Sessional_Paper_1901 — Page 410

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SMALL-POX.

Twenty cases of this disease were reported during the first quarter of the year, 16 of them being Chinese and the remaining 4, Other Asiaties; six Chinese cases were reported during the second quar- ter and one during the fourth quarter. One European case also occurred during the fourth quarter, the patient being an employee of the Kowloon Docks who had contracted the disease in Swatow. The number of deaths from Small-pox was 17, of which one only was Non-Chinese.

The total number of vaccinations recorded last year was 4,406 as compared with 6,529 in 1899, and 7,051 in 1898. This appears to be a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, and I think that more encouragement should be given to this most important means of prophylaxis. In 1897 I recommended that a small bonus should be offered to the Chinese House Surgeons at the Native Hospitals (Tung Wa, Alice Memorial and Nethersole) for all successful vaccinations, the vaccine to be supplied by the Government, with a view to increasing the number of vaccinated persons in the Colony, and thereby reducing the mortality from this disease. This scheme was specially recommended by the Sanitary Board, by resolution, in August, 1898, and has been urged by me in subsequent Annual Reports, but has, I regret to say, not yet been given effect to.

The number of deaths from this disease in 1899 was 35, while in 1898 there were 110 deaths and in 1897 209 deaths, and it is probable therefore that the temporary reduction in the number of deaths from this disease has led to the marked apathy in regard to vaccination.

DIPHTHERIA.

Thirteen cases of Diphtheria were reported during the year, as compared with nine cases during the previous year and five in 1898. Three of the cases occurred in Europeans, namely, a man, aged 43, on board H.M.S. Orlando; a French lad, aged 7 years, in the French Convent; and a boy, 2 years old, residing at the Peak. The lad in the French Convent succumbed to the disease, but the other two patients recovered. One other case of Diphtheria occurred at the French Convent during the year, the patient being a Chinese infant, two years of age. During the fourth quarter of the year an outbreak of Diphtheria occurred among the Chinese children at the Berlin Foundling House, and seven cases were reported, six of them being in girls between the ages of 2 and 3 years, and the seventh a girl 8 years old.

The total number of Chinese cases reported during the year was 9, and of these 7 succumbed, giving a case mortality of over 77 per cent.

PUERPERAL FEVER.

Eleven cases of Puerperal Fever in Chinese were reported during the year, most of which were however discovered post-mortem. It will be seen from the mortality return that no less than forty

Chinese women succumbed to diseases incidental to childbirth during the year.

This repre- young sents a very serious loss of young adult lives, and is undoubtedly due to want of proper attention and of cleanly surroundings.

In my Annual Report for 1898 I drew attention to the very great need for some maternity charity for the poorer Chinese, preferably in connection with the Tung Wa Hospital, and although the authorities of that institution have taken up the suggestion, and propose to provide some maternity wards in the new extension to the Hospital, I regret to say that that extension is still far from being an accomplished fact. This is a class of work which Licentiates of the Hongkong College of Medicine could well perform, if attached to Dispensaries in various parts of the City, and many valuable lives would no doubt be thus saved.

SCARLET FEVER.

One case of Scarlet Fever was reported during the year, the patient being an English child aged 3 years, residing in the married quarters of the Barracks in Queen's Road East. No history of infec- tion could be obtained, and it is probable that it was conveyed by some clothing brought out from England. This disease appears to be unknown amongst the Chinese, and when occurring occasionally in Europeans, shows no tendency to spread to the native servants. It has recently been suggested that the reason for this exemption is that the Chinese do not partake of raw milk, as an article of diet, as do Europeans, but there are probably other factors to be considered, as the Chinese appear to be equally immune to Measles.

CHOLERA.

Que fatal case of Cholera was imported from Saigon by the Steamship Petrarch, the patient being a Chinaman, aged 32 years,