191
No. 14
92
HONGKONG.
SANITARY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1891,
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 11th April, 1892.
SANITARY BOARD ROOM, HONGKONG, 29th March, 1892.
GENTLEMEN, I have the honour to submit this, the third annual report, year 1891, concerning the work done by the Sanitary Department.
DRAINAGE WORKS.
2. In addition to the work carried out by property owners of their own motion a considerable number of houses which were found on inspection to be in an insanitary condition have been re-drained at the request of the Board. I append a tabular statement (A) showing-
(a) The locality in which the houses so found to be insanitary are situated.
(b) The number of houses so found at each such locality.
(c) The houses so found for which plans for their re-drainage have been submitted.
(d) The houses so found at which the work of re-drainage has been completed.
3. It has not unfrequently happened during the year that comparatively new pipe-drains have become choked chiefly through their misuse. The Inspectors continue to assist house-holders to clear such choked drains and in doing so they always take care to explain that they do it to assist and in- struct the house-holders and that it is no part of their regular duties to do such work. I am inclined to think there is still an impression among certain house-holders that every house that has been drained according to plans which have been passed by the Board's Surveyor is drained in the most approved manner whereas the plans are simply passed as being in accordance with the drainage bye-laws. No doubt a considerable number of these plans could be much improved in detail and still be in accordance with the bye-laws. This is a point in connection with house-drainage which it is very desirable should be clearly and distinctly understood by all who are in any way interested in the matter.
MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.
4. The remarks made in my reports of 1889 and 1890 under this head are for all practical purposes. applicable to the past year. There was no case of communicable cattle disease of a serious character reported during the year and only a very few cases of death from other causes are known to have taken place.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
5. The attached tabular statements (B) show--
(a) The death rate for 1891 for-
1, The British and Foreign community.
2. The Chinese community on land in each Registration District.
3. The Chinese community afloat in each Registration District.
4. The Chinese community on land in the Colony.
5. The Chinese community afloat in the Colony.
6. The total Chinese community in the Colony.
7. The British, Foreign, and Chinese communities combined--Army and Navy excluded. (b) The number of deaths occurring under each of the seven groups into which it has been deemed expedient-in view of the system of death registration in vogue-to temporarily classify in the summary the causes of death.
(c) The total number of deaths occurring among the British and Foreign community in each month of each year-1887 to 1891 both inclusive-under six disease groups. These groups are the same as in B only 6 and 7 groups are amalgamated.
(d) The same as C but for the Chinese community.
(e) The total number of deaths occurring in the Colony-those in the Army and Navy excluded -in each month for the past five years together with the death rate for the estimated population.
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