i-
326
'ordinance 15 of 1894 to cleanse and limewash any domestic building in the colony that is in a dirty condition by giring ons week's notice.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS strongly supported all that had fallen from the lips of the President and Vice-president. He hoped that when the plague was over the Board would wake up to the fact that they had power to declare, if necessary, a house unfit for human habitation. He did not know until now that they had this power, and he hoped that in future they would use it.
The motion was carried. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said another point was as to whether patients should be allowed to leave the colony. He thought that matter was dealt with at the meeting on Tues- day.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE begged to move that the conditions agreed to on March 21st, 1896, by which persons suffer- ing from bubonic plague were permitted to leave the colony, be rescinded, and that in substitution thereof the following conditions be made :--Any person suffering from bubonic plague who wishes to leave the colony may embark between the hours 6 a.m. and 6-30 p.m. at a wharf to be erected on the New Reclama tion in front of Bonham Strand West subject to the following conditions: (1) The patient or his friends shall notify the patient's name and address or addresses at which he has been re- siding during the last 10 days to the officer on duty at the wharf; (2) that the destination to which the patient is to be removed shall be notified to the officer on duty; (3) that the patient or his friend must provide a licensed junk or a licensed boat, the latter to be towed by a launch, in which the patient is to be removed, and furnish the officer on duty with the number of such junk or boat and the name of such steam launch; (4) that no removal shall be permitted to places within a radins of 40 miles of the colony; (5) that on his return to the colony the patient shall at once proceed to the Water Police Sta- tion at Tsim-tsat-sui for disinfection. He bad made enquiries of the people at Tung Wa Hos- pital as to the objections which the Chinese entertained to the conditions of the regulations of 1896, which he saw only one patient availed himself of, and he was informed that the patient had to go with other patients in a sort of common ambulance boat, and that he was towed in this way to Canton by certain public steamers. Persons who desired 10 rémore from the colony, particularly if they had a Chinese branch hospital, would be principally persons of the better class. They would like to go in a boat of their own selec- tion, either in a sailing boat of sufficient capacity to undertake a long journey, or in a smaller boat towed by a launch. The Committee to whom he had spoken were not in favour of pati ents going to Kowloon City and other places in the immediate neighbourhood. They recognised the danger to the colony if this were done, and they also recognised the danger of infecting the numerous villages which were a little further away, and therefore they were quite willing to accept the condition that a radius of 40 miles should be the limit within which removals should not be permitted. These conditions were
now
on trial. It would certainly ease the Chinese mind a good deal if they knew it was in their power, if they were attacked with plague, in preference to going to a hospital in the colony to go to a hospital in Canton or even at their own home. He proposed that a copy of these regulations be forwarded to the Govern-
ment; and that the Government be asked to erect a suitable wharf with a shelter attached with the least possible delay, and that they tify the Board when the wharf is ready.
Mr. EDE seconded, and the motion was passed.
THE ANALYST'S REPORT.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE BOARD AND THEIR CRITICS.
The CAPTAIN SuperintendeNT OF POLICE took occasion at this point to refer to the letter which appeared in our yesterday's issue which criticised some of the actious of the Board. He remarked that he should like to know to what extent house to house visitation had been carried out in each district which has been declared infected. Of course they had the wise man of the Daily Press telling them that morning that they ought to do a great many things, and he told them they ought to discon- tinue house to house visitation. He did not know whether he had had any experience of dealing with plague. He did not remember his name cropping up in connection
with any plague work, and he was inclined to think his knowledge of plague had been gained from reading reports, &c. He evidently did not know a great deal about the subject, because he talked as if the measures taken were prompted by the peculiar idiosyncrasies of the official mind. It would be well to remind him that every measure which was being adopted now was adopted in 1894, when that Board bad & non- official majority. The only objection was that up to the present the Chinese branch hospital had not been opened, but it was about to be opened. With regard to house to house visitation, he himself thought it was the most important measure which could be taken until they had so far educated their population that they would go voluntarily and report each case as it occurred. He was afraid that what- ever measures they might take there would always be some people foolish enough to conceal their cases. In that case house to house visita. tion would have to go on. He had in his two districts instituted a pretty thorough house to house visitation, and he would like to take the | sense of the Board as to how far the policy should be pursued, and as to how far it was being applied and could be applied to other districts.
The PRESIDENT said, in reply to the Vice-President's request, the Acting Secretary was furnishing for the information of the Gor- ernor a detailed statement in reference to house
to honse visitation and cleansing work, and
when that was finished it would be circulated among the members.
THE PROPOSED HOSPITAL FOR CHINESE
PLAGUE PATIENTS.
|
| April 23, 1898.
Mr. EDE asked if these were the sheds used for small-pox patients.
The PRESIDENT said they had been disin- fected and had not been used for a few weeks.
The CAPTAIN Superintendent of POLICE reported as to an interview he had had with the Hospital Committee that afternoon, saying that they had declared themselves ready to accept the three mat sheds and to convert them into a branch hospital, and they showed him a plan of some other mat sheds which would be necessary. He begged to recommend that the Government be asked to defray the cost of the extra mat-sheds which would be required. It would not amount to very much, and the Tung Wah Hospital Committee would be put to con- siderable expense. He did not see why the Government should not share in it.
Mr. EDB seconded, and the motion was carried, THE OCCUPANTS OF INFECTED HOUSES. The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said it would be remembered that at the latter end of 1897 the Board decided that should any case of plague occur in a house after the removal of the patient the occupants should be removed from the house and given the option of going to the Board's shelters or some other house for about 10 days. That system had been carried out up to the prosent, but seeing the number of cases now occurring weekly it occurred to him that to compel the occupants of some 100 or 200 houses to go elsewhere would result in over- orowding other houses, and he should be in- clined to let the arrangement lapse for the present.
It was decided that this recommendation should be acted upon.
The Board then adjourned.
HONGKONG AND ITS LIQUORS.-
ARE THEY DELETERIOUS ?
SPECIAL MEETING OF JUSTICES OF THE
PEACE.
73
Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace was held On Saturday, 16th April, a special meeting of
in the Chamber of Commerce Room, City Hall, have arisen in connection with the commission "for the purpose of considering questions which
to enquire into the sale of deleterious liquors in the colony. The meeting was convened by circular signed by Commander W. C. H. Hastings, Acting Police Magistrate. Some time ago the Justices of Peace submitted a series of resolutions to the Government recommending that steps should be taken for the prevention of the sale of injurious liquors in the colony. A reply was received from the Government, and a meeting of the Justices was held on Thursday, January 31st, to consider this reply. Subse quently a Commission was appointed to go into the subject, and before this Commission evid- ence was given by the Captain-Superintendent of Police, the Hon. F. H. May.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH presented the report of the Sub-Committee with regard to the establishment of a branch hospital to the Tung Wah Hospital for the reception and treatment of plague patients on the conditions mentioned in the resolution passed at the meeting of the Sanitary Board on Tuesday. He said the Tung Wah Hospital Committee were willing and anxious to establish such a branch hospital and to bear the expense of its maintenance as far as the food and medicine of the patients and the provision of a Chinese staff of doctors At the meeting on Saturday the chair was and servants were concerned. They strongly re-occupied by Commander Hastings, and there commended that the Government should lend
were also present, Rev. R. F. Cobbold, Dr. to them one-half of the Cattle Depôt at Stedman, Dr. Lowson, Dr. Clark, Messrs. G. Kennedytown for the purpose of such a branch Murray Bain, J. J. Francis, A. J. May, H. P. hospital.
Tooker, C. V. Ladds, R. C. Wilcox, C. Ford, E. W. Mitchell, G. Sharp, and C. W. Daggan.
|
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, by direction I have invited you to come here to ask you two questions-The Government appointed a Com- mission on the 14th February. Mr. Wodehouse, one of the members, has left the colony, Dr. Hartigan has resigned, and Mr. McCallum was not able to serve when he came out of hospital. I am going to ask you two question--Whether you wish the Commission to be dissolved or go yon nominate members who are willing to serve, on, or if you do wish the inquiry to go on will
or leave the nomination of the members to the Government?
The PRESIDENT said he considered the sheds in question most unsuitable for the purpose for which they were required. They were open with the exception on either side of a wall some six feet high, and on a day like that patients would run the risk of contracting chest complaints. The President mentioned other objections to the Cattle Depot, and continu- ing said that he had seen Dr. Thompson and four or five influential members of the committee of Tung Wah Hospital that morning and ex- no-plained to them the advisability of utilising mat sheds on the foreshore to the north of Kennedytown for the purpose. He had since received a letter from Dr. Thompson saying Mr. FRANCIS said-Gentlemen: To some that he had discussed the matter with four of extent I am responsible for the present the directors of the Hospital and they had meeting and for placing you in your present decided in favour of his proposal. I wish it to position, and I have asked the chairman be understood, however, the speaker continued, for permission to explain it. After the that I object in toto to the establishment of a Committee hospital where so called Chinese practice is al-
was appointed, Mr. Wodehouse was very active, and we had two or three pre- lowed. In this I am supported by Dr. Clark. liminary meetings before the commission was To yield in this respect is to throw back the actually appointed at his house at which we ex- The mortality statistics for the week ended colony for years and to sacrifice the future for changed our views on the subject, and endea April 2nd showed the death rate to be 294
the present. We have yet to learn that yield-vonred to ascertain, as far as we could, what gainst 143 for the corresponding week lasting in the least to Chinese prejudices will lessen the number of dead bodies put out in the
In his report for the quarter ended 31st March Mr. F. Browne, Acting Government Analyst, reported that he had analysed -two samples of whisky, one of which he found ad- alterated. One sample of rum, oue of port, and two of ground nut oil he found genuine.
ear.
THE MORTALITY RETURNS.
streets.
lines the examination of witnesses and the in-
vestigation generally should take. As soon as
་རྒྱུགས་ཡོན་ལྡན་དང་ལྡན་
Company