395
EXISTENCE OF PLAGUE IN THE VICINITY OF THE COLONY.
Kwangtung Province.—Information was obtained of its existence in an epidemic form at Tung Kun up the East River, towards the end of January; undoubted cases of the pneumonic variety then occurred there.
Formosa.-Information was obtained of its existence at Formosa in April. Swatow.-The disease prevailed in the neighbourhood of Swatow in April.
Macao. Towards the end of May cases were reported as having occurred at Macao.
Amoy. The disease prevailed here in June.
The importation and immigration of all Chinese into this Colony from Swatow and the Island of Formosa was prohibited by proclamation on 20th April; this was revoked on May 1st.
Swatow and the Island of Formosa were proclaimed as infected with Plague on 1st May; this necessitated the medical examination of the passengers and crews of all ships arriving from these places before they were allowed to land in the Colony.
This proclamation was revoked as regards Swatow on the 17th July and as regards Formosa on the 20th August.
DISTRIBUTION OF WORK.
The work in connection with the plague was distributed as follows:
The Sanitary Board undertook all duties in connection with the removal of plague cases to Hospital, the subsequent isolation of those who had been in immediate contact with the disease and the disinfection of premises.
The Medical Department undertook the care of the sick after the arrival in Hospital; and
The Public Works Department undertook the erection of the necessary temporary buildings, the preparation of graves, and the interment of the deceased.
PREVALENCE OF PLAGUE IN HONGKONG 1898.
The first case of plague was reported from Cheung Hing Street on the 2nd January; during this month 9 cases occurred.
In February 67 cases occurred.
The disease became epidemic in March; during that month 137 cases were reported and on the 25th of that month Health Districts 2, 4, 5 and 6 were declared infected; the disease rapidly spread to the remaining Health Districts of the Colony as the following table, giving the number of cases reported in each month, will show :
•
January,. February, March, April, May, June, July,
August,
September,..
October,
November
December, ..........
9
67
.137
.468
..534
92
2
2
0
1
Total, ...............1,320
In April the neighbouring peninsula of British Kowloon was declared infected on the 18th April. On the 9th June Aberdeen and Aplichau were similarly declared infected.
METEOROLOGICAL DATA.
(a.) The rainfall was much below the average.
(b.) The months of maximun mean temperature were followed by marked diminution in the
number of cases
(e.) Number of hours of sunshine was much less during the months January-May when
the disease was most prevalent.
PROCEEDINGS ADOPTED WITH A VIEW TO PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF THE DISEASE IN 1898.
The following procedure was adopted :---
(a.) House to House Visitation.-A daily visitation of houses in Health Districts Nos. 2, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 was mada by sections of Police and Military. See Appendix C.