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Report of the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, for the year 1902,
SANITARY BOARD OFFICE, HONGKONG, 2nd March, 1903.
SIR, I have the honour to submit for the information of the Board the following Report for the year 1902.
Importation of Live Stock.
Large numbers of cattle continue to be imported into the Colony from all the neighbouring provinces of the mainland, and a good standard of quality has been maintained throughout the year. It is a matter for regret that a great many of the best are exported to Manila where better prices are obtainable.
During the year there have been seven cases of Anthrax and these, with one exception, occurred- in cattle within twenty-four hours after being admitted to the Depôts. The exception had been in the Depôt for seven days. In each case the animal was found dead or died within a few minutes after being noticed ill.
All the animals had come direct by steamer from Canton, so that it is difficult to avoid regarding this district as our source of supply of this disease. Every effort was made by cleans- ing and disinfection to ensure as far as possible that this disease did not become established in the Depôts and such efforts appear to have been successful, as there has been no recurrence of the disease. So far as I have been able to ascertain this disease has not been recorded before as existing among cattle in Hongkong.
There have been occasional cases of Foot and Mouth Disease in the Depôts of a very mild type, but by a liberal use of disinfectants and keeping the feeding and watering troughs clean there was no spread of the disease.
Animal Depôts.
The total number of cattle admitted into the Depôt at Kennedy Town during the year was 38,531; in 1901 23,555 were admitted. At Hung Hom the total admissions were 5,065 as against 5,688 in 1901. Six hundred and fifty-two were rejected for slaughter as unfit for food at Kennedy Town and 227 at Hunghom.
Of sheep and goats at Kennedy Town 32,654 were admitted to the Depôts, and 185,596 swine as compared with 28,818 and 180,387 respectively, of the previous year.
The addition of a second storey to one of the swine sheds at Kennedy Town has been proceeded with during the year and the building is now being occupied. This will provide much needed housing for pigs and sheep which continue to be imported in increasing numbers. Plans have also been prepared and approved by the Board for the erection of two new cattle sheds at Kennedy Town as the present Cattle Depôt is much too small for the number of cattle imported. During the past year a great many cattle have had to remain outside the Depôt owing to want of room and were tied up on the vacant ground adjoining the Depôt. This arrangement is unsatisfactory to all concerned. The owners lose by their cattle being exposed to the weather and by the continual waste of fodder, and there is great difficulty in keeping the ground on which the cattle stand even moderately clean. There is also a great risk of disease should any epidemic such as Rinderpest make its appearance. In order to relieve this congestion and make it possible to isolate suspicious cases, the old Tung Wah Mortuary has been repaired and fittings put up so that it can now be used as an isolation shed.
The erection of a Crematorium at Kennedy Town has been in progress during the year and the building is now almost finished. Available ground for burying animals dying in Depôts has become very scarce round Kennedy Town and there have been some instances, of buried pigs being dug up again so that the safe disposal of these dead animals was often a matter of some difficulty. Besides in the case of death from an infectious disease such as Anthrax there was always the possibility of the soil or water becoming contaminated and acting as a source of future infection. When once the Crema- torium gets into proper working order it ought to prove a safe, cleanly and efficient method of disposing of all such carcases.
Slaughter-houses.
Kennedy Town Slaughter-house. The entire control of this Slaughter-house was undertaken by the Board at the beginning of the year. The total revenue for the year amounts to $73,027.60, made up as follows:-Cattle contribute $15,301.85; sheep and goats $4,676.05; swine $53,049.70.
These figures represent both depôt fees and the slaughtering fees as these fees were amalgamated when the Board took over the management of the Slaughter-houses and are now collected as one fee.
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