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45 feet in depth, the open area in rear being from 76 to 122 square feet. Third Street is about 35 feet wide, the houses, generally two-storied, averaging 20 feet in height with a depth of 40 to 45 feet and open spaces in rear of from 40 to 68 feet.
9. The return of the dimensions of the floors in which plague occurred shows that the cubic air space per head of the inhabitants fell far short of the requirement of 550 feet under the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance.
10. On the 13th April, I proceeded to the district accompanied by the Prin- cipal Civil Medical Officer, the Medical Officer of Health, the Director of Public Works, the Hon. Ho KAI, M.B., C.M.G., and Mr. FUNG WA CHUN, a Member of the Sanitary Board, and, collecting the people, I told them, through the Chinese gentlemen present, that the Sanitary Board had offered no objection to my trying how far they would be prepared to help themselves and assist the Government in carrying out the necessary measures. I emphasised the necessity of personal cleanliness and the destruction of vermin in their houses, and undertook that, if they would give timely notice of sickness, they could be attended by either European or Chinese doctors, whichever they elected, at their own houses. To enable them to clean their houses and themselves I proposed to erect tanks for boiling water and Jeye's fluid into which their bed boards and most of their simple furniture could be dipped, and to supply wash houses in which both sexes could have a supply of hot water for washing purposes. To carry out these proposals I asked the people to form a Kai- fong, or committee who would assist by their supervision. The Kai-fong is a Chinese institution in every Chinese town, each street or ward having its Kai-fong formed of men of consideration among the inhabitants. Fifteen people at once came forward, to whom five were added on taking over the further block of houses comprising the North side of Second Street and South side of Third Street, a month later, at the earnest request of the inhabitants. The list of the Kai-fong given in the report of Inspector GIDLEY shows the class of the leading inhabitants of these streets. I may say that I am entirely satisfied with the work done by them. They disseminated my views as to cleansing operations, and assisted by their personal efforts in seeing that they were carried out. They reported cases of sickness, and at every visit to the district all who were not away at their work were ready to accompany me and show me what had been done.
11. By the 20th April, the six houses selected were prepared as wash houses→→ four for men and two for women-and three large tanks were erected of the dimen- sions given by Inspector GIDLEY to enable the bed boards and furniture to be immersed in boiling water. To exercise a supervision over all the operations I obtained the services of this Inspector who had in the epidemic of 1894 done excellent service, who speaks Cantonese like a native, and who enjoys the confidence of the Chinese. I cannot speak too highly of the manner in which he has done the work for which he so readily volunteered, and without him there would have been great difficulty in carrying out the experiment. Mr. Fung Wa CHÜN took a very active interest in the work. He accompanied me several times to the district and inspected the hospital, and he gave directions to a Chinese doctor of the Tung Wa Hospital to visit the district three times daily in case his services should be required. Doctors ATKINSON and PEARSE also visited the district and examined the cases then under treatment by Chinese doctors, while, on the 9th May a Chinese gentleman, Mr. Ho KOM TUNG, wrote to Inspector GIDLEY enclosing two hundred dollars with the request that the money should be used to succour the families reduced to straitened circumstances by the death from plague of those on whom they were dependent. The houses required for bath-houses were evacuated without a murmur. The immediate landlords were among the inhabit- ants of the district, and the letter, of which I attach a copy, shows the spirit in which they met the inquiry of Mr. FUNG WA CHUN for particulars of rent payable. The landlords of the six houses first taken for bath-houses on being asked by me what would be the rent for two months answered "for such a purpose, nothing."
12. The people were left free to choose their own doctors, but were offered the services of either European or Chinese medical men, the services of the Tung Wa Hospital doctor being given gratuitously, while outside practitioners were engaged by the people on the Chinese principle of "no cure, no fee," the honorarium in case of recovery being about twenty-five dollars. I may add that Dr. ATKINSON obtained the prescriptions of the Chinese practitioner who successfully treated one case, of which on examination he expressed approval.