Sessional_Paper_1905 — Page 347

285

—

Report on the Gaol Hospital.

VICTORIA GAOL,

HONGKONG, 26th January, 1905.

SIR, I have the bonour to request you to transmit to the Principal Civil Medical Officer the Annual Medical Report on the Health and Sanitary Condition of the Gaol during the year 1904, herewith enclosed.

The Superintendent,

VICTORIA GAOL.

I have, &c.,

J. C. THOMSON,

Medical Officer.

VICTORIA GAOL,

HONGKONG, 26th January, 1905.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit, for the information, of His Excellency the Governor, the Medical Report on the Health and Sanitary Condition of Victoria Gaol during the year 1904.

Dr. W. V. M. KоCH acted as Medical Officer during the greater part of the year while I was absent on leave. I resumed medical charge of the Gaol on my return to the Colony on 27th October.

The general health of the Gaol staff has been good.

The sanitary condition of the Gaol is satisfactory, but overcrowding_be- comes continuously more serious; and measures for the provision of new Gaol accommodation already before the Government should be regarded as most urgent. 7,464 admissions to the Gaol during 1904, and a daily average number of pri- soners of 726, exceed all previous records. Table IV, containing general statistics connected with the Gaol during the past ten years, shows graphically the grave nature of the congestion now prevailing. The Belilios Reformatory affords some relief; but deduction of the daily average of 74 accommodated last year in the Branch Prison still leaves a daily average population of 652 in the Gaol itself, which properly provides accommodation for only slightly over 500 inmates.

In spite of the overcrowding, however, the general health of the prisoners has been good. The number of admissions to hospital was 893. This is in excess of previous years, but is largely due to a greater number (624) being taken into the wards for purposes of observation, a large proportion of such being found to be malingering. There is a corresponding diminution in the number of Out- Patients, that is, trivial cases, including parasitic skin conditions, treated in the cells; and the rate of total sickness is low, 3.86% of the average daily population of the Gaol, as compared with 5.77% in 1903, and 7.28 % in 1902.

One case of Small-pox, one of Measles, and one of Enteric Fever occurred. There was no Plague, nor any othere pidemic disease. There were 44 cases of Dysentery, which is slightly above the average; and 59 cases of Malarial Fever, which is much below the figures of recent years:-

1900,. 1901,.

1902,.

163 cases.

98 *? 63

1903..

1904,...

93 .... 59

71

The 4 cases of Scurvy treated in the Hospital, with a considerable number of slight cases treated outside, were probable to some extent a result of the over- crowded state of the Gaol,

Newly admitted prisoners are carefully examined for parasitic and venereal disease, and, if necessary, put under treatment forthwith; there were treated as Out-Patients, $2 cases of Scabies, 426 Pediculosis, 94 Ringworm, 70 Syphilis (38 Primary, 32 Secondary), and 36 Gonorrhea. The total number of Out-Patients, including the foregoing, was 1,173.

Two thousand five hundred and seventy-eight (2,578) prisoners were vaccinated.

One birth occurred in the Female Prison. Mother and child both did well. Twenty-two (22) prisoners were discharged on medical grounds (leprosy, lung disease, &c.).