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Plague made its appearance again towards the end of May, no cases having been reported since the previous November.
Three cases were admitted from Heung Lane between the 21st and 25th May; this is one of the narrow lanes off Queen's Road West. It was here that some of the first cases occurred in 1895; this lane and the houses abutting thereon were declared an infected area on the 20th May and promptly dealt with.
The recrudescence of the disease in lanes such as these, which are hemmed in by the neighbour- ing houses and are practically devoid of light and ventilation, shows the urgent necessity of the Government's resuming such insanitary areas, demolishing the buildings and reconstructing the streets and houses.
Fortunately this disease did not obtain a footing in the Colony this year.
This is important as the disease prevailed in the vicinity of the Colony up to the end of June. Information was obtained of its existence at Tung Kun, up the East River, in an epidemic form towards the end of January.
Its existence was reported at Formosa and in the neighbourhood of Swatow in April, at Macao towards the end of May, and at Amoy in June.
Undoubted cases of the pneumonic variety. I have since heard, occurred in the Tung Kun district during the epidemic in January.
The importation and immigration into this Colony of all Chinese from Swatow and the Island of Formosa was prohibited by Proclamation on the 20th April; this was revoked on the 1st May.
Swatow and the Island of Formosa wore proclaimed as infected with Plague on the 1st May. This proclamation was revoked as regards Swatow on the 17th day of July and as regards Formosa on the 20th August.
How far these measures and more especially the bye-laws made under section 13 of Ordinance No. 15 of 1894. may have proved useful in preventing the introduction and in limiting the disease, it is impossible to definitely say, but it is satisfactory to be able to report that there were only 21 cases in all this year. A list of these is given in Appendix A.
.
Small-por was more than usually prevalent this year; so many cases having occurred on the 26th February a certain part of the Town was declared infected, house to house visitation and the establish- ment of free vaccination stations were instituted.
Information was obtained of the prevalence of this disease in an epidemic form in Japan towards the end of 1896.
With regard to sanitary legislation the most important Acts were :—
(1) The passing of Bye-laws under the Public Health Ordinance for the sanitary maintenance of opium divaus and for the prevention of overcrowding therein. These came into force on the 1st June.
(2) Additional Bake-house Bye-laws limiting the number of persons who shall pass the
night in bake-houses and enforcing the concreting of their ground surfaces. (3) Bye-laws made under section 13 of Ordinance 15 of 1894 in regard to the follow-
ing matters :-
(1) For prescribing the material and the nature and thickness thereof to be used for covering over the ground surface of all buildings and of any cook houses, latrines, or open surfaces connected therewith, such as back-yards. court-yards, or other spaces on which slops may be thrown or from which foul waters flow.
(2) For fixing from time to time the number of persons who may occupy a domestic building or any part thereof and for marking on the exterior or interior of such buildings the number of persons permitted to occupy the same or any part thereof.
(3) For prescribing the material to be used for enclosing the space to be left
above any partitions in connection with section 8 of this Ordinance.
(4) For the periodical entry and inspection of all buildings and curtilages.
(a) For the purpose of ascertaining whether the same are in an over-
crowded condition.
(b) For the purpose of ascertaining the sanitary condition, cleanliness and good order thereof or any part thereof and of any mezzanine floors, storeys or cocklofts therein or the condition of any drains. therein or in connection therewith.
(5)—(a) For promoting cleanliness and ventilation in domestic buildings.
(b) For the cleansing and removal of refuse and all objectionable matter
at stated times from domestic buildings.