INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
343
The following are the number of cases of the various communicable diseases which have been notified during the year, viz.:-
,
Bubonic Plague,.
Small-pox, Typhus Fever, Puerperal Fever, Enteric Fever, Diphtheria, Cholera,
1,204 37
1
4
37
13
53
The total sum paid to private Medical Practitioners for notifying such cases of communicable diseases as occurred amongst their patients during 1896 was $46.
The unfortunate prevalence of Bubonic Plague during the year caused the expenditure of a very considerable sum of money, viz., $42,856.39 in cleansing and lime-washing premises throughout the Colony as well as in disinfecting those in which cases of Bubonic Plague occurred. I append a tabular statement showing the manner in which the money was expended.
The carrying out of these cleansing operations unfortunately gave rise to some litigation. As the circumstances connected with the four suits which were institute against the majority of the Members of the Board have been fairly fully dealt with already, it does not appear to be necessary to refer to them further in this report.
LAUNDRIES.
Only six of the public laundries have been let during the year. Owing to press of work, arising mainly from the prevalence of Bubonic Plague during the greater part of the year, very little attention could be given to the various laundries throughout the City, and it is mainly owing to this that I attribute some of these public laundries remaining vacant so long.
BAKERIES.
Nothing of special importance occurred during the year in connection with these food preparing
establishments.
COMMON LODGING-HOUSES.
The bye-laws for regulating these houses have been steadily enforced during the year. However, there is reason for believing that a considerable number of lodging-houses exist that have not yet been registered.
There is, for some reason not easily understood, a strong objection on the part of some employers of labour, who lodge their workmen as a part payment of their wages, to register the premises in which they house their workmen as Common Lodging-houses, It may be merely downright obstinacy, but I am strongly inclined to think that in most cases it is due to the Chinese notion that they have a right to house their servants as they please, no matter whether such housing is done in such a way as to be a danger to the public health or not.
OFFENSIVE TRADES.
Very considerable progress has been made in enforcing the provisions of the bye-laws for the regulating of these trades. It is true none of the premises were registered during the year. but the great majority of them have been put in accordance with the requirements of the bye-laws and registration will follow in due course.
NIGHTMEN.
In October 1894 bye-laws were made by the Board providing for the registration and licensing of all persons following the calling of nightman. It was not, for various reasons, found practicable to enforce these bye-laws till September of 1896. When the nightmen found they had to be regis-. tered and licensed before they could lawfully ply their calling, they quietly but suddenly ceased to work without, in most cases if not in all, giving their employers any warning. This action on their part was a clear desertion of their employers' service and a punishable offence against the law of the Colony. It was, to my mind, something of far more importance. It was, for all practical purposes, an open rebellion against a particular law of the Colony and a defiance to the authority of those respons- ible for enforcing all the laws of the Colony. It was in no sense what is ordinarily known as a strike amongst a particular class of workmen because of a difference between themselves and their employers, but a deliberate attempt to compel the Government not to enforce the law. The only excuse these people can have for their action is, that it is by no means an uncommon mode of procedure in their own country and to them had probably the stamp of "Old Custom." The event, although causing