HONGKONG.
213
No. 16
93
SANITARY SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1892,
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency
the Governor, on the 25th May, 1893.
To the President and Members of the
SANITARY BOARD.
SANITARY BOARD ROOM, HONGKONG, 25th March, 1893.
GENTLEMEN,-I have the honour to submit this the fourth annual report, year 1892, 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
(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.
The statement also shows those houses the drains of which were found defective prior to 1892 and the owners of which have not yet re-drained them.
3. Although not to the same extent as in 1891 yet it has frequently happened during the year that comparatively new pipe drains have become choked and this has in most instances occurred through their misuse. The quiet but persistent manner in which Chinese servants will pass solid matters into the drains is the primary cause of the choking of the drains. The iron gratings covering the inlets to the drains are frequently broken by them so that solids may more readily be passed into the drains. Inasmuch as the object of these gratings is to keep solids of any size from entering the drains their breakage at any house simply means that either the tenant or the owner of such house will soon be put to considerable expense in clearing the drains, which expense is not unfrequently greater than it should be, and this arises mainly through the want of skill on the part of those under- taking to do work which they do not properly understand.
MARKETS AND SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
4. The new slaughter-house for the Kau-lung District was opened in July and adequately meets all the requirements of the District. When the depôt for the reception of animals imported into the Peninsula for slaughtering purposes has been provided the needs of the district,-so far as proper provision for the control of the meat supply therein is concerned,-will be fairly well met.
5. On the 28th March, the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon reported an outbreak of Rinderpest among some cattle on their importation into Kau-lung. The Board met the same day and gave directions for the diseased animals to be destroyed. The whole of the Peninsula was declared a place infected with Cattle Plague and the necessary steps were at once taken to give effect to this declaration. No further cases of Rinderpest occurring, Kau-lung was declared to be free from that disease on the 7th April. I think there can be no question but the prompt action taken was the means of preventing the spread of this virulent disease to other animals in the Colony and consequently was a great boon to the various cattle owners and a direct saving to the rate-payers.
6. Only a very few cases of disease other than those just referred to werer eported during the year and none of them were of a character requiring special action to be taken.
7. Thirty sheds capable of housing 849 head of cattle, eight sheds capable of housing 267 head of goats and 299 pens capable of housing 1,714 head of swine were licensed during the year. With the exception of two temporary sheds at Wong-nai-chung all the cow-sheds in the Colony have been licensed. A few head of cattle are kept for agricultural purposes in some of the outlying villages where no licensed sheds exist but the animals do not appear to be housed although in very wet weather they may be placed temporarily in some of the houses in the villages. So far as is known all the goats in the Colony are now kept in licensed sheds or pens. A very great many swine-pens are still unlicensed but the law is being gradually enforced and by the end of 1893 it is hoped that most of the pens will be so constructed as to entitle them to be licensed.