The Straits Settlements medical report.

  • Straits Settlements. Medical Department.
Date:
[1906]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Straits Settlements medical report. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    70/108 (page 70)
    7° Chandu.—Two samples from Labuan, five from the Secretary for Chinese Affairs and five more from the Magistrates were reported upon. Coins.—Six hundred and ninety-three separate coins have been brought in by the Police, comprising fifty-nine dollars; thirty 50-cent pieces; three hundred and thirty-four 20-cent pieces; two hundred and twenty-seven 10-cent pieces; five 5-cent pieces; twenty i-cent pieces; six J-cent pieces and twelve sovereigns. Only thirty coins out of all these could be certified as genuine. Liquors.—Two samples of Beer were analysed ; and 68 casks, 28 drums and 460 tins of spirit were methylated. Petroleum.—Although the actual number of tins has been smaller, the total number of tons of oil of which the flash-point had to be taken shews a considerable increase. (See table appended). On six occasions 1 was asked to sample cargoes destined for another port, in order to avoid delay there. Tank Inspection.—Six vessels had their tanks examined with a view to certifying them free from dangerous vapour. (a) Toxicology.—Twenty-nine packages were sent in connection with poison cases. Four came from Selangor. 1 from Penang, 23 from the Chief Police Officer, Singapore and 1 from the Colonial Surgeon. Seventeen samples of foodstuffs and drinks, supposed to have been deliberately poisoned, and some “ Kanji” suspected of having been contaminated accidentally by the vessel in which it was cooked, were analysed : and in only three cases was no poison present. (b) Stomachs.—Thirty-four were sent in and the following table will shew at a glance where they came from, and the result of the analyses. The small figures in brackets under the. several headings are the extreme limits of variation in the amounts actually recovered, in grains. 1 Where from. Morphine (Traces—±). Opium f —47. S s -2 2 O § O' < II ph U CO z 1 W t>. m * c* ^ < Cocaine (Traces). Aconits (Traces). Unidentified. Ptomaines. Opium mixed with Mercury (4^ and 3) Respectively. 1 No Poison Present. / Total. J General Hospital 5 4 I I ... I 3 15 Tan Tock Seng’s Hospital 4 ... X ... 2 7 Commissioner of Police, Selangor ... 3 ... ... ... j ... ... 3 Resident, Perak ... I ... ... ... ... ... 1 2 Colonial Surgeon ... ... ... ... 1 I Commissioner of Police, Kuala Lumpur . • • 1 . . . •. * ... •«• ... ... 1 Government Veterinary Surgeon ... ... 2 ... ... ... ... 2 Chief Police Officer, Singapore ... I ... ... ... ... ... 1 Chief Police Officer, Penang ... I ... ... I ... ... ... 2 Total 6 .3 I 2 1 1 I I I 7 34 Quack Medicines.—Nine samples of crude native remedies were sent in, and resulted in a prosecution of the vendors. Bloodstains.—Five sets of exhibits were received for report, one from Malacca. 2 from Tan Tock Seng’s Hospital, and 2 from the Chief Police Officer, Singapore. This involved the minute examination of 11 articles of clothing, 1 walking stick and 18 knives, parangs, scissors and bill hooks. Foods.—Except where intentional poisoning was suspected (See under Toxicology) no foods were submitted. Water.—One hundred and twenty-two samples were analysed during the year. Sixty-seven of these being personally taken from the Municipal Supply at the request of Professor Simpson. Of the remainder, six were condemned, whilst eight were reported as doubtful and ten samples were reported upon as to their suitability for boiler purposes.