Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 423

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Some few cases however did occur during the year, namely, 10.

These comprised 3 Europeans, 6 Chinese and 1 Japanese. There were 6 deaths-a mortality rate of 60 per cent.-2 amongst Europeans, 1 Japanese and

3 Chinese.

No case occurred in the Colony (as far as is known) between 12th December, 1902, and 30th April, 1903. During this period of the year the difficulty of obtaining water is greater amongst the Chinese, water being frequently collected from various questionable sources.

The 10 cases occurred from 30th April to 31st October inclusive.

The following table shows the distribution of the cases :--

Date.

April 30th,.

May 2nd,..

June 10th,

June 15th,

June 16th,

July 11th,

July 18th,

August 28th,

September 25th,

October 31st,

Nationality.

..European,

.Chinese,

European, .Chinese,

Health District.

6

2

8

"1

2

6

31

European, ...Chinese,

Harbour.

...Japauese,

5 Harbour.

cases.

This table shows that little connection if any can be established between the

The only two cases close together both from the point of view of time and locality are the two in No. 9 Health District. It was however not possible to as- sign a common origin to the cases nor to decide whence the infection was acquired.

DIPHTHERIA.

Nine cases of diphtheria were reported during the year as compared with 20 cases in 1902 comprising 5 Europeans and 4 Chinese. The deaths-4-occur- red amongst the Chinese. One European case was imported.

All the cases occurred in the first half of the year. Of the 8 local cases the first 5 occurred from January 26th to March 19th inclusive, i.e., during the season of dry weather and scarcity of water.

The remaining 3 cases occurred from April 28th to June 3rd inclusive.

This is interesting, but the life history of the diphtheria bacillus outside the human body is so obscure that it is premature to state any definite opinion as to the reason why more cases occur in the dry weather than in the wet.

PUERPERAL FEVER.

There were 8 cases of puerperal fever reported during the year, comprising 1 Portuguese and 7 Chinese cases. The Portuguese case and 6 of the Chinese cases died.

In addition to these, 21 deaths were recorded from affections connected with pregnancy and parturition.

There is no doubt that great ignorance prevails amongst the Chinese as to the proper care of women during and after labour. This matter has been repeatedly drawn attention to by the Medial Officer of Health and was also considered by the Committee of Enquiry into the Chinese Infant Mortality, to which I have referred above.

During 1903 there has been built a new charitable hospital, namely, the Alice Memorial Maternity Hospital, and a qualified English Lady doctor has arrived from England to take charge of it. That the Institution will do much good is certain and it is further to be hope that some means may be found of training Chinese midwives who could attend, at their own houses, Chinese women who cannot or will not come to a hospital.