Sessional_Paper_1894 — Page 407

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A LOK states:"that he is sure that if he can get good opium, by this he means very old opium, it will cure him of Malarial fever. He says it has frequently done so.

The most he has ever smoked in a day is 5 mace.

Amongst the Chinese opium is believed to have the property of curing diarrhoea and dysentery, malarial fevers, hemorrhages from the lungs, heart-pain (by this is probably meant dyspepsia and indigestion), and to relieve pain.

He thinks that healthy men who work hard benefit by smoking a little opium after their day's work, say not more than 1 mace a day.

If consumed in a larger quantity than this it is injurious. Of the two evils drink he thinks the worse. Dr. WHARRY, my predecessor, advised him to try and give up the habit, telling him at the same time that he would give him some medicine to cure him of it. A Lok tried for one day and had such severe diarrhea that he had to give up the experiment and he has never attempted it since."

Present condition.-I examined him on the 18th instant and found him a fairly well preserved man for 67 years of age. All his organs seem sound and healthy-lungs no sign of any consolidation, and in my opinion he is likely to live another ten years if careful.

As our Senior European Wardmaster is leaving us at end of this year I think so highly of A Lox that I intend recommending that the Government allow us to employ him again until the successor to the Senior Wardmaster can be obtained from England.

Personally I have known A Lok for over six years and have always found him ready for any emergency whether at day time or in the middle of the night, he very frequently has been called up- in the middle of the night to receive accidents &c. and for a man of his station in life he is wonderfully intelligent and capable.

His knowledge of the Chinese and their habits was very useful, he had in addition a certain practical knowledge of surgery which he had acquired here and which rendered him very dexterous in the application of splints, surgical dressings, &c. In conclusion I may add that I have made the acquaintance of many Chinese Doctors but in my opinion CHAN A LOCK far excelled them all. It was with great regret that we received his resignation.

If time would admit I could give the notes of three other cases but as this is the most complete and seems to bear most the subject in all its details I have given it at some length.

Enclosure 2.

Report from the Medical Officer in charge of Gaol Hospital.

GAOL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 26th March, 1894.

SIR,-I have the honour to forward the annual report and statistics of the work done in this Hospital in 1893.

2. The number of admissions continues steadily to decrease. Last year they amounted to 272 patients, consisting of 12 Europeans, 1 Coloured man, and 173 Chinese. The various diseases from which they were suffering are shown in Table IX—K.

3. By order of the Police Magistrates, 13 men and 1 woman were sent for observation as to mental condition. Ten were found to be of unsound mind.

4. At the first medical examination, 39 men were admitted into Hospital. These cases are given in Table XIa.-M. and the percentage, in Table IXa.-L.

5. Those that were treated without being received into Hospital are described in Table X-N. Of this class there was also a great decrease.

6. The rate of mortality and sickness are shown in Table XI-O. There were only two deaths from disease. One Chinaman succumbed in consequence of oedema of lungs and general debility and another from tubercles of lungs. Both were sentenced to seven days' imprisonment for mendicancy and, on account of the state of their health, did no work and were also excused from penal diet. One China- man committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell, and one was executed by the order of the Supreme Court.

7. I believe that the rate of mortality is the lowest yet recorded. A glance at the before mentioned tables will show that a much higher rate might have been expected.

The decease of several of the prisoners was probably prevented by allowing them extra diet and taking other precautionary measures.

Many for want of proper food would not, very likely, survive long their discharge from Gaol.

8. I have often heard that old convicts prefer long imprisonment, knowing by experience that they then get a more ample diet. As a rule, it is the short sentenced prisoners that demand greater care, especially if they have to serve two terms of less than six months. They become very thin under such. an ordeal. Very seldom are prisoners sentenced to this kind of punishment.