did I receive any complaint that the patients found themselves neglected in consequence. The working of the Civil Hospital, notwithstanding its many inconveniences and defects which nothing but the advent of the new building can rectify, has been, by the Superintendent's own showing, most satisfactory in its results, as has also the new and improved arrangement of the Hospital Staff.
SMALL POX HOSPITAL.
This building, which is under my personal charge, is situated not far from the Lock Hospital, and was formerly one of the Chinese Schools. It answers the purpose for which it is required very well, being isolated and having a good open space for the patients to exercise in. There have been twenty- five admissions and one death, some of the cases were very severe and these were chiefly among the Europeans. The one colored man, who died, was brought off a vessel that had just arrived. He was delirious at thee of admission, and died in about twenty-four hours, the pustules not being fully developed,
T
TI
I
I have not
revious reports in respect of this Institution, it does a considerable amount of good might do a good deal more. The number treated in Hospital during the year was 1,492, the death: 623; the number of vaccinations performed 1,374; the number of out-patients treated: males 47,167, females 7,807, total 54,974.
LUNATIC ASYLUM.
This is a small building in the Hollywood Road, and, pending the erection of the proposed new asylum, has answered its purpose very well. It has only been established four months and has had two inmates, one male and one female; the latter was discharged cured, the former is still under treatment.
VICTORIA GAOL.
There has not been so much sickness as usual, though plenty of scheming and malingering. Table X. shows the number of admissi to Hospital. Table XI. shows the number of trifling cases on the books. Table XII. shows the number of admissions, rate of sickness and mortality. Table XIII. shows the number of deaths and their cause. their quieus, one of them was to have been handed over to the Chinese authorities. Of the other five There were two suicides, who hung themselves by deaths, one gas a paralytic patient, who had been some time in Gaol, and had never been subjected to work. Another was the case of a man who died of general debility forty-eight hours after admission. When he was sent in on remand, I sent a certificate to the Magistrate to inform him the prisoner could not possibly live many days longer. The case of diarrhoea was a weakly young European seaman. One MOK-A-KWAI on remand for trial had phthisis, for which he had been treated during a former term of imprisonment and when he returned to Gaol this time he was in a deplorable condition, and there was not the slightest hope of his recovery. The last was a partially paralysed man who was seized with apoplexy in his cell and died in a few hours. Many changes have been made in the arrangements of the Gaol this year; at the beginning of the year the Royal Commission concluded its labours, and the new rules and diet scale were put in force. The allowance of rice was diminished, the chutney taken away, as also the allowance of pork to long term prisoners. To the abolition of the chutney and
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