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The Colonial Surgeon-No they vaccinate themselves, and inoculate them- selves to a great extent.
Dr. JORDAN-In the case of the Bellerophon last year we insisted on vaccina- tion. At first some refused and it was only after a lot of talking that they consented. Eventually the whole of the men were vaccinated and released.
Dr. TURNBULL--They were on board six or seven days were they not?
Dr. JORDAN-Yes. They would not submit to the vaccination and there was no place to put them on shore. They refused at first to be vaccinated but when they found they would get off quicker if they submitted they did so.
Dr. TURNBULL-I may say that I have not taken into consideration the actual amount of small-pox in Hongkong. Of course it is generally believed that there is a great deal.
Dr. JORDAN-There is none reported now but I would not say that there
were no cases.
Dr. TURNBULL-It struck me with regard to the question of native junks that as far as I can see there is no good to quarantine ordinary merchant vessels going to and fro, and certainly to detain them any time, from a non-medical point of view, would appear very hard. If small-pox is endemic in Hongkong and Southern China--as it more or less is I suppose--then I do not see why it cannot be spread by junks. If so, why should ordinary merchant ships be put into quarantine.`
The Colonial Surgeon-I don't see how you are to prevent it with the junks. It is not discovered until they have left.
The Chairman--You have some statistics, Capt. HASTINGS, I think.
Capt. HASTINGS--Yes the statistics I hold here show the shipping traffic from Swatow. In 1890 there arrived from Swatow 123 native vessels with 1801 men and 110 passengers and during the same time-while the port was declared an infected port--there were 257 Foreign vessels carrying 30,250 passengers. In 1891, while the port was still proclaimed, there were eight Chinese craft came down with 150 men and at the same time 29 European vessels with crews numbering 1,269 and 5,064 passengers.
The Chairman--Was the place proclaimed for cholera or small-pox? Capt. HASTINGS-For cholera.
The Chairman--You say, that cholera is not contagious and that therefore it is unnecessary to quarantine?
Dr. TURNBULL--Cholera is not generally considered contagious in the profession unless the discharges of the patient pollute food or drink when it might be communicated.
The Chairman--Only on that ground?
Dr. TURNBULL-Yes. Might I ask whether you ever proclaim any Chinese port on account of small-pox.
Dr. JORDAN-It has never been done since I have been here.
The Colonial Surgeon.-I don't think they have ever proclaimed them. There
is no quarantine in any Chinese port-only in Japan.
Dr. TURNBULL-There is free communication with any Chinese port except such as are proclaimed for cholera ?
The Colonial Surgeon-Yes.
Dr. TURNBULL-I still think it is a great hardship on the ordinary merchant vessels to submit them to greater restrictions than the Chinese.