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Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's Report for the year 1900.
SANITARY BOARD OFFICES,
HONGKONG, 25th January, 1901.
SIR,-I have the honour to submit herewith for the information of the Sanitary Board this my Aunual Report for the year ending December 31st, 1900.
IMPORTATION OF LIVE STOCK.
The epidemic of Foot and Mouth Disease which made its appearance upon the mainland in November, 1897, and which was then brought into the Colony for the first time since my appoint- ment in 1887, continued upon its course until the end of 1899 when it appeared to have died out, but during last year it re-appeared in many districts whence cattle are drawn for the Hongkong markets, and cases have been brought into the Government Cattle Depôts at Kennedy Town from time to time. As we are dependent entirely upon the mainland for cattle it would be impossible to prohibit the importation of such animals altogether, or the meat supply of the Colony would be cut off, and as the disease, as I have pointed out above still lingers in many of the districts from whence our cattle are drawn, it naturally follows that occasionally a few infected animals are brought in.
Much of this infection I have no doubt is communicated to the cattle by their being conveyed in infected junks down the river to Canton and elsewhere, and from their being housed in infected sheds at the centres of collection, and as it is impossible to make native cattle owners understand the risk they run by such proceeding, I am afraid odd cases will continue to be brought into Hongkong until the disease runs itself out, upon the mainland.
The supply of cattle for the Hongkong market, although at times intermittent, has generally been equal to the demand, but the quality of the animals has not quite been up to the usual standard.
ANIMAL DEPÔTS.
With the exception of the outbreaks of Rinderpest at the Government Cattle Depôts on September 4th and 17th which were quickly stamped out, and a few cases of Foot and Mouth Disease, the general health of the animals housed therein during the year was good.
The total number of cattle admitted into the depôt at Kennedy Town was 20,801, and at the Hung Hon depôt 5,348.
915 animals were rejected as unfit for slaughtering purposes at Kennedy Town, and 444 were also rejected at Hung Hom for the same reason.
In the swine depôt at Kennedy Town 153,765 animals were admitted.
The number of sheep and goats housed at Kennedy Town during the year was 29,938.
During the year a new shed for the housing of sheep was finished and handel over by the Public Works to this Department. The grading of some of the pen floors in this shed is insufficient, and they are consequently often very wet and uncomfortable for the animals to lie upon, their wool absorb- ing all liquids freely.
SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
Victoria and Hung Hom.--Both these buildings meet all present requirements.
The monopoly of slaughtering animals in the Colony is still in the hands of a Chinese contractor On July 17th I again represented to the Board that the Governinent Animal Depôts and Slaughter House at Kennedy Town could not possibly be efficiently supervised by one Inspector, upon whom devolved the entire responsibility of managing these premises during the whole twenty-four hours of each day, seven days a week. and recommended the appointment of two 2nd class men to assist him.
As the slaughter house is open day and night, work going on therein during the whole twenty- four hours, given three men, one Inspector could then do eight hours' duty daily, including Sundays, instead of one man being practically upon duty during the whole of the twenty-four hours as at
present.
I further pointed out that this small additional expenditure could easily be borne, as since the erection of these buildings six years ago at a total cost of $116,316.00 including preparation of site,. terracing, building of retaining walls, landing wharf, and Inspector's quarters-they have returned in fees, after paying all working expenses, the handsome nett sum of $233,647.00.
The two additional Inspectors asked for were however not granted,
Shaukiwan and Aberdeen.-No proper slaughter house has yet been provided for either of these two places.