Remittent fever.
Phthisis.
Dysentery.
Hepatitis.
Typhoid fever.
Pneumonia.
Sunstroke.
Sickness and
mortality among
men, women, and
children.
20
REPORT ON THE
The arrangement for a separate establishment of nurses for the cholera
ward has been most beneficial, and has greatly conduced to the well-being of
the patients. The improvement which has taken place in this direction, since
the setting apart of a proper staff of nurses, with all necessary appliances, has
been most marked.
In last year's report the late Dr. Elliot drew attention to the urgent
necessity of having speedy means of transport provided for conveying sailors
to the hospital in order, if possible, to have them placed under treatment before
their disease had time to get utterly beyond control. The matter was then
under consideration, and during the year arrangements have it is understood,
been made for stationing three doolies along the river bank at convenient
sites. Private charity has also established a dooly which has already done
good work. This doely is supported by voluntary contributions, chiefly, it is
believed, from the shipping community.
10. During the year 370 cases of dysentery occurred—viz. 332 among men,
17 among women, and 21 among children. The average number for ten years
before was 188·7. The deaths amounted to 14, or 37·83 per 1,000 treated; the
average annual rate for the previous decade was 68·25. The deaths from
dysentery were at the rate of 74·86 per 1,000 for all other diseases.
Hepatitis sent into hospital 37 men, 11 women, and 5 children, or in all
53, about the same as the average of the previous ten years, which was 51·4,
The deaths numbered four, or at the rate of 75·47 per 1,000. The death-rate
from this disease for ten years previously was 110·05 per 1,000.
Of typhoid fever there were 18 cases, all males, in the European wards
during the year, six of these died, or at the rate of 333·3 per 1,000. The average
death-rate of the decade was 425·07 per 1,000. Sixteen of the cases came from
the shipping and only two from the town.
There were 22 cases of remittent fever and four deaths, or at the rate of
181·8 per 1,000, against 223·4 for the previous decade.
There were 96 cases of phthisis treated with a mortality of 24, or at the
rate of 250 per 1,000, against an average annual death-rate of 274·13 during the
ten previous years.
Pneumonia was a cause of admission of 22 men, two women, and four
chi l dren, or i n al l 28; of t hese t hree di ed, or at t he rat e of 107· 14 per 1, 000.
During the decade the average annual number of admissions from inflamation
of the lungs was 11·3 and 2·5 deaths, or at the rate of 265·32 per 1,000.
There were 20 cases of sunstroke, all among males, and six deaths, which
gives a rate of 300 per mille. The average admission for ten years is 10·3,
and the death-rate 202·11 per mille.
"Many of the cases of insolation which came under treatment during the
year were of a very severe type, the sufferers being almost moribund on
admission. The mortality in these cases was necessarily very high, and the
result of treatment disheartening, though all necessary appliances, i.e., cold
baths, &c., were kept constantly ready during the intense heat of May last,
so that no time was lost in submitting the patients to treatment on admission.
It may perhaps be not out of place to notice here that in these severe cases
absolutely no benefit whatever was derived from hypodermic injections of
quinine."
"Several of the patients had been attacked while engaged on board their
ships working in the scorching sun, scraping masts, painting the sides of the
vessels, &c. One man appears, from the statement of his friends, to have been
attacked while asleep in the ill-ventilated forecastle."
11. The following table indicates the sickness and mortality among men,
women, and children:—
Men.
Women.
Children.
Total.
DEATH-RATE PER 1,000.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Treated
Died
...
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
. . .
3,894
155
447
14
272
18
4,613
187
39·89
31·31
66·17