367
I have often thought of the possibility of a connection between the dirty padded clothing of the poorer classes and the commencement of plague during the cold season of the year.
·
On referring to the accompaning Table of Meteorological Phenomena and Plague it will be noticed that the 1904 outbreak began in the 6th week of the year and also that the first 12 weeks of the year were all cold. A temperature of 65° F. may not be called cold in England but for Hongkong it means weather in which extra and warmer clothing would be worn by the poorer classes if they had such.
In the 1903 epidemic also the outbreak began in the cold weather; further, the same may be said of all the big epidemics which have occurred since 1894 in the Colony. The idea that plague may be spread by the wearing of infected. clothing underlies the measures universally adopted for disinfecting such articles. But the facts that the plague bacillus is not known to form spores, that it is easily killed by drying and probably by association with saprophytic organisms does not encourage the idea that clothing infected by discharges from a patient can remain infective for long, e.g., from one cold season to another. But if it should be generally accepted that fleas play a part of great importance in the dissemination of plague, the cold weather habits of the poorer classes in Hongkong will possibly also assume a like importance.
Meteorological Phenomena and Plague.-January to July, 1904.
Week:
Mcan Temperature.
Relative Humidity.
Sunshine. Hours.
Rainfull. Inches.
Plague
Cases.
F.
%
1.
58.9
70
5.2
2,
62
77
4.9
Nil. 0.120"
Nil.
"
3,
58.3
69
6.7
nil.
19
4,
58.1
68.7
6.7
+
5,
61.3
78.3
4.8
0.170
0170
,
22
6,
61.4
60
7.5
Nil.
2
7.
61.8
67
8.7
Nil.
8,
64.0
71
7.8
1
"
9,
65.4
85·5
3.8
0·090
Nil.
10,
65.2
90
0.84
0.123
29
11.
61.4
88.5
0.014
0.230
2
}
12,
58.3
78
0.67
0.145
Nil.
13.
66.6
87.7
2.37
0.029
2
14,
65.9
84.7
2.0
0.126
4
15,
•
70-6
$1
6.4
0.003
2
16,
716
90
2.7
0.084
5
17,
•
73.5
89
2.4
0-058
19
18,
75.5
83.8
7-17
0.142
25
19,
71-7
87'
C
1-8
0·415
15
20,
75.1
82.5
4.8
0.033
30
21,
79.0
81.4
7.4
0.165
33
22,
77·0
75.4
5.4
0.345
29
23,
78.5
85.2
3.8
0.672
41
24,
•
79.6
84
7.1
0.100
44
25,
81.7
82
5.9
0.163
41
26,
80-2
85
3.3
1.87
38
27,
79.8
84.2
5.2
0.365
17
28,
$1.6
82:5
3.1
0.140
26
29,
80.6
83.7
1.9
0.475
23
·
30, 31,
82.3
79.7
7.4
0.015
13
80.6
83.7
6.1
0.355
12
The figures in the first four columns are weekly means, those in the fifth column shew the total plague cases recorded each week.