The Straits Settlements medical report.

  • Straits Settlements. Medical Department.
Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    6/164 (page 4)
    The following are the number of cases of beri-beri treated in the various hospitals of the Colony for the past five years :— iD1^- Beri-beri cases treated igio-ig r4. Year. Total treated. Deaths. Percentage. I910 ... 2,044 290 14-18 1911 2,152 242 11-24 1912 ... 2,032 293 14-41 1913 ... 2,045 CO •<1 9*14 1914 ... 1,764 183 10-37 Seven hundred and thirty-five acute cases were treated in Tan Tock Seng’s Hospital, Singapore, with 72 deaths and 321 chronic cases with IO deaths in the Beri-beri Hospital, Pasir Panjang; in the latter hospital but I death was directly due to beri-beri. Venereal Diseases. 15. The total treated in all hospitals in 1914 were 3,472 with 34 deaths, compared with 3,038 with 50 deaths in 1913 and 3,318 with 39 deaths in 1912. The incidence of Syphilis among the coolie classes is very high judging from the post-mortem exami¬ nations held at the Hospitals and Asylums and reported on by the Pathologist. Unfortunately prolonged treatment, so essential, is impossible on account of the large number of patients absconding directly the more acute of their symptoms subside. Neo Salvarsan was largely used for treatment until supplies fell off, but it is hoped that the efforts of British Pharmacologists will soon place a home-made substitute upon the market. Phthisis. 16. Deaths registered from this cause numbered 2,775, compared with 2,424 and 2,582, in 1913 and 1912, respectively. The general improvements and back- lane schemes both in Singapore and Penang were continued during the year, but as stated in previous reports, some time must elapse before their effect on such a disease as this is felt to any appreciable extent. It is contemplated with the transference of the chronic insane from the Pasir Panjang Hospital to new wards building at Tanjong Rambutan, Federated Malay States, to utilize the vacated wards on the sea coast as a hospital and home for advanced cases of Phthisis from the town, cases hopeless possibly from a curative point of view but which undoubtedly form foci of infection in the crowded tenements where they now live. Dysentery. 17. The deaths from this cause totalled 1,097, as against 1,016 and 1,549, in 1913 and 1912, respectively. Of the cases treated in hospitals which totalled 1,470, 530 died. As stated under head 12 which also applies to this disease, the majority of the cases come for treatment only when in practically the last stages of the disease. During the year one ward in Tan Tock Seng’s Hospital was placed under the Government Pathologist (Dr. Finlayson) for the treatment of this disease and an interesting report from him is attached under Appendix J. Health Officers. 18. Three new appointments were sanctioned, one each for Singapore, Penang and Malacca, to work in the rural districts. Drs. SHEPPARD, SMART and FITZGERALD took up the work for varying periods during the year but owing to officers of the department volunteering for work under the Army Council at home a shortage has occurred and it is probable that systematic work will have to be postponed. Malaria. 19. The deaths from Malaria numbered 3,516, as compared with 2,878 in 1913 and 4,303 in 1912. The corresponding figures for fevers unclassified were 4,183, 4,746 and 4,194, respectively. No doubt many Malaria cases are returned under the latter head by the Registering Officers who have to arrive at the cause of death from information obtained from relatives and friends. The admissions to the hospitals of the Colony, all cases being diagnosed microscopically, were 8,129 with 528 deaths, as against 8,102 with 499 deaths and 9,172 with 660 deaths in 1913 and 1912.