62
[January 23, 1895.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Board required. We shall be glad to know that the tion be now circulated to members. I can see no Board are bearing in mind our request that no licences objection to the actual work of disinfecting the should be renewed for the keeping of pigs on our clothing by the officer in charge of the disinfector property, to the granting of which previously we being done, provided always that the military antho ascribe the nuisance of which the Board complained.rities will give at least a clear day's notice when they
We are, sir, your obedient servants,
Per pro. JARDINE, MATHESON & Co.,
A. W. Dickson.
have such clothing. They should also send and take nway the clothing themselves. We can put them in the way of providing themselves with proper baskets and sheets for doing this part of the work. It should also be clearly and distinctly laid down that no claim for damage to clothing will be entertained, and that in any emergency the civil work will re done first. Of course every care will be taken in disinfecting the clothing and it is unlikely that any real damage will Occur, but it is only prudent to make such a stipula. tion as I suggest
The CHAIRMAN moved that the military au- thorities be informed in the terms of Mr. McCallum's minute.
cases I see all the cold bodies, those that have died in hospital and those that have been brought io. All the cases are entered in a book sepa rately the entries giving their temperature. eto, and what. I have diagnosed as the disease. and if a man dies the date of his death is put against it. It was left to the Registrar-Gemers to go and look at my bocks. Well, it does no
The following minutes were appended:- Mr. H McCallum.-The first point raised by this appear he did that, so now, for the last week or letter is, has the notice which was served been fully more, all the dead bodies are entered; those that complied with ? I think not; but, as the division be. die in hospital are entered as admitted on such tween inland lots 1,018 and 1,419 is not clearly defined It a date, died on such n date, and the cause of ou the ground, I am not absolutely certain. death, and those that are unknown I enter as Beems to me that there are still a few insanitary dead bodies brought in nuknown, and, from their dwellings on this building lot occupied apparently as permanent dwellings. These dwellings certainly history and appearance of body the probable do not comply with the provisions of the Building cause of death. That is all you can do with,ut Ordinance, nor do they seem to me to be in accord- post mortems. There have been no é dans olauce with the terms of the Crown lease, which was typhoid fever except the one I diagnosed. He granted in 1886, when a farm lot, was converted into came in on his own book altogether; he was not a building lot. The so-called squatters are in occu. brought there. He reported that be had benpation of leasehold land and presumably are the ten-pared to undertake P
ants of the Crow. lessee. The next point for consi. ill for uearly a month. He was not talking deration is the puerile assertion that the licensing of quite rationally, but he said he came from me.ties, in which to keep swine, was the primary cause where near the Central Police Station, probably of the insanitary condition of the wretched dwellings Pottinger Street. Next day he was perfectly which existed on this lot. To say that a sty, which delirious, and he was delirious till he died complies with the requirements of the by-laws regu- lating the keeping of swine, is the cause of the in- so that I could get no inore information sanitary condition of a dwelling saparated from it by to where he lived. Now you talk about these at leas six feet, is simply ludicrous and unworthy of
Mr. young students being appointed.
Yn attention, and my only reason for referring to it is Akai goes round with me every mornin. Heon account of the very prominen manner in which When acts as interpreter.
it is put forward by the writer of this letter. an a plication is made for a licence to kee swine the The CHAIRMAN (interrupting) 1here is no
DE HARTIGAN said Mr. Francis was quite Board' officers ace that the sty sought to be licensed recommendation of that kind.
is in accordance with the requirements of the by-laws, wrong in attachiar such importance to the an- The COLONIAL SURGEON—Yes; over a dover and if the aty is on leasehold land, the application is
alysis. The analysis was a very small portion of again it has been régbönmended.
laid before the Boad; but if the sty is on Crown land the applicationes to the Director of Public the data to go upon. Althoug: the analyst I do not expect the might say he could not report. a well as dan Works for approval of site. Board's officers can be expected to see that the ten-gerous it might be absolutely dangerous. ants of leaseholders are fulfilling the terms of their It was agreed that the applicants should be**: agreement with their lan lords, yet this is practi-informed the previous decision of th› Board cally what is now asked for.
must be adhered to.
The CHAIRMAN-You are speaking of what took place in 1:91, but the recommendation now is a proper medical staff. I would like to ask, do the Chines take the addresses ‘of those ad mitted ?
The COLONIAL SURGEON—Yes, when they Mr. J. J. Francis - I hope these papera and especi. can get them, but many of the eases are broughtally Mr. Meum's memo, will be reid pabiely at Mesers. Jardine, the next meeting of the Board. from ships.
Matheson & Co.'s letter is, like their former one on the same subject, absurd and only shows their ignor ance of their duties and responsibilities. 1st, Mr. Leigh and Dr. Hartigan should be requested to inspeet again and report on the state of the premises and see if they are in a sanitary condition. 2nd, Messrs. | Jardine, Math son & Co. should be informed that licenses to keep pigs will be issued to all proper applicants without consulting them in any way that if they do not wish their tenants to keep pigs, it is for them so to arrange it with their tenants,
The GHAIRMAN Have all the condemned buildings beer removed ?
Dr. HARTIGAS-That surely makes it more dangerous, if we are to haye cases brought in from ships. I think this point wa wat hy get It st is to find out where the cases come frim. to happens that lately there have ben wer fever cases because this is not the time of year for them, but go back to October. Do all the fever ouses die?
The COLONIAL SURGEON— No peertainly not Dr. HARTIGAN-Then we want to get at them and know where they come from.
The COLONIAL SURGEON-Ronchitis, phthisis drops cal pases are all put down as fever by the Chinese.
Dr. ARTIGAN mulea remark not heard at the reporter's tablų,
The COLONIAL SURGEON-Wall, it is the Registrar. Gen-ràl'sifault! I havs entered the
cause of death,
and
The SECRETARY-NO; I think there are one or two remaining.
The CHARM N-Does the Board think it
necessary to make another inspection of this place ?
Mr. LEIGH-I think the Sanitary Surveyor might run down when he is in the neighbour- hood. I do not think it is a matter that any members of the Board need investigate them- selves. There is the report of the Committee, it is quite clear; and what we want to see is whether it is carried out..
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Dons this involve more work than the Board is pre-
Dr. HARTIGAN -- No, I think not. Any one who has infected clothing has a right to bave it disinfected. · Our object is to stop disease.
The notion was agreed to.
THE CLOSING OF WELLS
Four applications for the review of notices to close wells were then considered. There was a minute by Mr. Francis in respect to one of the applications, in which he protested against the closing of wells which the Government Analyst could not certify us contaminated.
D FEC IVE DRAINS.
(n
The Surveyor's reports on the condition of a number of house drains were a nsidered. one of the reports, relating to Temple Street, Yaumati, there was a minute by Mr. Francis to the effect that as the houses pr bably b-longed to different owners it was a case for redrainage on a common plan nader the direction of the Board, and that the Permanent Committee had recommended open drains in every case.
The CHAIRMAN said the Board bad power to. order a common plan, but he did not think it had ever been exercised.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKs said it might be well to suggest to the owners a com mon plan, bat it was for the owners themselves He moved that the owners to submit the plan be called up in to rødrain and adopt the sugge- tions of the Surveyor, and that their attention be called to the advisability of amalgamating.
Mr. LEIGH seron:led. Carried.
I
In the other ordered:
was casos radrainage
also
MORTALITY STATISTICS. The mortality returns showed a death rate for the week ended 29th December of 16.3 and for the week ended 5th January of 18.5
so that they cannot mistake it. Dr. HARTI Ny qpinion is the Chinese will not give us, any assistance and if we try to forea Eump con supervision or them –
The COLONIAL SURGEO—They will die in
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS suggested their own houses; I am sure of it.
The CHAIRMAN-I beg to move that this that the District Inspector might make the in-
spection. Board is of opinion the work entailed by super-
The following minute was appended :- Dr. HARTIGAN Suid he thought what was
Thres vising thung Wah Hospital with a view to
Dr. Hartigan.-Five, Heaths from fever. dia:noses. What is the nature of the other two? obtaining correct statisties is so heavy that Drinigint by the reference to pigsties in Vessrs.
Were the two other und:agnosed cases any form of Ayres ought to have more assistance in the work | Jardine, Matheson & Co.'s letter was, not that and that the committee of the Tung. Wah Hospital shoud contribute to the est of any additional officer that may be appointed.
Dr. HART & AN-1 would not confine it to the mortality returns. We want to get at the health returns, which are even more important. Mr McCallum showed me a returu the other day of 4,000 admissions and 2,000 deaths. Many of these are paupers:
The CHAIRMAN added to his motion the words and that the hospital authorities be re- quested to furnish the adressen of all patients admitted to the hospital.
Dr. ĦARTIGAN seconded the motion. The CHAIRMAN-The object of moving this is that I do not see why the Tung Wah should Lave the services of the Colonial Surgeon placed at their disposal.
The motion was carried.
THE CAUSEWAY BAY SQUATTERS.
The following letter had been received from Messrs. Jardine. Matheson & Co. :--
Hongkong, 5th January, 1896.
The Secretary of the Sanitary Board.
Sir-kefening to your favour of 9th October, we hay to inform you that, in compliance with the notice then re fed upon us, the squatters and their dwellings on inland lot 1,18 have now been re- moved, which, we understand, is all the Sanitary
the pigsties were the immediate cause of the in- Sanitary condition, but that the Board's giving licences increased the number of quarters.
It was agreed that the District Inspector should make so inspection,
DISINFECTION OF MILITARY CLOTHING. An application had been received from Sur- geon-Colonel Preston to have infected War De- partment clothing disinfected at the Board's disinfecting station.
In reply to au Preston wrote:-
inquiry Surgeon-Colonel |
re-
In reply to your letter I have the honour to atute that it would not be possible for ine to state with any degree of certainty the num. ber of times in any year articles would quire to be sent for disinfection. Ibis would of course depend on the presence (and its amount) or absence of infectious disease among the troops. In a me years there is no infectious disease at all, while in others, as the present, there have been a few osses of plague and last year there were six cases of smallpox Probably the average might be pat down at nine sets of bedding and clothing per annum. The kind of article to be disinfected would be the ordinary military hospital equipment, consisting of bedding and clothing, both cotton and wr.llen.
The following minute was appended Dr. Hartigan. Affirmative reply should be sent. Mr. McCallum.--I recommend that this applion
fever? Six deaths altoge her from undefined, con- tinued fever.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought Dr. Ayres had explained how the mistakes, referred to in Dr. Harrigan's minute arose.
THE DRAINAGE OF CLOSED HOUBES,
· The CHAIRMAN — l ́here is one matter I want to mention. There were a large number of houses closed by the Permanent Committee dur- ing the plague, and which are still closed, be- longing to owners who did not accept the con- ditions imposed by the Permanent Committee, but which they are now compelled by law to accept. As all these owners have now to put in concrete floors in their yards and kitohens it appears to me very desirable, knowing as we do that the majority of these houses will have to be redrained, that we should have them inspected, because if we leave them over until they are taken in the course of the general inspection, and in the meantime the owners have put in ex- pensive concrete floors, it would be a great hard- ship to call upon them to take them up and drain.
Mr.LEIGH You have a report on these hins 3. The CHAIRMAN-Not a detail d report. Mr. LEIGH-It is sufficient to guide the Surveyor to the defective ones. It would li