The medical report for the State of Selangor.

  • Selangor.
Date:
[1903]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    3/22 (page 3)
    o O This was most marked at the District Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, where 901 cases were treated with 192 deaths, as against 839 with 158 deaths in the previous year. As in former years, the difference between the returns relating to beri-beri in purely mining districts as compared to those in mainly agricultural districts is well marked— Total treated. Deaths. Percentage of deaths. Kajang 175 11 6.28 agricultural Klang • . . 31 3 9.67 _ ,, Kuala Kubu » • • 164 66 40.45 mining Sungei Besi • • • 71 13 ... 18.31 „ The death-rate from beri-beri at Kuala Kubu is extraordinarily high, and is being carefully enquired into. The comparative absence of beri-beri from the agricultural districts is, in my opinion, mainly due to the scattered nature of the population. This favours the theory that beri-beri is an infective disease, the coolies when crowded together in mining kongsis being much more liable to be attacked than the gardeners and agriculturists, who mostly live in small separate huts. PULMONARY DISEASE. The number of cases treated for diseases of the lungs was 811 with 266 deaths, as against 850 cases with 241 deaths in the year 1902. Of the 266 deaths 177 were due to phthisis. The fact that the number of deaths due to disease of the lungs exceeded that caused bv malarial fevers or dysentery, shows how necessary it is that the question of overcrowding in the towns, with the accompanying evils of bad ventilation and deficient light in the houses, should receive the careful attention of Government. The difficulty is likely to become a very serious one and the subject of phthisis was discussed at the Medical Congress held in 1902, when certain recommendations were made to ‘Government with a view to checking the spread of this disease. VENEREAL DISEASE. The number of cases of venereal disease treated in hospital was 847 with 16 deaths, as against 844 with seven deaths in 1902. ZYMOTIC DISEASE. Plague.—A. small outbreak of plague occurred at Kuala Kubu, causing about 15 deaths. Of these cases three were treated at the District Hospital, Kuala Kubu, and two at the District Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. All the cases proved fatal. Small-pox.—One case of small-pox was removed from a ship calling at Port Swettenham and was treated at the Quarantine Station. .W t \Nft7l f , T/ fi H. Cholera.—A few cases of cholera occurred at Rawang in a mining kongsi, none of the cases were admitted to hospital. VACCINATION. Most districts in the State were visited by the vaccinator during the year. The number of persons vaccinated during the last three years were as follows:— Year. No. vaccinated. Successful. Failed. Not seen. Percentage. 1901 ... 2,297 ... 2,074 .. . 24 .. . 199 . .. 89.89 1902 ... 2,774 ... 2,748 .. . 20 .. 6 .. 99.06 1903 . .. ... 3,236 ... 3,176 .. . 18 .. . 42 . .. 98.14 f+X -■- V- h.... it oi Saigon buffalo lymph was used in all cases and was satisfactory in every way. Infants of all nationalities are readily brought to the various centres appointed and the advantage of vaccination are more thoroughly appreciated in Selangor than in England. The necessity for revaccination is, however, not understood, and although the infant population is now well protected, it is quite possible that large numbers of adults might be attacked under -circumstances favouring the spread of the disease. Although not willing to be re vaccinated under ordinary circumstances, I find that no objection to revaccination is raised by adults of all nationalities should a few cases of small-pox occur in their immediate neighbourhood. OUT-PATIENTS. The number of persons applying for treatment as out-patients at the various hospitals and infirmaries was 36,174, as against 38,476 in 1902. THE DISTRICT HOSPITAL, KUALA LUMPUR. This hospital was throughout the year under the care of District Surgeon, Dr. A. j. McClosky, who reports as follows :— “ Admissions.—Four thousand and forty-eight patients were admitted during the year, which, with 282 remaining from the previous year, gives a total treated of 4,330. The •admissions exceeded those of last year by 16, while the total treated was less by 48.