Sessional_Paper_1887-1888 — Page 242

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Enclosure 3.

Report of the Government Analyst.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 21ST APRIL, 1888.

SIR.I have the honour to forward a statement of the work done in the temporary laboratory of this Hospital during the year 1887.

WATER.

During the months of February, March, and April analysis of 328 waters derived from wells or springs within the City of Victoria were made at the request of the Sanitary Board. My instructions were to simply "separate the wells into two classes viz. ; those which were evidently much polluted and those which were not.' Many of these waters had been examined in former years and in previous special and annual reports I have expressed my views on the danger incurred by the public in having recourse to the shallow wells in this City for a supply of water for dietetic purposes.

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In judging of the extent of the pollution of these well waters some considerable care was taken to ascertain the existence or absence of nitrites the detection of which in shallow well waters being, in the opinion of most chemists, held as conclusive evidence of the presence, in the water under examina- tion, of fresh decomposing sewage.

Of the 328 waters examined 223 or 68 per cent. showed unmistakable evidence of the presence of nitrites; and 199 or 60 per cent. contained considerable quantities of free ammonia. The specimens of good well water I have analyzed in this Colony have been found to contain practically no free ammonia and certainly not even the faintest trace of nitrites.

In all cases an accurate determination was made of the amount of Chlorine present in the water and after a careful consideration of the chemical data and an inspection in many instances of the localities whence the samples were drawn, I placed 233 of the samples or 71 per cent. in the category of waters that were evidently much polluted.

I may add that the greater part of the remaining 95 samples contained Chlorine considerably in excess of the quantity found in water derived from wells that are without doubt uncontaminated; and in the last report on water analysis I submitted to the Board, a recommendation was made that when an abundant water supply was available the Government would do well to order the closing of all wells in the City of Victoria.

MILK.

During the year nine samples of milk which had been obtained by the Nuisance Inspectors were analyzed at the request of the Sanitary Board. Of these three were returned as being adulterated. One of the specimens was estimated to contain at least 50 per cent. of added water.

Sometime ago the necessity of checking the quality of the milk supplied to the Civil Hospital was very clearly demonstrated to the Civil Medical Staff, and it was decided that once a month samples from the morning and evening milk delivered by the contractor were to be analyzed.

To enable me to form a proper estimate of the quality of the milk an analysis is made, regularly once a month, of a sample selected at the Contractor's Farm from the mixed product of the whole Dairy.

Too much weight cannot be attached to the necessity of providing the sick with milk of the best quality seeing that in many cases it forms their sole article of diet. Mr. ROGERS the Hospital Steward has been, for some months, in the habit of noting the Specific Gravity and Temperature of every delivery so that all possible precautions are now taken to prevent an inferior article being sent up to the wards for the patients' consumption.

In all 36 samples of milk were analyzed during the year. The process adopted in every case is the one devised some years ago by Dr. JAMES BELL the Principal of the Somerset House Laboratory.

TOXICOLOGICAL.

Investigations were conducted in three cases where there was evidence pointing to the use of poisonous agents.

1. Calomel Poisoning.-On the 3rd of August Dr. J. A. LOCKHEAD brought me a small quantity of a decoction of coffee which he had received from one of his patients-an officer of the American