November 19, 1898.] ·
tion) falls upon his shoulders, and he has ex- ecuted these duties in addition to his routine work most effectively and thoroughly."
WELLS TO BE CLOSED.
Mr. Crow, Government Analyst, reporting on water taken from a well at the old Hong kong Club, 84, Queen's Road Central, and a well situate at Kowloon inland lot 855, Tai Kok lane, said it was so tainted with impurities as to be unfit for potable purposes and likely to prove injurious to health."
With regard to the second well, it was stated that it was the most important soures of water supply in its neighbourhood and as it was thought the contamination might only be surface contamination which might be re- medied by pointing, it was decided, on the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Mr. OSBORNE, to refer the matter to the Director of Public Works so that he could look into it.
Dr. CLARK said he did not think there was any reason for retaining the other well.
Mr. OSBORNE-We used to consider that that was excellent water.
Dr. CLARK-The well has been condemned before, and Mr. Grace undertook that the water should not be used except to wash the yard and he kept the key himself, but now any one can use it.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Mr. OSBORNE, it was decided to order that the well should be closed.
A similar decision was come to with regard to a well at 15, Shaakiwan Road, which is im pregnated with lead, there being several white lead factories in that neighbourhood.
THE WATER CLOSET QUESTION AGAIN,
Mr. Danby, architect, applied on behalf of the Hon. E. R. Belilios, Crown lessee of marine lot No. 1.381, Kennedy Road, for permission to erect water closets, etc., in the large mansion which he is about to erect there as a family residence for himself and family.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT,
Mr. OSBORNE said that if the Director of Public Works could ensure them an ample supply of water the whole year he for one would support it.
The PRESIDENT-Is it not a fact that the water used for this purpose will have to be paid for ?
Hon, R. D. ORMSBY—Oh, yes.
Mr. DYER BALL spoke against the proposi- tion, as also did
Dr. CLARK, who, as the proposition of the Director of Public Works had not been seconded, proposed that the application be granted on condition that the water- closets in the Caine Road house were done away with, in which case there would be no increase, and the situation of Mr. Belilios' new house was better adapted for water closets than Caine Road.
Mr. DYER BALL seconded and the motion was carried.
MORTALITY RETURNS,
The mortality returns for the colony of Hongkong for the week ended November 5th show a death rate of 15.3, against 21.3 for the previous week and 25'1 for the corresponding week last year.
The mortality returns for Macao for the week ended November 6th show 42 deaths.
The Board then adjourned.
THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
ON THE PLAGUE.
Ata meeting of the Sanitary Board on 17th Nov. a "Report on the outbreak of bubonic plague during the current year," by Dr. Francis W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health was submitted. The report is dated 25th August.
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in getting the Chinese to submit to Western "In consequence of the difficulty experienced
treatment, it was decided by the Government. to permit the opening of a native plague hospital, under European supervision, and on May 2nd such a hospital was opened at Ken- nedytown, within the compound of the Gov. ernment Infectious Diseases Hospital, and Dr. Thomson was placed in charge of the sanitary arrangements. This hospital remained open until June 27th, and during that time 224 patients applied for treatment, of whom 209 were suffering from bubonie fever; the total number of deaths that occurred there was 173, giving a rate of mortality of 82.8 per cent, as compared with the general rate among the Chinese of 89.6 per cent. which shows, as might be expected, that hospital treatment even by Chinese doctors, under European supervision, produces slightly better results than obtain when the patient is treated by Chinese in his own home.
curred in the city of Victoria during 1896 and A list of the addresses of all cases which, c0-
curred this year is attached to the report and & parallel list of the addresses of cases which oc from these lists Dr. Clark says "it will be seen
599 houses known to have been infected, cases that in no less than 77 houses out of a total of
occurred during each of these years. The total number of houses in the city of Victoria is stations) so that the presumption is that many roughly 7,000 (exclusive of barracks and police of these 77 houses had retained the infection of the disease since 1896, and not that they were re-infected afresh this year."
The remarks on the etiology of the disease in Dr. Clark's annual report for 1897 are reprinted
for convenience of reference and to render the present report more complete.
The total number of cases reported was 1,315, of which 75 were among non-Chinese; during THE CHINESE EXTRADITION CASE.
there were 1,094 cases (66] of which were among non-Chinese), while during July there were 7 cases (2 being non-Chinese), and during August considered to have been one of remittent fever. one case was reported, but this was subsequently
A tabular statement of the 75 non-Chinese cases shows that 26 were European, 13 Por. tuguese, 24 Indian, 10 Japanese, and 2 Philip- pinos.
The incidence of the disease upon the two sexes is shown in a short table. Of the 1,240 Chinese cases 775 were male and 465 female and of the 75 non-Chinese cases 52 were male and 23 female.
The report continues :-
Chinese the females suffered in a much less "It is interesting to note that among the proportion during the first quarter of the year than during the second quarter; thus during January-March there were 206 Chinese cases of which 59 were females or 28.6 per cent., while during April-June there were 1,028 Chinese cases of which 383 were females or 37.2 per cent.
the first quarter of the year 213 cases occurred (7 Hon. R. D. ORMSBY proposed that the ap-being non-Chinese), during the second quarter plication be granted. He need not go over the whole ground again, but there was one point which on the occasion of the last application was not sufficiently insisted upon, and that was that a water closet at this level would tend to improve the drainage the whole way down to the sea. Every time they were flushed they would send a rush of water from the high level which would clear the drain at the lower level and drive the whole down into the harbour. He intended to have some experiments carried out to see how long it took water to reach the harbour from such a level. He believed himself it would only be a matter of a few minutes. The last time they discussed the question the application was refused on the ground that the contents of the water closet would pass into the sewer in Queen's Road and that in consequence the occupants of the houses in Queen's Road would be poisoned with sewer gas, but that could not be the case if the drain was cleared out into the harbour within a few minutes. There was not the slightest doubt that water closets were a much more civilised form of get- ting rid of sewage than the primitive way it was done now in Hongkong, and in a house of this sort it would be extremely objectionable indeed to have night-soil carts carrying the contents of the buckets into the public roads. They ought to encourage the introduction of water-closets into a building of this sort. It should be remembered that Mr. Belilios had been allowed water-closets in his house in Caine Road. He believed that at the suggestion of the Board he provided water-closets of the best type there, and he proposed to use them again in this new building. Therefore he thought it would be hard if they sanctioned them in Caine Road and refused them here. He, therefore, proposed that the application should be granted. Dr. CLARK expressed his willingness to second the proposition provided Mr. Belilios would undertake to do away with the water-closets in his house in Caine Road.
Hon. R. D. ORMSBY-I would rather some one would second me without that.
Mr. OSBORNE would have been very glad to have supported Mr. Ormsby's proposal but for one thing, and that was the insufficiency of the water supply.
Hon. R. D. OEMSBY said that the water supply would not be effected in the slightest degree; it would be a few thousand gallons a
year out of millions.
The proportion of females in the Chinese population is 29.9 per cent., and I think that the much higher proportion of female cases during the second quarter suggests that many of the earlier cases were imported by males (who are naturally the greater travellers) and that, when the infection had thus become again located in the houses, the women suffered more severely, as would be expected, from the fact that they are more confined to the houses than are the men.
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shows that Chinese children suffered very con- A consideration of the ages of the patients siderably, for there were 299 Chinese cases at ages under 15 years, which is equal to more than 24 per cent. of the total cases whereas the pro- portion of children under that age in the Chi- nese population is only 18 per cent.
"The death-rate among the Chinese was con- for of the 75 non-Chinese cases 49 died or 65.3 siderably higher than among the non-Chinese,
died or 89.6 per cent.; the determining causes of per cent., whereas of the 1,240 Chinese cases 1,111 this higher mortality being, no doubt, inferior physique, less healthy surroundings, and lack of the necessary medical treatment of the disease." Details are then given of the measures taken to combat the epidemio by the removal of the sick and dead, disinfection, house to house visita tion, etc.
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THE CHARGE of burglary DISMISSED,
AN ALIBI PROVED BY A GERMAN MISSIONARY.
The Magistracy was crowded on 14th Nov. afternoon when the Chinese extradition case was again brought before Commander Hastings. Our readers will remember that the Chinese authorities have applied for the extradition of Chung Shui Young (aged 44), alias Chung Kwok Chu, described as a retired lawyer's clerk, on the ground that at the beginning of
Tung Wo Hui market place, Cha Tan Kok, in October be committed the crime of burglary at the Sun On district. He was also charged with threatening with intent to extort money of October. I within the jurisdiction of China in the middle
Government and Mr. Gedge for the defence.
Mr. Robinson appeared for the Chinese
might be recalled. He wished him to be M. Gedge asked that the witness Tang Mun identified, as he did not think he was the man he represented himself as being.
Witness, on being recalled, said " I do not know Chau Loi. I know the Tuk Keng village. It is eight or nine li from Cha Tan Kok. The robbery took place, is not coming-here to give master of the Tung Hing Tai shop, where the evidence. He was not in the shop at the time of the robbery. I am the manager and account- there since last year. As to my wages I spend ant and keep the wages book. I have been
what I want and then at the end of the year we make it up. Last year I got a bonus of 10 per cent. The profit was a little over $2,000 and I got a little over $200. My name appears in the wages book. I have not got the wages book yet. I sent for it last night. It will be produced with my name in it and the amounts I have received. I have sent for the ledger also. My name is mentioned in the ledger as somebody who got goods from the shop, but my name is down in the wages book as an employé. tered in the wages book and also that of Chun Li Kum is a salesman. His name is also en-
prisoner lives, is 40 or 50 li from Cha Tan Wa, another salesman. Wong Tong, where Kok. I have never been there, and I don't know w long it would take me to walk there. I suppose it would take me a day to walk there. The burglary took place at 8:80 p.m. on the 16th October. I am quite certain of that. I have heard people say defendant was also charged with extorting money at a place
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