-
267
Beri-Beri.
There were 678 deaths from this disease during the year, of which 2 only were among the Non-Chinese community.
Infectious Diseases.
The total number of cases of infectious disease notified during the year was 308, of which 304 were of Plague. The following Table shows the nature and distribution of these diseases:
CITY OF VICTORIA HEALTH Districts.
2
3
5 6 7 8 9
10
Peak.
Kowloon.
Harbour.
New
Territory.
Villages
Plague,
25 2 18
17 11 20 27 38
18
75
13 23
Typhoid,
4 12 9
10
5
3 1 3
نت
2 2
5
10 12
Cholera,.
Co
Small-pox,
Diphtheria,
10
5
3
00
3
:
:
10
3
:
4
1
1
9 12
་
Scarlet Fever,.......[
Puerperal Fever,
21
6
2
of
Hongkong.
No
address.
:
50
~
Imported.
Co
:
1
21
24
:
:
:
Relapsing Fever,
1904.
---
Table II shews the number of cases of notifiable diseases recorded in each mouth of the year.
Typhoid Fever.
The number of cases of this disease during the year was 90 as compared with 129 in
The European cases numbered 42, of which 16 were imported. The Chinese cases numbered 37 while 11 cases occurred amongst the other races in the Colony.
Typhoid fever being so insidious in its onset and being undoubtedly due to the ingestion. of infective common articles of diet it is extremely difficult when cases occur in different locali- ties and at different times to fix upon any one factor as the exciting cause of the disease.
It cannot however be too strongly impressed upon the public in this Colony that to indulge in uncooked vegetables, e g., salads, is to run a risk of typhoid infection.
By far the greater amount of vegetable food is imported into Hongkong from China. The Chinese as is well known use human excreta as manure.
The danger of this practice is not found in this mere fact itself for provided that all such matter is thoroughly ripenel" in a mainure pit before being applied to the soil the probability of contamination of the plants is remote. But there is danger in the practice of watering vegetables with diluted fresh excretal matters.
It is not generally known to the public that the urine of a typhoid patient may contain the typhoid bacillus for weeks and even months after convalescence.
Over such food grown out of the Colony there is no control at all.
Within this Colony the bye-laws require all excretal matters to be removed to the conservancy boats and hence the using of it in gardens is illegal.
Practically the only manure obtainable by gardeners in Hongkong is of human origin and the very existence of market gardens in this Colony must certainly be taken as pre- sumptive evidence that human manure is used.
In spite of the fact that people if caught removing excreta to any place but the con- servancy boats are liable to punishment, no one should assume that vegetables grown in this Colony by market gardeners are, or can be grown with profit, without the use of human
manure,
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