HONGKONG.
333
No. 19
1900
REPORTS OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, THE SANITARY SURVEYOR, AND THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON FOR THE YEAR 1899.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
SANITARY BOARD.
Members:
J. M. ATKINSON, M.B., D.P.H., Principal Civil Medical Officer (President). Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G., Captain Superintendent of Police, ( Vice-President). Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G., Registrar General.
FRANCIS W. CLARK, M.B., D.P.H., Mearcal Officer of Health.
EDWARD OSBORNE.
FUNG WA CHUN.
CHÁN A-FOOK.
WILLIAM HARTIGAN, M.D., D.P.H.
JAMES MCKIE.
Lieut.-Colonel MICHAEL R. RYAN, R.A.M.C.
To the President of the Sanitary Board.
SANITARY BOARD OFFICES, March 24th, 1900.
SIR,I have the honour to submit for the information of the Board the following Report upon the health of the Colony of Hongkong for the year 1899.
AREA.
During the past year the area of the Colony has been extended by the inclusion of about 400 square miles of the adjacent mainland, but no part of this territory has, however, as yet been placed under the jurisdiction of the Sanitary Board. The island of Hongkong has an area of rather more than 29 square miles, and the City of Victoria is situated upon its northern shore, extending along the sea-front for a distance of four and a half miles and up the hillside to the city limit of 800 feet above high-water mark. The total area of the city covered by buildings is approximately 675 acres. The opposite peninsula of Kowloon to the old frontier has an area of some 24 square miles, but it is proposed to bring all that territory between the shore and the first range of hills, and extending from Lyemoon Pass on the east to Laichikok on the west, (having a sea-frontage of some ten miles) within the provisions of the Public Health Ordinances, thus making the total area of the Kowloon Health Districts about 18 square miles.
The domestic buildings of the City of Victoria number 7,921 (exclusive of Barracks and Police Stations) of which 752 are European dwellings while there are also soine 120 European dwellings in the Hill District. The various villages on the island of Hongkong contain 40 European dwellings and 1,650 Chinese dwellings, while in British Kowloon there are 135 European dwellings and 2,150 Chinese dwellings exclusive of the Barracks for the Hongkong Regiment and 72 small terrace houses used by this Regiment as married quarters.
This shows an increase upon last year of 26-4 non-Chinese dwellings and 620 Chinese dwellings; the plans of 634 new buildings and of 772 alterations to existing buildings have passed through my hands during the past year, with a view to seeing that they complied strictly with the Public Health Ordinances of the Colony. I am thus enabled also to keep the Inspectors of Nuisances well informed as to any proposed alterations to buildings in their respective districts.