110
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 23RD MARCH, 1872.
Of these fatal cases, only two bore marks of vaccination, one the West Indian Police Constable, and his death can scarcely be attributable to Small Pox, the immediate cause of his death being Pneumonia; he had suffered from chest disease previously on two occasions, the attack of Small Pox was but slight.
The second was that of the Inspector of Police. He bore 3 apparently fair marks of vaccination, but it had no influence on the character of the disease, which was of the most severe confluent form; head symptoms set in early; he became delirious on the third day after admission, dying on the 6th day, and 8th day of the disease.
Of the two Chinese children that died, both were in a moribund condition on admission, one dying in 2 hours, the other in 24 after coming to Hospital.
The whole of the fatal cases amongst the European adults were characterized by the same appearances, a very severe confluent form, with flat pus- tues and the surrounding areola of a claret colour, delirium setting in early about the third day. The European child was getting well over the disease, when a large abscess formed in the throat, and the child died of exhaustion.
The East Indian destitute, was a poor cripple, who was accustomed to be about the streets of Hongkong begging, and had no stamina to resist so formidable a disease as confluent Small Pox.
Cases totally unprotected by vaccination,
Vaccinated, bearing 1 good Mark,
Do.,
Do. 2 or more good Marks,
TABLE 3.
OF THE STATE OF VACCINATION.
Confluent.
Semi- Confluent.
Distinct or Modified.
18
4
I
Died.
6
1
2
12
2 4
3 2
46 6
2
Indistinct, and not hearing any Marks though said to have been vaccinated,..
This table only bears out the well known fact of the comparative lightness of the disease after vaccination; out of the total of 101 cases treated, 66 bore marks of vaccination, of which only one died, a mortality of 1.5 per cent, whilst 35 were unprotected, of whom 8 died, showing a mortality of 22.8 per cent. One rather remarkable case occurred after re-vaccination, (the only one admitted) in the person of a young Mechanie; he had been re-vaccinated about 14 days before the disease made its appearance; it is probable he had contracted Small Pox just before or about the time of the re-vaccination, however it proved to be one of the slightest case treated.
It is most satisfactory to be able to state that of the whole of the attendants on the sick, ward orderlies, washermen, coolies, boat's crew, &c., about 35 in number, (all prisoners) not one contracted the disease, thanks to the protecting power of re-vaccination, all the attendants having been re-vac- cinated by myself and the Colonial Surgeon, before entering upon their duties.
The past epidemic of Small Pox originally appeared amongst the Chinese population of the Colony. Nearly the whole of the cases treated at Stone Cutter's Island could be traced to have originated from contact with the Chinese. The 75th Regt., the men of which were prohibited from going to the native portion of the town, enjoyed a remarkable immunity, not a case having occurred amongst them, and only one child of the Regt., whilst the Madras Sepoys, whose intercourse with the native population was less restricted, suffered rather severely, as was the case also with the sea-faring population and Police.
Of the last cases treated, two came from ships that had just arrived from the Northern ports, at Hongkong, and one from the village of Sow-ki- wan, where the disease is still said to prevail amongst the Chinese.
The Hospital for Small Pox has, on the whole, proved very successful; a mortality of below 9 per cent on the total cases treated, bears fa- vourable comparison with the published reports of Small Pox Hospitals in England, during the late epidemic there. It is most favourably situated, as re- gards isolation, for infectious diseases, and is now proved to be satisfactory in a sanitary point.
In conclusion, I would beg strongly to recommend to the notice of the Colonial Government of Hongkong, venting or modifying the effects of epidemic Small Pox is "compulsory vaccination.”
Stone Cutters' Island, 31st May, 1871.
Appendix II.
that the only known means of pre-
JOHN H. ROBOTHAM, Staff Surgeon,
Medical Officer in Charge, Government Small Pox Hospital.
VICTORIA, HONGKONG, 19th February, 1872.
SIR,I have the honour to forward to you my Report on the Government Lock Hospital for the year 1871. 2. When I took charge of the Hospital on the 19th of January, 1871, it consisted of two buildings which were very inadequate to the wants of the Colony, as from the number of patients frequently in Hospital, the average cubic space would be about 500 feet. Since then, the two buildings have been connected, increasing the accommodation by five rooms. But, I feel assured that no Medical man was consulted as to the proposed additions and alterations. If he was so, his opinion must have been ignored, as those conditions for securing the proper ventilation of the wards, without exposing the patients to a draught, which are so much insisted on in the construction of Hospitals at home, have been, except in the case of two rooms, quite unattended to. The windows, to all intents and purposes, are doors measuring 9 feet by 3 feet 9 inches, and opening down to the floor. These, when shut, stop all ventilation. During the day, these windows are frequently open, and thus the air becomes changed; but during the night it is not safe for the patients to lie in a Craught, such as is caused by the opening of one of those window, already referred to.
3. With the exception of one room capable of holding ten patients, and formerly used by the Civil Hospital as a ward for destitute females, the additions and alterations, such as they are, are completed. At present, giving each on an average 1,000 cubic feet of space, 77 patients could be ac- commodated; and, when the room above referred to is completed, there will be the same amount of space for 10 additional patients.
4. The average number of patients daily in Hospital during the past year has been 34. The greatest number on any one day was 47, and the smallest was 20.
5. A reference to Table A., shows that the type of disease met with is more amenable to treatment, from the fact that the average number of days during which patients were detained in Hospital has been reduced to a shorter period than has yet been reached during the past 14 years of the Hospital's existence. In 187,0 it was 23.1 days, while during 1871, it has been 18.5 days.
6. Tables B., C., D., E., and F., show the amount of Venereal disease met with in the Hospitals of this Colony, and the measures taken to prevent its spread. It will be seen on reference to Table C. that in two thirds of the admissions into the Seamen's and Civil Hospitals, the disease was not contracted in Hongkong. But for the Contagious Diseases Ordinance, there would soon be abundance of Venereal disease in the Colony. I base this assertion on the fact that about 50 per cent of those who for the first time submit voluntarily to examination are found to be diseased.
7. I am frequently assured by Surgeons well qualified to give an opinion on the subject, that there is no place so free from this disease as Hong- kong; and I am sure when once the good which emanates from the working of this Ordinance is properly understood at home, it will receive as much support as it now does opposition.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
GEORGE DUDS, ESQ., M.D.,
Acting Colonial Surgeon.
TABLE A.
Your obedient Servant,
R. YOUNG, L.R.C.P., AND S. EDIN.,
Surgeon Superintendent.
Shewing the ADMISSIONS into the GOVERNMENT LOCK HOSPITAL, during the 14 Years of its Existence, with the Number of DIETS issued and the Average LENGTH of TREATMENT.
ADMISSIONS.
NUMBER OF DIETS ISSUED.
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS TREATED.
1858,
1859,
124 1858, 162 1859,
4,797❘ 1858,
43.8
5,389 1859,
30.8
1800,
361 1860,
9,107 1860.
23.7
1861,
442 1861,
10,778 1861,
23.4
18' 2,
485 1862,
12,193 1862,
22.0
1803,
420 1863,
11,707 1863,
23.7
1864,
442 1864,
11,940 1864.
27.0
18:5,
390 1865,
11,303 1865,
28.0
1866,
406 1866,
13,060 1866,
28.6
1867,
434 1867,
13,120 1867.
25.5
1808,
579 1868,
16,462 1868.
23.6
1869,
546 1869,
16,799
1869,
24.8
1870,
1871,
722 1870, 593 1871.
18,382
1870,.
23.1
12,308
1871
18.5
Total,....
6,100
Total,.
.167,345
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