Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 367

No. 1904

24

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT BACTERIOLOGIST, FOR THE YEAR 1903.

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

Government PUBLIC MORTUARY,

18th February, 1904.

SIR,I have the honour to forward my report for 1903.

I have, &c.,

The Honourable

J. M. ATKINSON, M.B., &c.,

&l.,

Principal Civil Medical Officer,

滲むい

&c.,

WILLIAM HUNTER,

Government Bacteriologist.

GOVERNMENT PUBLIC MORTUARY,

HONGKONG, 18th February, 1904.

SIR, I have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, the following Report on the work done in the Bacteriological Sub-department during the year 1903.

During the past year, extensive alterations have been carried out at the Government Public Mortuary. New Mortuaries have been built with offices and servants' quarters attached. The whole compound has been constructed on the most modern lines, providing excellent accommodation for pathological work of any description. During the past year, the greater part of the work has been carried out at the Mortuary owing to the want of a Bacteriological Laboratory. It is hoped that this will soon be finished and that the accommodation and equip- ment there will be such as to allow of the most varied bacteriological research. The apparatus for the equipment of such a laboratory is at present stored at the Public Mortuary, so that with the erection of the building there need be no delay in starting research work.

Such bacteriological work requiring be done during the past year, has been done at the Mortuary. The temporary laboratory in the Kennedy Town Infectious Diseases Hospital was found to be inconvenient, and during the epidemic of Plugue would have interfered with the carrying out of the then somewhat arduous duties of the Officers in charge of that Institution.

My Laboratory Assistant, Dr. Ho Ko TSUN, resigned on the 17th January, 1903. His place was taken by Dr. LEE YIN Sze, one of the Bacteriological Assistants in charge of the routine examination of rats. I regret to say that Dr. CHAN FA! KWONG, one of the Bacteriological Assistants, died on the 31st of January, 1903. The cause of death was Acute Yellow Atrophy and in no way connected with his duties.

In order to carry on the systematic examination of rats, it was found necessary to obtain the services, of two Senior Chinese Students from the Hongkong College of Medicine.

Accordingly Mr. FUNG CHI MING and Mr. PETER QUINCEY were appointed on the 1st February, 1903, for a period of 8 months.

From the end of September, on the retirement of these gentlemen, the duties connected with the examination of rats has been done by my Laboratory Assistant, Dr. LEE YIN Sze.

Throughout the year the Sanitary Department have rendered most valuable assistance in regard to the cleansing of the Public Mortuary. During the year, 2,326 human bodies were examined at the Public Mortuary.

These figur s represent a rather smaller number than duing 1902. This is accounted for by the establishment of a Mortuary in Kowloon and the absence of an epidemic of Cholera which swelled the figures during 1902.