[7]
Third Meeting; 15th January, 1892.
Present.-All Members.
Deputy Inspector General TURNBULL, M.D., R.N., examined :-
The Chairman.
Q.-Supposing there were some persons suffering from a contagious or infectious disease at the time of a ship's arrival, should, in your opinion, the whole of the rest of the passengers be kept in quarantine for
any time?
A.-I should be inclined to say that they should be segregated for a short time. Three days I think is unnecessarily long.
Q. What length of time would you say? Would you say that they should be kept on the ship or landed at some quarantine station or put on to a hulk?
A. Their remaining on board ship is certainly undesirable.-If they are segregated they should if possible be placed on fresh ground.—I should think that an observation of twenty-four hours would be sufficient.
Q.-That is in the case of cholera or choleraic diarrhea?
A. Yes.
Q-In the case of small-pox the present Regulations do not inake any provision as to the length of time. Do you think that twenty-four hours would be enough?
M
A. Yes. I think that the passengers who were not suffering might be removed from the ship and placed under observation for twenty-four hours. Then if no further case occurred they might be set free. If a further case did occur it would necessitate continued observation, and the removal of the case. The rest of the passengers would have still to be kept in quarantine. With regard to cholera I think it is within the knowledge of several members of this Commission that last summer three cases of cholera occurred in Hongkong among the troops and one in the Navy on board H.M.S. Plover. There was no indication of it spreading nor was there any connection between these cases, These isolated cases showed no tendency to spread by contagion.
The Colonial Surgeon.
Q.-In your record of all the cases during some years have you ever traced any one case to another?
A.—No, I have not, and I think it is well known that in the cholera hospitals at home-I am not speaking of the East--the attendants are not affected. It is very unusual indeed for an attendant to be affected.-I should think that an observation of twenty-four hours in these cases might be the maximum.
The Chairman.
Q.-You are of opinion that it would not be desirable to do away with quarantine regulations altogether in Hongkong as regards cholera but that ships should proceed to the quarantine anchorage until the Health Officer had examined the passengers and the sick should be removed, while the people who were not sick should be kept under observation for twenty-four hours?
A.-I think that is taking every necessary precaution.-I am hardly prepared to say however that it is essential from a medical point of view.
Q.-You are speaking with particular reference to Hongkong?
A. Yes. I mentioned cases that occurred last summer here in support of my view that cholera is not a contagious disease, I think we are all agreed on
.