380
THE HOUSING OF SHËRP AND SWINE AT
KENNEDY TOWN.
Papers were submitted relative to the sugges- tion of the Sanitary Board that additional sheds for sheep and swine should be erepted at Kennedy town depot. His Excellency approv ed of provision being made in the estimates for 1901 for the erection of a new shed below the present cattle depot, the cost being estimated at $11,000.
THE PROPOSED OBSERVATION STATION,
A discussion took place as to a proposed observation station under the Venice Sanitary Convention, and on the motion of Dr. CLABE, seconded by Dr. Lowson, it was decided to recommend the Government to proceed as rapidly as possible with the erection of an observation station somewhere in the neigh. bourhood of Lychikok.
RAT POISONING IN BEWERS, The following report by Mr. Drury, the Sanitary Surveyor, as to experiments in rat poisoning in sewers, was submitted
Please lay before the Beard for their inform. ation with a view to ascertain if they are de- sirous of these experiments being further con. tinued. I am of opinion that no success can be expected, for rats apparently do not inhabit these small glazed pipe sewers with their steep grades and rapid fow, particularly when they get ample food above ground. The overseer who has been on these sewers for some thirteen years has never seen a rat in them, and taking into account the fact that the cleansing dises are passed through the sewers about once a month it rather suggests a proof that they do not frequent them at all
<
Mr. Wild, the Acting Government Analyst, and myself have experimented in two lengths of the High street 9-inch sewer, from Eastern Street to Centre Street and from Centre Street to Pokfulaia Road, 450 and 850 lineal feet res- pectively (a neighbourhood which is reported to be greatly frequented by rats), and with no results.
The lengths tested were hermetically sealed. Wire nets were placed in the manholes next to the tested lengths to catch any rats that might have been killed and brought away by the flush after opening the tested portions.
"Experiment I.--Material used:- Potassium cyanide 12 lbs., sulphuric said 7 lbs. The acid was diluted with four times its bulk of water. The hydrocyanic acid gas was generated in jars, each jar containing 2 lbs. of cyancide and 2 pints of the diluted acid. Two jars were placed in each of three manholes
Test
"One hour was allowed for the generation and spread of the gas, the sewer afterwards being flushed with water to ensure the spread of gas and to carry down dead rats. paper showed the presence of gas after being The percentage of poi. flushed with water. sonous gas in this test was about 12 per cent.
"Experiment II.-Material used:- -Potas- sium Cyanide 20 lbs., sulphuric acid 14 lbs. The acid was diluted with gas generated as in Experiment I. In this case five manholes were used. three containing two generating jars with 2 lbs. of cyanide in each; the remaining two contained one and three jars respectively, these jars holding as before 2 lbs. cyanide. The experiment was carried out in a similar manner as before. The percentage of poisonous gas was about 15 per cent."
Minutes attached to the papers by Drs. Har- tigan and Lowson showed that these gentleman anticipated failure.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Dr. CLARK, it was decided to forward the report to. Government..
.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
siderable expense,
▲ solution of the difficulty was under consideration,
THE NUISANCÉ NEAR THE CRICKET GROUND. A further reply from the Acting Colonial Secretary relative to the removal of the urinal at the western end of the Cricket Ground said that owing to the location of the Hongkong
Club and numerous other large buildings on the Praya Reclamation a urinal for the use of the numerous chair and jinriksha coolies em- ployed in connection with those buildings in the immediate vicinity was rendered absolutely necessary. If the urinal, therefore, were to be removed it must be removed to a site in the immediate vicinity, and to find such a site which would at the same time be free from objection was by no means easy, and might entail con-
THE PLAGUE AT WUCHOW. A letter from the British Consulate at Wu- chow, dated 25th April, stated that several cases of bubonic plague were reported as having occurred within the previous three or four days in the city of Wuchow and suburbs.
HOUSE TO HOUSE VISITATION.
Dr. Lowson, in accordance with notice of motion, proposed :-"That attention of Gov- Ordinance 15, of 1894-That whenever two ernment be called to Bye-law 10, Section 13,
triet the Sanitary Board recommend the hours cases of plague bare occurred in any health dis-
be changed from 8 a.m, to 6 p.m., to 5 a.m. to 6 pm."
Mr. MCKIE seconded.
the
Dr. CLARK, however, suggested that to SATO time the Board should approve of the following bye-law, which could be brought before
Legislative Cousoil on Monday next and become law at once, viz. "Any officer of the Sanitary Board may during the prevalence in the colony, or in any district thereof bubonic plague, cholers, or small-pox, and within such limits as may from time time to time be defined by the Board. enter any building or cartilage between the hours of a.m. and 6 a.m. for the purpose of ascertaining whether any sick person or des body is to be found upon such premises. If any sick person be so found, such officer may dotain such person or remove him to a public hospital until he can be examined by som le gally qualified and registered medical prac titioner and he may remove any dead body found upon such premises to the Public Mor- tuary."
The suggested bye-law was adopted.
EXEMPTION GRANTED.
On the motion of Dr. CLARK secouded by Dr. Lowson, an application for exemption from making a back yard at No. 66, Hollywood, road, was granted.
THE PLAGUE IN FORMOSA.
A further report of the progress of babonic plague in Tainan, Formosa, showed 36 new cases between April 9th and 17th.
INSANITARY DWELLINGS,
Papers were submitted relating to premises at No. 1, Chak Hing-lane, Dr. CLARK suggesting that the whole of the premises should be closed at once as unfit for human habitation. He add- ed, A case of plague occurred in those premises in 1896, another in 1893, two in 1899, and an- other this week. Each floor should be locked up in such a way that it cannot be entered by vagrauts. I would recommend the demolition of these premises."
It was decided to close the premises.
THE LIMEWASHING RETUR,
The fortnightly lime-washing return said- "The period for the Central District has now expired with seven days grace, and still accord- ing to notifications of intention seat in 535 houses still require lime-washing. It is possible that a good proportion of these have been done without notification. The
Inspector is, however, now devoting himself to prosecuting all owners of above houses for (1) department of intention to cleanse; on either or not oleansing; (2) failing to notify the both counts. The work is proceeding as quickly as possible regarding lack of facilities at the Land Office to quickly obtain the requisite names of owners of the various houses."
COMBATTING THE PLAGUE,
May 12, 1900.
of persons who had died from plague being also provided for. The wharf by which they had to leave in 1898 was not now available, and he proposed that Sutherland street Wharf should be substituted. Continuing, Dr. CLARK said he understood steps were being taken to open a branch hospital in connection with the Tung. Wah hospital for the accommodation of plague patients. In conclusion he proposed that the villages in Kowloon be declared infected with plague, as he was sorry to say that a number of cases had occurred there.
Dr. Lowson, in seconding, expressed his
Chinese plague hospital approval of the establishment of a proper
chooses to
Mr. OSBORNE also expressed his satisfaction with the proposal to establish a Chinese plague hospital, observing- "If a man
dis go and
in the manner which seems to him fittest he is entitled to do so. He is entitled to die in the manner which pleases him best and to select the hospital -which after all is nothing nor less than a house to die in-which he prefers."
The motion was carried.
THE PLAGUE AT MAÇÃO, The deaths in Macao for the week ended 15th
April numbered 93, including 39 from plague. There were 94 deaths during the following week, including 5') from plague, and during the week ouded April 29th there were 83 deaths, including 32 from plague.
THE HEALTH OF HONGKONG.
The death rate for the week ended April 21st was 265, against 19 6 for the previous week and 23-8 for the corresponding week last year. The rate for the succeeding week was 26.3, against 24.3 for the corresponding week last year.
DR. HARSTON AND LIMEWASHING.
The following letter from Dr. Harston was submitted:-
Hongkong, 7th May, 1900. Dear Sir,-Having been assured by the M.O.H., Dr. Clark, that the Sanitary Board would be glad to hear further views with ra- ference to the subject of limewashing, and having been somewhat misunderstood in my remarks ou the same subject at Mr. Pollock's lecture on "Some serious local problems," I venture to submit the following communication for the consideration of the members of the Sanitary Board.
In the first place I would point out that my remarks are to be regarded only as a protest against limewashing as a means of combat- ing the plague during an epidemic aud not as a protest against Lime Washing as a general cloausing process in the non-epidemic season. Against the latter I raise no objection, but I wish to call the attention of the Board to the risks involved by enforcing Bye-law 16 (made in May, 1897, under Section 13, of Ordinance 15, of 184) during an epidemio of plague and without previous disinfection of the houses which are to be thoroughly cleansed and lime washed." The houses chiefly affected by the above Bye-law are occupied mainly by Chinese, Japanese, Indians, and Philippinos. The majority of these are accustomed to go barefooted, and in many cases their feet are the subject of a form of eczema well known to medical men in Hongkong as " Fungus Eczema," thus affording an easy means of inocalation.
.-
of
The necessary disturbance of furniture, bed- ding, &c., and the dust raised in the removal of the same previous to the process of limewash- ing does but increase the risk involved. ⠀⠀-- Dr. CLARK announced that 3,646 rats had That I enunciate no new theory will be at been destroyed during the past fortnight, mak-once seen if I quote Dr. Lowson's remarks with ing a total of 13,834. He added that the sub- reference to Mode of infection." In his report committee appointed by the Board to arrange on the plague epidemic of 1894, he says, "Most as to precautions against the spread of of the coolies affected wore neither shoes nor plague had recommended the Government to stockings. Almost all males go barefooted, which place a guard somewhere near Marray Bar-would partly account for the large number racks to prevent bedding, etc., from the district the coolie class affected." In connection with (infected with plague from being taken from the same point I would recall the fact that the eastern to the Central district. With several soldiers of Shropshire regiment, not- regard to the damping of dead bodies in the withstanding their being well booted, were streets., the Tang Wa Hospital people had been stricken with plague after being employed on approached, and something was to be done by lime washing and cleaning ont infected houses them with the view to prevent this as far as during the 1894 epidemic. I believe I am possible. In connection with that matter it right in stating that owing to this it was found was proposed to put in force a regulation necessary to discontinue limewashing and adopted in 1898, empowering persons suffering subsitute antiseptic, cleansing which had the from plagne to leave the colony under desired effect of at once checking the occurrence certain restrictions, the removal of the bodie of cases amongst the men.