The Straits Settlements medical report.

  • Straits Settlements. Medical Department.
Date:
[1919]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

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    4. The chief diseases treated in the Wards are stated below : — Disease. 1919. 1918. 1917. 1916. 1915. Malaria 766 1,067 790 774 510 Enteric Fever 65 118 69 58 54 Phthisis 209 160 110 133 1,4 Dysentery... 205 84 81 73 74 Venereal Disease 43 2 373 301 318 355 Beri-beri ... b5 95 76 28 29 Pneumonia (Lobar) 137 119 83 54 50 Ankylostomiasis 143 195 194 • • • • • • Injuries 1,082 1,017 853 1,038 1,022 The gradual increase in the number of cases of Pneumonia is noticeable. In addition to the 137 cases of Lobar Pneumonia, 62 cases of Broncho- Pneumonia were admitted. The lobar variety is due to the Pn'eumococcus and shows a high mortality (72 deaths) which is most depressing. Usually both bases are affected and it is not customary to find the patients entering hospital before the signs of consolidation are well marked. The native population does not offer much resistance to the infection, a point particularly noticeable in the case of Tamils: hence the high mortality. The number of cases was particularly large during the last two months of the year when it was, on several occasions, the most prevalent disease in the native wards. Occasional cases of Influenza are still being admitted but there has been no resemblance to an epidemic. The total number of cases for the year was 67; they were generally of a mild variety, showed no pulmonary complications and the death-rate has been 1*5 per cent. Sporadic cases of Cerebro-Spinal Fever are met with. There has been no epidemic of infectious diseases. Of the other diseases the most prevalent were Bronchitis—182 cases, Diarrhoea—87 cases and Disease of the Eye 75. As regards Venereal Diseases the number of people presenting themselves for treatment shows a gratifying increase: of the 432 cases 144 were cases of Primary Syphilis, 104 of Secondary Syphilis, 19 of Tertiary Syphilis, 100 of Gonorrhoea and 65 of Soft Sores. Here again it is unfortunate that the natives do not come for treatment at an earlier stage, but it is of common occurrance now to be asked to treat the patient with Salvarsan and its later substitutes. The efficacy of that remedy in removing the outward signs of the disease has been quickly realised by them but they are impatient and rarely submit to a full course. The chief causes of death were:—Tuberculosis 87, Pneumonia (Lobar) 75, Broncho-Pneumonia 21, Dysentery 39, Malaria 49, Beri-beri 24, Anky¬ lostomiasis 26. 5. Native Police.—There were 943 admissions to hospital as compared with 849 in 1918 and 320 in 1917, this figure was made up as follows:—Sikhs 410, Malays 328, Other Indians 142, Chinese 58, Javanese 5. The chief diseases under treatment were Bronchitis 148, Injuries 134, Malaria 144, Venereal Disease 76; the last-named disease was mostly amongst the Malays who also suffer from Scabies to an appreciable extent. Several of the Sikh police were admitted suffering from Asthma: it is questionable whether such police constables should be retained in the service as it renders them unreliable in the event of an emergency. At present, each case is considered on its merits. 6. X-Ray Department.—The apparatus continues to give excellent results and is in much more frequent use: the operator is now employed daily