244
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 14TH MAY, 1970.
States ship Delaware, on the eve of his departure from the Colony, he says: "Since my arrival on this "Station in the Spring of 1868, I have been struck with the benefit derived from the system of "Registration and Inspection of public women, so ably carried out in this Colony "......" During our "visits to Hongkong, but few have been infected, and the type of the disease is very mild
"Out of
a crew of 470 men, only five cases of Chanere have been noticed." But the whole letter deserves to be carefully perused and I think, coming as it does from a perfectly independent source, it is one of the most valuable testimonies that could be adduced in support of the good results of the system.. And if we turn to Table X., we find that the type of the disease must have equally improved; at least the average duration of treatment, which may be considered to be a fair test of the severity of a case, has diminished from 43.8 days in 1868 to 24.8 in 1869. I admit that the working of the Ordinance is by no means perfect, and I am still of opinion that all prostitutes, whether in so called purely Chinese houses, or others, should be examined. In this opinion I am not supported by some of those who are supposed to be peculiarly conversant with the habits of the natives, and in deference to their opinion those houses are exempted from the action of the Ordinance. But, independently of the question whether the Chinese are not equally entitled to share in its beneficial action, if its operation is really for good, I am confident that until all prostitutes are subject to the requirements of the Ordinance, this result will be limited-for I am aware that the inmates of the so called purely Chinese brothel will visit the houses of Europeans, although they may not admit them into the brothels, under the dread of losing their license.
The only question that remains to be referred to, and that very cursorily, is whether the Ordi- nance under discussion has had any effect in withdrawing the fear of syphilitic infection from those upon whom it has had a deterrent effect. Such an idea will not bear investigation. The frequenters of brothels are either under the influence of drink at the time, or have lost all dread of the conse- quences--and in no case I believe will young men be led into temptation for the first time because they can fall with impunity. As long as men are men, vice will continue, and it is clearly the duty of the legislature to protect, if not the actual transgressor, at ali events the innocent, from the fearful consequences of disease.
Table XI. shows the usual approximative estimate of the mortality among the Foreign Residents in Hongkong during the past twelve years. But as I have already stated at the commencement of this Report, the data from which this table is compiled are extremely defective. It does not include deaths among soldiers, sailors whether of the Navy or Merchant Service, nor those buried from the Hospitals, who are usually non-residents. No time should be lost in making some arrangement, by which every body for burial shall be accompanied by the certificate, of a properly qualified medical practitioner, as to the cause of death, &c., which certificate shall be duly registered--and until this is done all statistical Returns can only be approximative to say the most for them.
Table XII. gives the usual information regarding the work performed by the Inspector of Ňui- sances attached to this Department.
*
Table XIII. shows the annual mean state of the atmosphere during the year 1869, as recorded at the Government Civil Hospital.
J. I. MURRAY, M.D., Colonial Surgeon.
The Honorable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
Appendix A.
TABLE shewing the Number of CASES of PRIMARY VENEREAL DISEASE in the GARRISON during the undermentioned Years.
1867.
1868.
1369.
DISEASES.
Per
Per
Euro-Asia- peans.
Total.
tics.
Centage Euro- Asia-
of peans. tics. Strength.
Total.
of
Centage Euro-| Asia-
peans. tics. Strength.
Total.
Per Centage of
Strength
Bubo,..
Syphilis Primary,
Gonorrhoea,
21
29
Orchitis,
Phymosis and other,.
+++
4
8 0.69
8
18
39 3.40
31
7
19
48 4.18
57
0.69
3
0.34
3
Total,.
62
45
107
9.32
100 25
****
~~2-18
10
+
0.73
38
2.78 19
5.06
52
0.29
0.29
2224:
60
15.
*882
0.13
22 1.50
16
4.10 1.00
125 9.17 88 12 100
6.83
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