HONGKONG.
No. 22
Minute by the Principal Ciril Medical Officer on the Report of the Fublic Health and Buildings Ordinance Commission.
Lid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
1507
In 1897 I was appointed President of the Sanitary Board.
In 1899 I went home on leave and during my absence in 1900 a popular agitation was raised against the Government on account of the continued prevalence of plague and of the fact that several Europeans had been attacked that year by this disease.
It was stated that the Sanitary Department was inadequately staffed, the system of drainage was unsuitable, that if plague, malaria and kindred diseases were to be stamped out money must be speut, the Government must not help sacrificing its reversion and the wealthy landlords their incomes."
A great bid was made that year for the establishment of a Municipal Council for the City of Victoria.
The result was that two Commissioners were appointed, I was recalled from leave and in the winter of 1901-2, on the recommendation of Professor SIMPSON, a general cleansing of the City was effected by the Sanitary Staff.
The Staff was increased by the addition of two Assistant Medical Officers of Health and five Senior Sanitary Inspectors were obtained from England.
A new Public Health and Buildings Ordinance (No. 1 of 1903) was passed which prac- tically incorporate:l all the previous public health enactments and gave much greater powers than had been previously possessed in dealing with cubicles, overcrowding, methods of com- batting epidemic disease, &c.
This Ordinance was practically drafted by Professor SIMPSOx and Mr. CHADWICK with the assistance of the Director of Public Works and the Medical Officer of Health.
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