HONGKONG.
245
No. 17
93
COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1892.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor, on the 25th May, 1893,
SANITARY BOARD ROOM, HONGKONG, March 30th, 1893.
SIR, I have the honour to submit for the information of the Sanitary Board my Annual Report for the past year which also includes that for the last quarter of 1892.
I have the honour to be,
The Secretary,
SANITARY BOARD.
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
C. VIVIAN LADDS, Colonial Veterinary Surgeon.
REPORT.
INSPECTION OF CATTLE.
I am pleased to be able to report that, with the exception of an outbreak at Kowloon, no serious cases of infectious or contagious disease amongst cattle have been brought to my notice during the past year.
On March 28th, five animals were taken by their owners to the Yaumati Police Station to report arrival in the Colony in the usual manner and as they all showed signs of sickness they were I found the whole of the five animals detained by the Inspector, who at once communicated with me.
to be suffering from Rinderpest or Cattle Plague and reported to that effect to the Sanitary Board who met that day and ordered the immediate destruction and burial of the diseased animals, and proclaimed Kowloon an infected area. This prompt measure put a stop to the importation of any more cattle for the time being; the diseased animals were slaughtered and buried under strict sanitary precautions and as no fresh cases occurred, the peninsula was declared free again on April 7th.
2. On February 7th, two men were convicted at the Police Court, upon the evidence of Police Inspector HANSON, with having forged the official mark which is placed upon all cattle before they are permitted to enter the slaughter-house. Several convictions have also been obtained upon my evidence against persons at Kowloon for slaughtering animals known to be diseased. The owners of these animals knowing that it would be impossible to escape detection at Hongkong had driven them from across the border direct to the slaughter-house at Yaumati, but thanks to the Police they were discovered. Since these cases the new slaughter-house at Hung Hom has been opened, with a watchman in charge whose duty it is to refuse admission to any cattle not bearing the official mark. Amongst the sheep and swine no cases of infectious or contagious disease have occurred although on June 13th the lessee of a roast-pig shop was charged by the Police with unlawfully having in his possession a diseased pig. After making a post mortem examination I found, however, that the charge was not sustained and the case was, therefore, dismissed by the Magistrate.
CATTLE DEPÔTS.
3. The new wing of the Government Cattle Depôt at Kennedy Town was handed over by the Public Works to this Department on June 21st. It is a substantial building and affords space for 120 additional animals; the depôt providing in all for the accommodation of 480 head of cattle.
4. A new fodder shed has also been erected. The opening of the new wing allowed of the closing of the Cheong Hing Cattle Depôt; a small private place which had long been a nuisance to the inhabitants of the district immediately surrounding it. During the past year, 16,403 head of cattle have been housed in the Government Depôt and passed as fit to be slaughtered for human food, whilst 1,499 were rejected as unfit. On July 8th, I forwarded to the Board a special report upon the proposed sheep and swine depôts at Kennedy Town; it remains only for me to add that these premises when completed will supply a long-felt and much needed want in the Colony, the condition of the present depôts leaving much to be desired both from a sanitary and humane point of view.