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Towards the end of March a scheme was subinitted for the consideration of the Sanitary Board providing for persons suffering from Bubonic Plague being allowed to leave the Colony, this Scheme (See appendix C.) was approved by a majority of the Board. The President and Vice-President voting against its adoption. The majority thought that by conciliating the Chinese in this way they might be induced to report more readily cases of this disease.
The privilege was shortly afterwards extended to the removal of corpses.
Neither scheme was availed of to any extent as only one sick person and four dead bodies were so removed..
Towards the end of February the large number of cases occurring daily rendered the continuance of the system of segregation boats impracticable and matsheds were erected in various parts of the City to which the occupants of infected houses were taken whilst their houses and clothing were being cleansed and disinfected. The persons were allowed to return to their houses after these opera- tions were completed.
The plague assumed such serious proportions early in April that the Sanitary Board addressed the Honourable the Colonial Secretary pointing out that the staff at present at their disposal was insufficient to carry out the necessary arrangements for coping with the outbreak and urged that the assistance of non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Imperial forces and lukongs (Chinese police) should be obtained for the general cleansing and lime-washing of all tenement houses. See appendix D.
CLEANSING AND LIME-WASHING OF PREMISES.
The following Bye-law was approved by the Legislative Council on the 11th February:-
Bye-law made under sub-section 4 of section 13 of Ordinance No. 24 of 1887.
THE CLEANSING AND LIME-WASHING OF PREMISES.
Any house, or part of a house, which is occupied by members of more than one family shall- unless specially exempted by the Sanitary Board-be cleansed and lime-washed throughout, by the owner, to the satisfaction of the said Board not less than twice in every year, namely, during the months of February or March and of September or October respectively; and notice of such intended cleansing and lime-washing shall be sent to the Secretary of the Sanitary Board three clear days before the work is commenced.
Made by the Sanitary Board, this 16th day of January, 1896.
Approved by the Legislative Council, this 11th day of February, 1896.
HUGH MCCALLUM, Secretary.
J. G. T. BUCKLE, Acting Clerk of Councils.
Early in April matsheds were erected in the Eastern, Central and Western portion of the City to which the occupants of houses were taken whilst their houses and clothing were being cleansed and disinfected.
GENERAL SANITARY CONDITION OF THE COLONY.
The Sanitary condition of the Colony at the commencement of 1896, though improved in some respects as mentioned in page 4 since 1894, still left much to be desired.
During 1896 the concreting of ground surfaces of houses made considerable progress, narrow lanes and alleys were cleared of obstructions and a great deal of work was done by the officers of the Sanitary Board towards the improvement of the lighting and ventilation of the dwellings of the poorer classes.
The exceptionally low rainfall of 1895 and of the early months of 1896 necessitated the intro- duction of the intermittent water supply into the City of Victoria for a considerable period, viz., from January to March 29th and again from June 1st to the 14th, during this period the supply of water was at the rate of about 10 gallons per head per diem.
In the Kowloon Peninsula the water supply was constant throughout the year.
EXISTENCE OF PLAGUE IN THE VICINITY OF THE COLONY.
Canton. A few sporadic cases occurred in the early part of January.
Information was received towards the end of the month that plague was becoming more prevalent. H.B.M. Acting Consul reported on the 9th April that plague was assuming formidable dimensions. Towards the end of May plague was reported to be abating.
Hainan.-Plagae was reported in the prefectural City of Kiang Chow on the 11th March. Information was received of the cessation of plague in the Island of Hainan on 30th May. Amoy.-In May Plague was reported as being prevalent.
Swatow. On the 18th June information was received from the Consul at Swatow of the exist- ence of Plague at that port.
Cessation of plague reported on the 18th July.
Formosa.-Existence of plague at Formosa was reported on 22nd October. Abatement of same reported towards the end of December.