The medical report for the State of Perak.

  • Perak.
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical report for the State of Perak. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/20 (page 6)
    Dr. Orme writes: You will see, by the enclosed table, that the percentage of deaths from beri-beri during the last seven months of 1907 was 29.05 or, excluding deaths from dysentery, 23.93. During the corresponding period of 1908 the beri-beri patients were treated with parboiled rice, and the percentage of deaths fell to 18.60 or, excluding dysentery, 17.01. I am not myself convinced that diet is the only factor in beri-beri. Rangoon rice. 1907. Parboiled rice. 1908. M out n. Cases Deaths. Remarks. Cases Deaths. Remarks. treated. treated. June ... 31 3 41 5 July . 13 10 4 dysentery deaths 18 4 August 10 7 . . • 14 3 1 dysentery death September 11 2 . . . 16 3 October 11 1 . * t 17 1 November 19 3 • i • 19 5 December 22 8 2 dysentery deaths 25 7 2 ,, deaths Total ... 117 34 ... 150 28 The parboiled rice was only in use for a part of the twelve months. Compared with the records of 1907 the death-rate fell by 15.26 per cent., but the former was an exceptionally high rate. Going further back to the past years when ordinary Rangoon rice was used at the hospitals much lowei annual death-rates were obtained at the Perak hospitals 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 7.41 per cent. 1898 9.28 „ 1899 9.02 „ 1900 6.72 „ 1901 7.17 „ 1902 7.36 „ 1903 12.68 „ 1904 18.14 „ 1905 13.31 „ 1906 12.17 „ 1907 10.59 „ 1908 8.28 per cent. 10.69 „ 14.75 „ 15.56 „ 15.07 ,. 16.55 „ 25.89 „ 21.20 „ 31.81 „ 38.42 „ 23.16 „ There is a rise and fall in the death-rate of beri-beri. Whilst not wishing to detract from the parboiled rice trials, still to obtain accurate facts, the records of former years must not be overlooked. (cl) Typhoid Fever.—At the district hospitals 50 cases were treated, with 21 deaths. Out of these, 26 were from the outbreak in the town of Taiping. At the latter place 13 more cases were reported and treated outside the District Hospital, four of these being at the Convict Establishment and three at the Guides Hospital. Taiping for over a quarter of a century has had a water supply which had been looked upon as wholesome, and till last year has been fortunate in being free from any outbreak of a water-borne disease. At the time a careful inquiry was made and the evidence collected justified the conclusion that the town’s water supply had become polluted and acted as the carrier of the disease. It was definitely possible to exclude milk, etc., from blame. (e) Malarial Fevers.—Seven thousand three hundred and ten cases, with 474 deaths, and a mortality of 6.48 per cent., compared with 7,063 cases, and 392 deaths, giving a death- of 5.55 per cent. (/) Venereal Diseases show a reduction: 1907 . ... 3,025 | 1908 ... 2,430 (g) Pulmonary Diseases— Total treated. Deaths. Percentage of deaths. 1907 . 2,045 661 32.32 1908 . . 2,062 713 34.57 SPECIAL HOSPITALS. 13. Gaol Hospitals— Hospital. Convict Establishment, Taiping JBatu Gajah Gaol Total treated. Total deaths. Daily average of Percentage of deaths. Sick in hospital. Prisoners in gaol. 1907 ... 409 16 23.04 517.96 3.91 1908 ... 568 18 28.30 603.23 3.17 1907 ... 762 29 17.30 223.77 3.80 1908... 704 14 22.76 310.96 1.99