511
The number of out-patients was abnormally large, as the second reason given above for the increased death rate applied to some extent to those who had trifling ailments. The number of pre- scriptions (5,993) issued does not adequately represent the amount of work done in the out-patient department.
The average daily number in Hospital was 88.06 as against 79.3 in the preceding twelve months. 14. Of the 101 deaths the following is a list of the principal causes :-
Tubercular Disease, Enteric Fever,
Meningitis,
Injuries,
Pneumonia,
Opium Poisoning, Gunshot Wounds,
Cerebral Hæmorrhage, Plague,
Bright's Disease,
Severe Burns, ....
.18
3
6
9
3
5
7
5
3
15. Police. There were 505 admissions from the Police Force during the year, a decrease of 17. The number of sick European members was 7 less, Indians 11 less, and Chinese 1 more than in 1893. There were 15 deaths-4 Indians and 11 Chinese; 7 of the Chinese died from plague, 21 ndians com- mitted suicide, and 1 Indian and 1 Chinese were shot.
16. Gaol Officers. From the Gaol we had 66 admissions. The principal causes, as usual, were "Gaol Dyspepsia" (Arcoholic Gastritis), venereal and malarial diseases. During the winter months several cases of influenza were admitted, but the type of this disease was mild.
The main causes for admission were as follows:-
Plague,
Intermittent Fever,
Remittent Fever,
Enteric Fever,
Venereal Disease,
Alcoholism,
Dysentery,
Nervous System,
Respiratory System, Digestive System,
....
Organs of Locomotion, Various Injuries,
35
.177
67
21
..272
70
61
86
.146
199
186
.....132
The remittent fever cases are
I regret to say that enteric fever cases were treated in 1894 than
17. The intermittent fever cases show a diminution of almost 100. also reduced, 81 being the number during the previous year, seems on the increase, so far as our Hospital statistics go, as 8 in 1893. Of the 21 admitted it will be seen that 3 died, a sot high death rate from enteric, but only to be expected when so many come for treatment late in the disease.
I have mentioned that 272 cases of venereal disease do not represent the total number of cases treated as owing to our being frequently short of beds last year many were treated in the out-patient department who would as a rule have been admitted to Hospital, such as cases of syphilitic lesions of a mild type, buboes, &c.
The alcoholic cases I have already spoken about.
18. The number of admissions of cases of dysentery went up to 61, an increase of 11, and of that number 2 died both being long standing cases not, however, of the nature of Psilosis. One of them was only twenty hours in Hospital before death, being moribund on admission. During the year the dysenteric cases were treated on the most simple lines. These were as follows:-In the acute congestive or inflammatory stage by sulphate of magnesia; in the acute ulcerative stage by castor oil followed by opium and ipecacuanha; in a few instances preceded by a short course of sulphate of maguesia to relieve any inflammatory mischief which might attend the ulceration; whilst in the chronic stage of ulceration enteroclysis was the remedy almost solely used. The amount of equal parts of saturated boracic solution and hot water which was injected into the bowel by siphon action in the latter case was always about two pints, sometimes up to four, and was continued until the patient had an uncomfortable sensation in his belly. The patient lay on his left side with his buttocks well elevated so as to favour the filling of the whole of the lower intestine. Milk and soda was the only food allowed, and in my experience cases treated locally in this manner did far better than those who previously were treated by drugs or by small boracic injections which seldom got further up than the Sigmoid Flexure. The irrigator pan ought not to be more than three feet above the patient's buttocks, and no danger will arise in cases of serious ulceration. This fills the large bowel just as effectually as-often more so than the long tube, which is often a most dangerous instrument to use in these cases.
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