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The Government again kindly placed a room at "Craigieburn" at the disposal of the Sisters during the summer and this concession was most useful and much appreciate! during the months when the work was exceptionally heavy.
CLERICAL STAFF.
The Senior Clerk, Mr. LEUNG PING FAI, was promoted to the Treasury much to our regret. The second clerk Mr. CHAN TSUN UN received a step in consequence and a new third clerk Mr. CHU Sze YAN joined the department.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL.
POLICE.
I
The admissions to hospital were in excess of last year, the numbers being 920 as compared with 692, the strength of the force being 866 as against 716. Malarial fever has, as usual, accounted for the larger number of admissions. The confirmation of the malaria-mosquito theory early in the year held out great theoretical hopes that the disease would soon be much diminished, but on mature con- sideration I do not think very inuch good can be expected in this direction especially in the New Territory where ideal breeding grounds, in the shape of paddy fields, exist to such a large extent. am in hopes that if more attention is paid to the sites and buildings thereon and quinine freely used in small daily doses we may see a slow but surely yearly diminution in the cases. Beri-beri accounted for 9 admissions and dysentery for 34. This latter disease is generally supposed to be due to bad water supply and this defect will no doubt soon be remedied as far as the New Territory is concerned, most of the cases coming from this part of the Colony. The causes of beri-beri are still very obscure and the subject of much difference of opinion amongst the medical authorities and I therefore offer no opinion or suggestions with reference to preventive measures. The exhaustive inquiry at present being conducted by Dr. WRIGHT under the Colouial Office at Singapore may help shortly to elucidate some of the problems connected with this disease.
The admission to Hospital from the various sections of the Force is given in the following table :-
Year.
Europeans.
Indians.
Chinese.
1891,
...169
285
118
1892,
...152
224
120
1893,
.134
255
133
1894,
.127
244
134
1895,
96
254
116
1896,
94
370
124
1897,
99
320
107
1898,
87
279
122
1899,
..117
421
154
1900,
183
522
215
Three
There were only 5 deaths amongst the members of the Police Force during the year. Indians died of pneumonia, phthisis, and mania following alcoholisin respectively. Two Chinese died— one, a stoker, who does not appear in the Police figures but under "Government Servants," from the effects of an accidental gun shot wound and one from Chronic Bright's disease. Five members of the force were invalided, three Indians and two Chinese. The diseases incapacitating them from further service were phthisis, malarial cachexia, injuries received on duty and beri-beri.
Table I shows the admissions into and deaths in the Government Civil Hospital during each month of the year.
Table II shows the rate of sickness and mortality in the Police Force during the year.
Table 111 shows the admissions to hospital for malarial fever from each station during the year. This will be useful in future years in ascertaining the results of any measures which may be taken to suppress the mosquito plague or to prevent their bites giving fever.
The following table gives the total admissions to Hospital and deaths in the Force for the last
ten years:
Year.
Admissions.
Deaths.
1891.
.570
7
1892,
.496
7
1893,
522
6
1894.
.505
15
1895,
.466
8
1896,
..586
14
1897,
.526
7
1898,
..488
19
1899,
...692
16
1900,
..920
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