( 81 )
By Dr. Cantlie.
928.-Was not the fever in Mauritius coincident with the cutting down of trees? A.-No; the cutting down of trees had been going on for many many years.
929. Previous to the outbreak of fever?
A.-It was going on for years before and after.
It has been stopped lately.
By Dr. Manson.
930.—What system of drainage is there at Port Louis?
A.--They have no sewers. It is surface drainage with the exception of one or
two covered drains.
931.-Pokfulam has been unhealthy as well as West Point?
A.-Very probably. When the wind is from the North-east it would carry the noxious gases towards Pokfulam; when it is from the North-west it would carry them towards the Western district. During the last twelve months the burning has taken place at Green Island, consequently the line of fever has changed its direction. During the time the rubbish was burnt at Lap-sap-wan a bluish mist, or vapour,
could be seen floating along the upper portion of the hills in the Western District, and the inhabitants of the houses situated on the higher and projecting portions of these hills, had fever, whilst those occupying houses in the valleys and on the lower levels had little or no fever.
932. And how do you account for the fever at Quarry Bay?
A.—I do not think it is very difficult to account for; as the ground on which the Sugar Factory stands was formerly the outlet to the nullah, which drains the ground above Quarry Bay. The Bridge which carries the road over the upper portion of the nullah has a clear span of 40 feet, and in extraordinary rains it is too small for the storm waters to pass through, the waters on two or three occasions during the last ten years, having flowed over the Bridge and road, but in reclaiming the ground, the nullah below the Bridge was reduced to about 12 feet wide, and 10 feet deep, consequently, in ordinary rains the new nullah is too small to carry off the storm water, which overflows, flooding the reclaimed ground on which the Factory and other buildings are erected, and the surface of the ground round these buildings being more or less impregnated with filth, sugar, vegetable and animal, refuse, from the Factory, is washed down by the flood waters through the sandy porous earth, mingling with the salt water at from two to four feet below the surface of the ground, where it soon putrefies, disintegrates, and finally disappears as noxious gases, similar to those liberated whilst burning or dis- tilling rubbish and filth; forming malaria.
933. Then there are two causes, the burning of rubish at West Point, and at Quarry Bay water flowing over ground saturated with sugar. The witnesses we have examined from West Point have given very distinct evidence that the fever they suffer- ed from was intermittent fever.
A. Yes, but I think a good many cases have been bilious remittent fever, as well as intermittent fever and these were the types of the Mauritius fever when it com- menced; afterwards it degenerated into malarial fever. In the early stages quinine had little or no effect upon.