483
7. It was not at all surprising to find so many dirty houses in Yaumati, considering that with the present arrangement of the kitchen it is absolutely impossible to prevent smoke from penetrating the living rooms.
There are but few houses in Yaumati that have proper arrangements for carrying away smoke. In many houses the smoke is continually present in such quantities as to be extremely irritating to the eyes and nostrils of an European. Can people living in such houses be expected to keep either their houses or themselves clean? But, worst of all, in order to keep the smoke out of the living rooms, the inmates block up the window between the kitchen and the living room so that a through current of air is shut off from that direction. This smoke nuisance can easily be abated as suitable clay fire-places can be easily and cheaply put in.
8. Many dark houses would be greatly improved by letting a small square of glass into the roof- Dark houses were nearly always dirty.
9. Houses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Fourth Lane are in a dirty and insanitary condition; they are little better than hovels. They have been disinfected three times; some boats on the foreshore above high water mark at Yanmati should be removed.
10. The houses in Fuk Sing Lane will require a lot of attention as a number of cases of plague have occurred there. The drains in several of these houses have had to be unblocked several times; probably they need repair.
11. On May 31st all the sampans in the district were examined. The boats were very clean for Chinese sampaus. No sick people were found except two children just recovering from small-pos.
Disinfection and Disinfectants.
12. A large number of houses have been disinfected with chlorine. The process employed for disinfecting simultaneously a large number of houses without removal of the inmates was to place in each room on each floor two ounces of a mixture of one part of salt, and one part of manganese di- oxide. On this mixture was poured six ounces of dilute sulphuric acid (1 in 4). This gave off slowly but continuously for about 12 hours a stream of chlorine, which did not greatly interfere with the inmates, who were told to open all their doors and windows if the action of the chlorine became too suffocating. Throughout Kowloon the Chinese gladly receive this disinfectant, and, speaking generally, we found that they were ready to obey any directions in order to be protected from plague, provided that such direction did not mean that they were put to any expense.
13. For disinfection of closed houses in which plague had occurred the following process was employed :--
Close the doors, windows, and all apertures as completely as possible; [a carpenter is required for this]. Then place half a pound of chlorinated lime in a pot and well mix with a quart of water, place in the centre of the floor and pour on a quart of diluted sulphuric acid (1 in 5). Where the floors are large two pots to each should be used. Commence to disinfect on the top floor.
The following quantities of substances for disinfection have been used:-
3 cwt. manganese di-oxide.
3 cwt. salt.
800 pounds of sulphuric acid.
3,000 pounds of chlorinated acid.
House to house Visitation.
14. This was carried out by Sergeant CAMERON and P. C. CORMACK after the cleansing of the whole district of Kowloon was completed on June 2nd. All the Chinese houses in British Kowloon were visited. The visitation was considered by me to be unnecessary after June 18th.
Conclusion.
15. C. P. O. LOVELL was in charge of a cleansing party from April 20th to May 18th when his place was taken by P. C. CORMACK who returned to his ordinary duties on June 19th. Sergeant CAMERON was in charge of a cleansing party from April 20th to June 18th, after which he returned to his ordinary duties.
C. P. O. LOVELL, P. C. CORMACK and Sergeant CAMERON carried out extremely satisfactorily the work entrusted to them.
16. Herewith is attached a return showing that in No. 11 district 26 cases of plague were removed from March 16th to June 13th, and that in No. 12 district during the same period 149 cases of plague were removed.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
FRANK BROWNE, Acting Government Analyst.
The Secretary,
THE SANITARY BOARD.