THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST APRIL, 1865.
159
The Hulk was visited daily by the Surgeon appointed to perform that duty and was inspected by me from time to time. During these inspections, some of which were made in the middle of the night, I directed my attention especially to the tem- rature between decks and to the state of ventilation. The latter appeared to me very good and the following Table will how what the temperature was -----
Month.
January,.
Maximum.
.65
Minimum. .60
February,
651
.60
$
March,
.72
63
April,
83
.71
May,
86
.78
June,
.88
.80
July,
.89
.82
August,
.90
83
September,
.86
.78
83
.75
.78
.74
.70 .58
October,. November,. December,
I think this result very satisfactory, and the fact of an increased number of Convicts, on board the vessel, presenting such a marked degree of health, shows how unfounded was the notion that the Royal Saxon had been overcrowded in 1863.
V. THE LOCK HOSPITAL.
I have to report the continued good derived from this Institution and the working of Ordinance No. 12 of 1857, by which it was established.
Table XI. affords instructive information on this subject.
It points out how, during the seven years the Ordinance has been in force, 2,436 infected women have been segregated from the localities in which they could convey infection, and that during a total of 65.916 days-in other words, supposing that every infected woman would only convey the disease to one man, during each day she was so diseased, we have 65,916 cases of disease prevented, or at least that number of opportunities of conveying the disease prevented. But this must be greatly below the amount of good done, for without the present system the women would probably continue infected for a much longer time, and it is certainly a very low estimate to say that each one would only infect one man a day. This table points out further, that the duration of treatment has steadily diminished up to last year. The increased ratio Ï believe to he referable to two causes, viz.: the return from Shanghai and the North of many badly diseased women, and some imperfections in the Ordinance, which the women have discovered and by which they are enabled to evade the Inspector of Brothels. I believe that it will be necessary to revise this Ordinance, and amend it so as to meet the changes in the Town and the defects in its working, for it behoves us to maintain the reputation we have gained for a station, once notoriously infected, having nearly purged itself of the foul disease.
In the year 1862 the enormous prevalence of Venereal disease in the Army and Navy, caused a Royal Commission to be issued, for the purpose of devising measures to check, in some manner, its spread. In the "Confidential Report" issued thereon, the good work begun in this Colony is thus acknowledged: "Too much credit cannot be given to those who have "been concerned in the framing and working of the enactments which have produced such good effects at Malta and Hong- "kong." But it will require unremitting attention to deserve a continuance of such commendation.
Table XII. gives fuller details as to the character of the disease, and average duration of treatment during every month of the year 1804.
Table XIV. is an approximative estimate of the mortality among Foreign Residents in Hongkong, during the last seven years. The data from which it is compiled are furnished to me by the Registrar General as regards the number of Residents, and by the Sextons of the two cemeteries as regards the deaths, excluding in both cases military, and naval and merchant scumen, as well as burials from the Hospitals. A further deduction of no less than 42 out of the 151 deaths recorded must be made for the wives and children of soldiers, a class of the community peculiarly sickly. In this manner of compiling the table it appears, as there were good grounds to expect, that the past year has been more healthy than 1803 and the mortality among the actual Residents smaller. But there are many difficulties in the way of obtaining accurate information for statis- tical purposes. Among these must not be forgotten, the peculiarly migratory character of our Foreign population, and the reputation Hongkong has attained as a sanatarium in China thus bringing many sick here for change. Should it ever be and advisable to appoint a registrar of births, deaths and marriages, and make the registration coinpulsory many of the difficulties now existing would disappear.
Table XV. gives the usual information regarding the work performed by the Inspector of Nuisances attached to this Department.
Table XVI. shews the annual inean state of the atmosphere during the year 1864, as recorded at the Government Civil Hospital. It points out the great increase in the fall of rain, and the lower range of the Thermometer and Barometer.
J. I. MURRAY, M.D., Colonial Surgeon.
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