HONGKONG.
521
21
No. 1902
REPORTS OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH, THE SANITARY SURVEYOR, AND THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON, FOR THE YEAR 1901.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of Its Excellency the Officer Administering the Governmen!.
SANITARY BOARD.
Members.
J. MITFORD ATKINSON, M.B., D.P.H., Principal Civil Medical Officer (President).
Hon. A. W. BREWIN, Registrar General (Vice-President).
Hon. W. CHATHAM, Director of Public Works.
FRANCIS W. CLARK, M.D., D.P.H., Medical Officer of Health.
F. J. BADELEY, J.P., Acting Captain Superintendent of Police.
EDWARD OSBORNE, J.P.
Lieutenant-Colonel G. A. Hughes, D.S.O., R.A.M.C.
FUNG WA CHUN, J.P.
LAU CHU PAK, J.P.
SANITARY BOARD OFFICES, March 17th, 1902.
SIR,I have the honour to submit, for the information of the Board, the following Report upon the health of the Colony for the year 1901.
AREA.
The portion of the Colony within the jurisdiction of the Sanitary Board comprises (1) the island of Hongkong which has an area of 29 square miles and on which are situated the City of Victoria and the villages of Shaukiwan, Quarry Bay, Aberdeen and Stanley; and (2) that portion of territory on the mainland between the shore and the first range of the Kowloon Hills-extending from Lyeemoon Pass on the east to Laichikok on the west,-with a sea-frontage of about ten miles and an area of 18 square miles. The City of Victoria is built on the northern shore of the island, while the Harbour, which separates it from Kowloon on the mainland, is about a mile and a third wide at its narrowest part.
The domestic buildings of the City of Victoria number 9,016 (exclusive of Barracks and Police Stations) of which, 872 are non-Chinese dwellings while there are also some 130 European dwellings in the Hill District,
This shows an increase of 134 non-Chinese dwellings as compared with the previous year, and an increase of 312 Chinese dwellings. The plans of 1,369 new buildings and of alterations to 1,497 existing buildings have passed through my hands during the year, with a view to seeing that they complied with the Public Health Ordinances of the Colony. During the previous year plans of 1,319 new buildings and of alterations to 3,186 existing buildings were received, so that the records of the past year show a slight increase in the number of new buildings planned, and a large decrease in the unber of alterations to existing buildings. This latter results from the very considerable number of alterations in regard to open spaces, which followed the passing of the Insanitary Properties Ordinance No. 34 of 1899, for in 1899 plans of alterations to but 772 existing buildings passed through my hands. The number of new houses completed during the year has been 796.
CLIMATE.
The average monthly temperature throughout the year has been 72.1° F. as compared with 71.6° F. during 1900; the maximum monthly temperature was attained in July when it reached 82.2° F. and the minimum monthly temperature was recorded in the month of February being 54.8° F.
The highest recorded temperature during the year was 92.7° F. on August 3rd and the lowest was 38.4° F. on February 4th.