Sessional_Paper_1896 — Page 721

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Lately a great deal of discussion has taken place concerning a special kind of fever, which is supposed to be a feature of the building in question; and various methods have been suggested for trying to find out its peculiar characteristics. There need be no mystery about it as there is no new disease to be discovered, and in the majority of cases it is ordinary Septicæmia and nothing else, which has led to the mortality returns including so many deaths from "simple continued fever." I do not believe a single medical man could be found to uphold its existence as a hospital, one of the curiosities of Hongkong to medical visitors having always been the Tung Wa Hospital. The native Chinese hospitals I have seen in other places are generally far superior to the one which is now permitted to remain in the middle of a densely populated part of Hongkong. Matters have improved lately to a great extent, but still they are bad enough.

As a remedy I would suggest the following:--If it is absolutely necessary to have a dead (and dying) house in the city then allow the Tung Wa Hospital to be a receiving house for all sick persons. Patients who are moribund may be allowed to die there; but all who can be moved should be sent at once, to some hospital outside the city, which should be under European supervision. Such a place as the Old Cattle Depôt, for example, could be made into a model Chinese hospital at comparatively small expense. Overcrowding in the city is being legislated for, but, so far, overcrowding in the Tung Wa Hospital has never been considered. Scavenging in the city has been provided for, but no step in this direction has been taken for the Tung Wa, though it would take a large army of scavengers, with an efficient man in charge, to keep it clean. The visiting medical officers cannot be expected to do this themselves; and one and all of them during the last six months are unanimous in their opinion upon this subject. There is a curious custom in Hongkong of giving Chinese hospitals notice of intended visits of inspection by officials, and it is a perfect study to watch results. A place that is, under ordinary circumstances, a perfect abomination of filth, is, by the use of a large staff of coolies, transformed for the time being into what might be termed "passable" by the ordinary visitor. A slight examination by an observant person, however, usually reveals a lot of the dirt and rubbish hidden away under the beds, or secreted in some box or other receptacle, and presently, after inspection is over, the old order returns. Tung Wa Septicemia" will soon become a stock phrase in Hongkong; it has already become so in the medical circles where most is known about it.

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It is difficult to speak calmly on this subject, and to the authorities at home it must seem incredible that the state of affairs is such as I have far-from-fully described. If the Government are to recognise a hospital where Chinese quackery is to have full play as regards treatment, then it is all the more essential that responsible men should be appointed to supervise it with full power to prevent what is closely allied to malpraxis. I have had a good deal to do with the Chinaman when in hospital, and can state that when once he has had a slight experience of Western medicine he is generally, if not always, desirous of remaining under civilized treatment.

During the epidemic several semi-political questions cropped up, one of the most important being that of the removal of patients to Chinese territory. The method of burial with quicklime which was practised here is not approved of by the Chinese, and this was the principal reason upon which they based their desire for the removal of natives suffering from plague from the hospitals in Hongkong.

When removals to Canton from the Glassworks Hospital were first sanctioned, it was understood that a great number of patients wanted to be removed thence. When asked by us, out of over 220 patients only 7 wished to go. Of the former number I considered about 130 to be in a fit condition to be asked the question, and these answered with a fairly clear judgment. Of the 7 who wished to go only 3 were actually suffer- ing from plague, the remainder being their attendants. On the following morning at 11 o'clock of the 220 whose wishes had been consulted 70 were dead, 112 wanted to go to Canton, whilst the others were too ill to be able to formulate an opinion.