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The remainder of the house is however cleansed by the tenants themselves under the supervision of the Inspector in charge who gives them Jeyes fluid for this purpose. Should there be ceilings or other structures offering shelter to rats- in any part of the house they are removed by the Board's artisans and coolies under direction of the Inspector.
Rat holes found during the cleansing of a house where a human case has occurred are filled up at once with cement by an artisan in the Board's employ.
The remaining measures comprising disinfection of clothing, repairing of or renewal of concrete on ground surfaces in both rat infected and human infected houses and the anti-rat measures generally remain the same as heretofore.
It must be remembered, however, that the system of continual cleansing of the City block by block in six different centres at once is carried on all the year through with the exception of a month in the autumn to allow of repairs to ap paratus and a fortnight at the Chinese New Year on account of this festival.
By this means the houses are kept very much cleaner than they were before this system was introduced and a great deal of rubbish is daily removed which otherwise would accumulate in the houses.
This cleansing done by the people themselves under the supervision of the Board's Officers is supplemented during the plague season in infected areas by the free use of disinfectants such as Jeyes fluid 5 per cent.
The mechanical removal of dirt and rubbish by this systematic cleansing is not called, nor is it considered to take the place of, disinfection, but it may possibly have been of great help in keeping the 1904 epidemic down to its small propor- tions by helping to get rid of vermin such as fleas with their eggs and larvæ which may yet be shewn to play an important role in the aetiology of this disease.
That the disinfection has been fairly successful may be judged by the follow- ing figures.
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During the epidemic period considered in this report, i.e., from January to July there were 16 houses only in which more than one case of plague was known to have occurred.
This is exclusive of the Italian Convent in Caine Road to which seven cases in very young children were brought from outside.
Altogether 36 cases occurred in these houses, one house having 4 cases, and two 3 cases.
In the latter three houses however 3, 2 and 2 cases respectively occurred within one week and were therefore probably not strictly "repeat due to one infection.
cases but
The cases recurring in the houses after eight days had elapsed since the discovery of the former case and the disinfection of the premises were only six.
In conclusion I wish to express my thanks to Dr. BARNETT and Dr. MACFARLANE and the whole of the special plague staff for the ready and conscien- tious manner in which they have carried out their duties and helped me during the year.
I have, etc.,
WILFRID WM. PEARSE, M.B., D.P.H., Aberdeen,
Acting Medical Officer of Health,
LIST OF APPENDICES.
1. Addresses of all plague cases recorded in 1904.
2. Table of Cases and Deaths in 1904 according to locality and nationality.