307
In the Superintendent's Report will be found some very interesting remarks on Fever Cases and gun-shot wounds admitted to the Hospital.
Some of his recommendations as regards increased accommodation for the Hospital are already being attended to and I can fully endorse all he has said in his Report concerning the Staff, Hospital Accommodation, &c. He is a most able and energetic Officer and has thoroughly earned the respect, confidence and good will of every one he has had to deal with in the performance of his duties.
SMALL-POX HOSPITAL.
There were sixteen cases of Small-pox admitted to this Hospital this year all of a mild type. Three other cases of infectious disease were admitted; there were no deaths. A good supply of calf lymph has been served out to all the vaccine stations which has been procured from Japan and has been most satisfactory. Next year I hope to report that calf lymph produced in the Colony is equally good. Dr. ATKINSON, the Superintendent of the Government Civil Hospital, and Mr. LADDS have made a series of experiments with this object which have been very satisfactory, so it has been decided by Government to establish a calf lymph station in this Colony.
PUBLIC MORTUARY.
Table VIII shews the number of bodies brought to the Mortuary for examination and the cause of death. This year 161 bodies were brought: in Europeans 4, Chinese 152, other nationalities 5. Of the Chinese 15 were children.
48 were found to have died of disease, 84 were accidental deaths, 19 suicidal and 10 homicidal.
VICTORIA GAOL.
The following table gives the number of admissions to the Gaol and the daily average number of prisoners for the past ten years:—
Total No. admitted
to Gaol.
Daily average No.
of Prisoners.
.575.25 ....666.00
1880.
1881.
1882,
1883,
1884,
1885,
1886,
1887,
1888,
1889,
.3,530...
4,150..
.3,498.
622,00
3,486..
.542.15
.4,023.
552.00
..3,610.
..530.00
4,600..
...674.00
.4,302..
584.00
..3,627
...531.00
.3,705....
.....581.00
The daily average has increased by 50 as compared with last year a very large number admitted now belong to the mendicant class and petty offences. I have drawn attention to this, as many as thirty mendicants have been admitted in one week sentenced to from 7 to 14 days none of whom were fit to perform hard labour many of them being put on the sick list being either deformed, blind, or having hedious sores which they expose to excite charity. They come from the mainland to make a harvest in this Colony. Imprisonment is no punishment to them as in any case they are better clothed and fed in Gaol than outside. They cost the Government 10 cents a day besides greatly adding to the over-crowding of the Gaol. Short sentences of one to three days, short commons and deporta- tion, or the latter only would cost the Colony much less. A very large percentage of the Chinese population of this Colony belong to this class and greatly add to the over-crowding of the City. This class of iminigrants should be discouraged in every possible way; they are a burden to the Colony; are of no possible service and only add to the filth and disease.
Table IX shews the number of prisoners admitted to Hospital, the cause and deaths.
Table XI shews the rate of sickness and mortality among the prisoners. There were 244 admissions to Hospital as compared with 306 in 1888, and only 4 deaths.
Table XIb shews the number of opium smokers admitted to the Gaol, as usual the habit has been ignored. Only eight needed to be taken into Hospital suffering from General Debility. There were no deaths amongst this class of prisoners. There are no particular cases worthy of note. Of 3,705 prisoners admitted to Gaol a class of society generally supposed to be addicted to most vicious habits and are mostly not in want of funds to indulge in them only 49 acknowledge themselves to be addicted to this habit. Yet opium can be procured better and cheaper in this Colony than in their own country. This does not go to show the prevalence of this habit even in moderation. Could any gaol in Europe show so small a percentage I don't say of those who habitually use spirits but of habitual drunkards. LUNATIC ASYLUM.
cases.
There were eight admissions into the Asylum and one death. Some of them were very
The majority caused by the habitual use of intoxicants to excess.
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