Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 202

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE ACTING MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ON THE EPIDEMIC OF PLAGUE DURING THE FIRST SEVEN

MONTHS OF THE YEAR 1903.

No. 16

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

Sanitary Board Offices, HONGKONG, November 7th, 1903.

SIR, I have the honour to submit, for the information of the President and Members of the Sanitary Board, the following Report on the epidemic of Plague which this Colony has just passed through.

The period dealt with extends over seven months, namely, January to July inclusive, and in connection with the meteorological data the period also includes the mouth of December, 1902.

Cases. -The total number of known cases is 1,363, of which 1245 were Chinese, 43 Indians, 34 Europeans, 22 Portuguese, 14 Japanese, and 5 of other nationality.

The following Tables shew these cases distributed as regards nationality and sex and the different types of the disease as returned from the Public Mortuary :-

No. of Nationality.

Cuses.

824 Chinese, 421

29 European,

5

""

37 Indian,

6

17

5

Per cent.

Sex.

.Male, 66.2

Total.

Female, 33-31,245 Chinese.

Male, 85.3 Female, 147 ...Male, 86.1 .................... Female, 13.9

Portuguese,

19

10 Japanese,

4

*

5 Others,

Nil.

79

1,363

Male, 77.3 ....Female, 22.7 }

34 Europeans.

43 Indians.

22 Portuguese,

14 Japanese.

•

.Male, 71.5

.Female, 28.5 ..Male, 100-0 .Female, 0·0

5 Others.

1,363

1904

TYPES OF PLAGUE RETURNED FROM THE PUBLIC MORTUARY,

JANUARY TO JULY, 1903.

Bubonic.

Septic. Pneumonic.

Total.

Males, Females,

.....370

224

30

624

.233

111

15

359

Totals,......603

335

45

983

It will be seen from this Table that the percentage of cases amongst Chinese females is as heretofore very high, being 33.8 per cent. of the total Chinese cases. The cases amongst the Japanese females come next with a percentage of 28-5, then follow Portuguese females 22.7, Europeans 147, and Indians 13.9.

.

Amongst the non-Chinese community therefore there have been 118 cases, of which 20 were female cases. This gives a percentage of 16:9 on the total non- Chinese cases.