Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 374

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HONGKONG.

REPORT ON THE HEALTH AND SANITARY CONDITION OF THE COLONY OF HONGKONG FOR 1898.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor,

371

No. 21

99

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 7th March, 1899.

S

No. 54

SIR, I have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the Governor and for transmission to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State, the Medical Report on the health and sanitary condition of the Colony of Hongkong for the year 1898, together with the returns, &c., appended thereto.

The Honourable

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

J. M. ATKINSON, Principal Civil Medical Officer.

POPULATION.

The estimated population of the Colony for 1898 was 254,400; there were 1,206 births and 5,674 deaths, of the latter 1,175 were from plague.

The population shows an increase of 5,690 as compared with 1897.

The birth-rate was 4.7 per 1,000 against 5.5 in the previous year; the low birth-rate is accounted for to a great extent by the greater number of males in the Colony, the percentage of males in 1897 being 70.9 amongst the Chinese and 58.6 in the non-Chinese population.

In connection with the low birth-rate amongst the Chinese, it must also be borne in mind that many births are not registered by the parents, I refer to those taken to the Convents and to those found dead in the harbour and streets.

The death-rate was 22.30 per 1,000 as against 18,85 in the previous year, excluding the deaths from plague the death-rate would have been 17.68 per 1,000.

Taking the different nationalities the death-rate is as follows:

Whites Coloured Chinese

16.2 per 1,000. ...33.6

..22.54 **

""

It must be remembered that the population of Hongkong is mainly an adult one, 52.6 per cent. amongst the non-Chinese are between the ages of 20 and 45 years whilst amongst the Chinese 55.9 per cent. are between these age periods; so that one would naturally expect a low death-rate. This is the case amongst the Whites who include Europeans, Americans, Portuguese, and the Army and Navy. The high death-rate amongst the Coloured and Chinese races is a sure proof of the insanitary way in which they live.

PREVALENCE OF SICKNESS IN THE DIFFERENT SEASONS OF THE YEAR, AND GENERAL

Character as TO THE MILDNESS OR SEVERITY OF THE DISEASES

PREVAILING.

Small-pox.-This disease was practically epidemic during the first four months of the year; it was so prevalent in February that on the 15th of that month No. 4 Health District was declared an area infected with the disease.

A house to house visitation was made, free vaccination stations were appointed, and the attention of the inhabitants was drawn by printed notices to the different places where this was being carried out, the Chinese especially being urged to avail themselves of this opportunity of being vaccinated.