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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[January 19, 1901.
was strongly of opinion that the present mar- ket accommodation for the sale of meat of any kind is sufficient to meet all requirements, and therefore he hoped the Government would re- consider its prosent policy, and cancel the outside licenses already issued.”
The following minutes were appended : Dr. Hartigan-It is evident there is no supervision over these outside pork shops and much irregularity seenis to ensue. Either these shops should be properly supervised or
of a refuse-destructor for some unknown rea- with extensive reclamation on the fore- son, and it is therefore unfair to attribute all shore in progress. It was the very place the delay to the Public Works Committee of the for dumping and barying rubbish. One reason Council, as was done at last Board's meeting. advanced against the present system was that We have heard a lot about the failure of a des- the refuse of the city was frequently thrown tractor in one town in India out of the many overboard from the dust boats. He did not thousands that have been erected and have not believe that that was done to any great extent, proved failures, but the Board have never been and no doubt it could be stopped by greater furnished with any information whatever as to vigilance. Now for the reasons against the this largely quoted failure. Where is it? refuse destructor. He differed from Mr. Crook Who says it was a failure? and what reasons in that he did not believe that their refuse are given? Has it been abandoned or improved could be burned without a large consumption | closed. What was the original reason - for so as to become a success ?"
of coal. Then there was the large initial ex- licensing them?
Dr. Clark:- "Put up temporary mat-shed Dr. Hartigan:-"If the M.O.H. is correct pense. Mr. Crook explained to the Public in stating that refuse can be destroyed with.Works Committee that the $60,000 he pro-markets on vacant lots of crown land and do out any other fuel than that furnished by the posed expending would only provide for away with all these shop licenses. Further In market accommodation is urgently needed to city refuse, it seems waste of money to get this about one-third of the city refuse. cattle crematorium. 1 think local information some way the explanation of which he for check the present exorbitant price of food.
Dr. Bell: No licenses for selling food should be sought on this point, as the main got. Mr. Crook expressed the opinion that cause of opposition to the destructor seems to $120,000 would provide for all; but the M. O. H. (fresh) outside of markets should be granted.”
The Hon. R. D. Ormisby :-" If all the mar- be that it will require large quantities of some would, he thought, tell them that for all this! combustible, owing to the nature of the Eong-expenditure there would be no decrease in the ket stalls are let and there is competition for kong refuse."
present cost of collecting and removing the them when vacant, then there is not sufficient Mr Osborne If the Government give us rubbish from the streets. Then where was the market accommodation, and outside shops should a cattle crematorium well and good, but what destructor to be? One site was selected at be licensed. If reasonably near the markets I wo want and wore promised is a refuse-des- | Kennedytown. How wore they to get the refuse do not see why they cannot be supervised."
The Hon. F. H. MAY explained that the li tructor, and we must not agree to accept in lien there-by land or by water? If by land would of it a cattle-crematorium merely because the their streets be improved by the passage censing of these places outside the markets for cremation of diseased pigs happens for the of strings of dust carts throughout the the sale of fresh meat was his doing. It arose moment to be a pressing matter.
at the time when the question of the high price of meat was discussed and it was suggested that they should license these places outside the markets so as to relieve the enormous preasure on the markets. There was not a single stall in the markets in the city vacant at the present moment.
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Dr Clark:- Mr. Crook went thoroughly into the question of the combustion of our refuse, and came to the conclusion that it would burn in a refuse-destructor without fuel Soe his report of December, 1898, laid on table of Legislative Council."
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The Hon. R. D. Ormsby: "If there was no other way of getting rid of refuse except by burning, a refuse-destructor would be a necessity, but there are in my opinion better ways, and I see little objection to our present system, which can, however, be improved on."
On the motion of Dr. CLARE, seconded by Dr. Hartigan, it was decided to recom- mend the Government to allow the present shop licenses for the sale of meat to "expire and that they erect at as early a date as possible temporary matshed markets on vacant spaces on crown land where they are urgently needed, and also that the Government should rent shops outside the markets to be let for the sale of moat.
THE PREVENTION OF MALARIA...
A copy of the measures recommended to be taken by Sir Michael Foster, K.C.B., F.R.S., and approved by Lord Lister, President of the Royal Society, was submitted.
The memorandum runs as follows: Malaria (ague, intermittent fever) is due to the presence in the blood (in the corpuscles of the blood) of a minute organism. An attack of the fever is coincident with, and due to an active phase of, this organism; it then multi- Between the plies in a remarkable manner. attacks the organism is quiescent and dormant; it may remain so for a long time,
length of the city. If by water, there came in here the double-handling of the stuff-first down as now to the dust-boats; then unloading again and carrying up to the destructor. His position in regard to this question was this: he was not convinced, nor had any arguments been put before him to convince him, that any advantage would accrue to the city by the introduction of a refuse destructor or des- tractors at a cost of from $60,000 to $120,000 and until he was so convinced he would not in his responsible position advise the Government to embark in a very costly scheme which might The PRESIDENT said the Board had seen the be au niter failure. He was open to argu
Let those who cried out for a refuse- estimate which was sent to them by the firm | mont. which they were recommended to by the Shang-destructor as a sort of panacea for all the hai Municipality to communicate with. The ills in Hongkong prove their case by refer firm in question said they would furnish them ence to other cities which had introduced the with the iron-work in connection with the system and benefited thereby in a lessened cleaner streets, or any other furnace for burning tho cattle at a cost of death-rate, £115 delivered in Hongkong, the brick-work to way. He knew towns where all the refuse, as be supplied locally. He had not gone into it, well as all the night-soil, went into the ground but evidently the whole cost would not be more in the near vicinity and which were re- than $2,000 or $3,000. The question of getting markable for their clean well-kept streets, and for rid of the carcases of cattle had become a very their healthiness and low death-rate, and he saw serious one. Sooner or later they must provide no reason why Hongkong should not deal with In conclusion he facilities for the burning of carcases. It had its refuse in the same way. also been represented that during plague time moved:-"That the Government be asked to the want of a small crematorium for getting call on the Director of Public Works to submit rid of clothing and other articles which had an estimate for a cattle orematorium such as to be destroyed was very much needed. that shown on plans and described in the speci-
Recent researches have shown that, at least This was not a costly thing, and with this fication lately obtained from Messra. Goddard, crematorium they could make experiments as to Massey, and Warner, and provide the funds in the vast majority of cases, probably in all the burning of the refuse of the city. He necessary in the supplementary estimate for the cases, the organism is introduced into the blood. and thus the disease contracted, by the bite of,a had been accused in the minutes of opposing current year." the introduction of a refuse-destructor without
mosquito, generally, if not always, one species On the motion of Mr. OSBORNE, seconded or other of the genus known as anopheles. The giving any reasons. It would have been fairer and simpler to have asked him first if he was op- by Dr. CLARK, an amendment to the motion | anopheles bites a malarious person, i.e. a person posed to the scheme, and if so for what reasons. was carried, adding to it the words:-"In recom-whose blood contains the organism, and sucks/ He might say that he was waiting to see suffi- mending this cattle-destructor, the Board are up with the blood the organism. This organism ciently strong reasons advanced for abandoning still of opinion that a refuse-destructor is also develops and increases in the body of the ano pheles, and there produces germs which pass the present system. They had a working sys-necessary." tam for scavenging the city, and as the work THE SALE OF PORK OUTSIDE THE MARK TS. into the salivary gounds and proboscis of the was generally acknowledged to be well done A petition relative to the sale of fresh pork insect. Hence when the mosquito bites another the onus of showing reasons for abandoning outside the precincts of the markets of the person, it introduces the organism into the blood the present system and launching out into colony from the lessees of stalls in the markets, I of that person and so starts the disease.
Every individual anopheles is not necessarily large expenditure on another method of dis- wherein they carry on the trade of fresh pork, posing of the city refuse lay with the advocates was submitted. The petition, which was ad-infected with the organism, but in a district where malaria occurs the probability is very of the proposal. He might content himself dressed to His Excellency the Governor, said :- by saying Leave well enough alone." But "That recently it is found that fresh pork great of any anopheles being so infected. he was quite willing to make a few remarks is sold in all parts of the colony and the grant hore on the subject, and give his reasons of these licences is a great ruin to the for what they were worth. His reasons for business of the markets, which gets dull day sticking to the present system were firstly by day-so du'l that your petitioners are he believed the returning to the soil of afraid they will not be able to get on with their
1. By avoiding all bites of mosquitoes. all vegetable and other refuse removed from business. That your petitioners sincerely pray the streets and gutters was the correct and that your Excellency will take pity on them by (a.) By living in rooms to which the entrance most economical system. Secondly, he looked prohibiting the sale of pork outside the markets of mosquitos is completely shut off by thin to the situation of the city. The city might by reducing the rents of the stalls or by allow-meshed ganzes to windows, doors, do,
(b.) By sleeping under adequate mosquito be said to extend from Causeway Bay on the ing them to sell outside the markets.” east to Kennedytown on the west, a distance In a minute submitted by him, Mr. Ladds onrtains-the anopheles generally bites in the of four and a half miles, and the average depth (Colonial Veterinary Surgeon) said the number night or evening was not more than three-eighth of a mile. of licenses issued for the sale of fresh pork out There were steep gradients leading to the har-side the markets at present amounts to 33, and bour. No great acccumulation of refuse was if the licensee only sold two pigs a day each it necessary; it was only a case of multiplying would naturally make a considerable difference dust-carts. The third reason in favour of the to the takings of the pork stall-holders in present system was that they had a poor barren the Markets. After over 13 years' experience country on the opposite side of the Harbour in control of the food supply of the colony he
THE HON F. H. MAY seconded.
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Hence malaria, in the vast mujority of cases, probably all cases, may be prevented by preventing oneself from being bitten by an in- fected anopheles.
Prevention may be secured—
stive
2. By avoiding sleeping or living near huts in regions favourable for malaria. though the natives become acclimatised to disease as they grow up, and the adults do suffer from malaria, the organism is fvery quent in the blood of native children, and anopheles în or near native huts are very com