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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 6TH JULY, 1878.

increases the comfort of his family, but as far as my experience goes, and I have had good opportuni- ties of judging, there is no great difficulty in breaking off the habit. I have seen many cas of exces- sive smoking in men who could afford to spend large sums on the vice. At the Tung Wa

Hospital the stranger may at any time see the most dreadful and ghastly looking objects in the las

stages of scrofula and phthisis smoking opium, who had never previously in all their lives been abl to afford the expense of a pipe a day, yet the European visitor leaves the establishment attributing to the abuse of opium effects which further enquiry would have satisfied him were due to the diseases for which the patients were in Hospital. From what I have seen there, there is no doubt that the adanced con- sumptive patient does experience considerable temporary relief to his difficult breathing b

smoking a pipe of opium, though it is very poor quality of drug that is given to patients at the Tung Wah Hospital. I do not wish to defend the practice of opium smoking, but in the face of the rash

pinions and exaggerated statements in respect of this vice, it is only right to record that no China restent believes in the terrible frequency of the dull, sodden witted debilitated opium smoker met within print, nor have I found many Europeans who believe they ever get the better of their opium smoking ompradores in matters of business. I have conducted my observations with much interest, as the effits of opium eating were well known to me by my many years' experience in India, and I have been surprised to find the opium smoker differs so much from the opium eater.

I am inclined to the belie that in the popular mind the two have got confused together. Opium smoking bears no comparison with opium eating. The latter is a terrible vice most difficult to cure and showing rapidly very marked nstitutional effects in the consumer.

LOCK HOSPITAL.

This institution and the working of the Medical Department of the Contagious Disese Ordinance No. 10 of 1867, is under my personal charge. There have been a few more admissics to Hospital, and the number of examinations have increased by about 700 this year, but the typeof disease has not been very severe. Further particulars under this head are contained in Tables appended hereto, and in my private reports to Government on the subject.

E2, and E3

A Commission is at present enquiring into the working of the Ordinances, ad will shortly report the results of their investigations.

Table VI. shows the r, in Hongkong by which it a

years, the considera partly act there.

per

nt

HEALTH OF THE COLONY.

ulation, mortality and percentage of deaths of the European Community that there were more deaths last year than any of the nine preceding greater than that of the years 1870 and 1871. There was a , chiefly among the residents at Kowloon, which may perhaps ing the Garrison, as any of the Troops were station annual Atmospheric Report, showing a greater heat than has been paso eight years, and a very considerable decrease in the rainfall, which as indicated in my report 1973 is commonly accompanied by a greater mortality. The records of the Government Civil Hospital and those of the Tung Wah Hospital, do not show any excess of climatic disease.

experience

SANITATION.

Table XVII. shows the work done by the Inspectors of Nuisances during the year. The gh there is a considerable increase in the number of persons fined, the amount of the fines collected is hardly one third that of last year. This is principally owing to the new Government Scavenging Contractor having performed his duties more satisfactorily than his predecessor; last year his fines were very heavy in consequence of the inefficient way the contract was carried out. Little more need be said than has been mentioned in previous reports, which have pointed out the state of the drains, the markets, the Chinese dwelling houses, the keeping of cattle and pigs in dwelling houses, &c. It is to be hoped something may be done with the markets, especially the Central and Western markets, which are a disgrace to the Colony. It would also be a great boon to the poorer classes of the Chinese, if the Government could provide small patches of leveled ground in different parts of the suburbs of Victoria, on which they might be allowed to build pig-sties, on condition of their being kept clean and in good order. This I think might be accomplished, and the advantage to the poorer class, who depend entirely on the keeping of pigs for their living, wo be very great.

The Honourable

J. M. PRICE,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

I have the honour to be,

Šir,

Your most ol

jervant,

PH.

LYRES, Colonial Surgeon.