September 23, 1901.]
Mr. BREWIN, reverting to an old hubit, was asking questions with reference to the employ ment of these rat-catchers, the while retaining his seat.
PRESIDENT-Excuse me, Mr. Brewin, but it is customary to rise when you are addressing the chair.
G
Mr. BREWIN (rising)-I only want to get information on the subject, move that this Beard be in Committee."
Dr. ATKINSON-As there is no seconder this motion is not put to the meeting.
Dr. CLARK moved that the Board ask the Government to employ ten rat-catchers in place of four (the number ap till the present em- ployed) under the supervision of a foreman. He commented on the risky nature of the occupation, and said that during the present year nine rat-catchers had died in Hongkong and two others on the way to Canton. When the Board recommended to the Government the appointment of four rat-catchers, it pointed out that the measure was an experimental one and that, if successful, more would be asked for. In seconding the motion, the PRESIDENT said that this week Dr. Kinyoun, of the United States, who is at present in the Colony in- vestigating plague, assisted Dr. Bell in the examination of a large number of bodies of rats, and out of 170 no less than 10 were infected with plague--a percentage of six on the figures quoted. This showed that in non-epidemic times rats were still infected with plague bacilli. The obvious course possible is to kill as many rats as possible.
"
CHINA ÖVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CF COMMERCE.
:
241
At the Mouthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at the Chamber Room, City Hall, at 3 p.m. on Monday, the 16th September, 91-'resent: Sir Thomas Jackson (Chair- man), Mr. C. S. Sharp (Vice-t'hairman), Hon. J. J. Bell Irving, Messrs. A. Haupt, W. Poate, R. L. Richardson, H. A. Ritchie, N. A. Siebe, H. E. Tomkins, Hon. T. H. Whitehead (ex- officio), and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
COMPLIMENTARY,
The CHAMN said, before commencing business, he was sure the Committee would like to offer to Mr. Siebs their hearty con- gratulations on the occurence of his silver wedding day (applause), and they sincerely hoped that he would live to celebrate his golden wedding (renewed applause).
Mr. SIEBS briefly acknowledged the com-
MINUTES.
ate was issued must" have been attended during | HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER his last illness" by the practitioner who so issued the certificate; but, in the case of a moribund infant, medical attendance a few hours before death was not sufficient to allow of the cause of illness being appreciated by the medical officer who gave the certificate. Indeed, went on Dr. Clark, he was of opinion that the Registrar-General would be justified in refusing to accept such certificates, some of which attri. buted death to weakness, others to jaundice, and others again to fever. Unless a post mortem examination of the bodies of moribund infants could be systematically made, the result might be, with such certificates as those of death from jaundice," that an epidemic of yellow fever could occur in the Colony without the know ledge of the Board, and under the circum. stances the Board would be perfectly justified in asking the Government to insist that the bodies of infants who die in the convents be Bent to the public mortuary, should except in such cases where they had been attended during their last illness, as the Ordin-pliment. ance laid down, by a medical man, such attend- ance not to be covered, howevor, by one visit an hour or two before death. It might be thought, continued the speaker, that he was treading on somewhat dangerous ground and ap parently making out that the doctor did what he ought not to do. That, it was scarely necessary to explain, was far from his intention. Doubtless the doctor signed these certificates as a way out of the difficulty; but, so far as the Board was concerned, it was not a way out of the difficulty. They wanted to find out the cause of the present high infant mortality, and that object would never be attained under There the operation of existing methods.
doubt number of persons
in residents the Couvents who were there as
-persons who were attended in their last It was in such illness by a medical man. cases that the Board intended to grant exemp- tion when it recently passed the resolution It was altogether bearing on the question. different, however, in the case of infants brought to the Convents in a moribund condition. Clark concluded by moving the following re- The Vice-Consul at Macao has reported that solution:-"That the Board beg to urge upon plague at Macao is no longer epidemic.
Mr. BREWIN spoke against the motion, which, on a vote being taken, was carried, the Registrar- General being the only dissentient,
RESTRICTIONS AT SINGAPORE WITHDRAWN.
The Acting Colonial Secretary at Singapore telegraphed here on the 6th inst. that quar- antine restrictions against arrivals from Hong. kong had been withdrawn. A copy of the telegram was laid on the table.
AMOY FREE FROM PLAGUE.
H. B. M. Consul at Amoy has reported that Amoy is free from plague, and that clean bills of health are now being issued.
MACAO ALSO FREE.
MORTALITY RETURNS FOR MACAO.
These returns show a total of 38 deaths for the week ended 1st September, and 55 for the succeeding week.
MORTALITY STATISTICS FOR HONGKONG.
The mortality statistics for this Colony for the weeks ended 31st August-and 7th Septem- ber showed that for the former week the morta- lity was 19-9 against 27-0 in the previous week and 24.0 in the corresponding week of last year. For the latter week the rate was 18'4 against 22-0 in the corresponding week of last year.
QUARANTINE.
A copy was laid on the table of a telegram! from H. B. M. Consul at Saigon, of date Sep- tember 17th, announcing that quarantine against arrivals from Amoy had been withdrawn; from Hongkong, reduced to one day; and from Manila, unchanged.
A copy of the telegram as to the withdrawal at Weihaiwei of quarantine on arrivals from Hongkong was also laid on the table.
MORIBUND INFANTS.
was
no
8
Dr.
the Government the desirability of compelling the post mortem examination of all infants dying in the Convents within 48 hours of ad- mission."
.
The minutes of the previous monthly meeting. held 12th August, 1001), were then read and confirmed.
THE SANITATION OF THE COLONY. The SECRETARY reported that, in conformity with the decision come to at last meeting, a reply was on the 13th August, addressed to the Government acknowledging receipt of the Colonial Secretary's letters of the 15th and 18th July, together with their enclosures, and stating that these documents had all been carefully perused by the Committee. The CHAIRMAN said he thought there was nothing further to be said on that bead. The matter was now closed. THE PROHIBITION OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION INTO THE STRAITS SETTLEMEMTS. In reference to this question the SECRETARY said that a letter was, on the 13th August, ad- dressed to the Colonial Secretary acknowledging receipt of his letters of the 31st July and 7th August, and tendering the Chamber's thanks to H.E. the Governor for the successful efforts made by bim to procure the withdrawal of the above prohibition.
QUARANTINE AND PLAGUE, Letters had been received from the Govern- ment:
On the 22nd Augus^, announcing that plague being no longer epidemic in the Colony, the Governor had directed the issue of clean bills of
On the 4th September, stating that Amoy had been declared free from plague and that clean hills of health are now issued at that port.
The PRESIDENT, in seconding the motion, said that during the last two weeks the two Convents referred to-the French and Italian-health. had contributed in infant mortality 46 out of a total number of 210 deaths in the Colony-s percentage of a little over 21. Undoubtedly, in
On the 7th September, informing Chamber a malarial country like this, he continued, many of these infants die from malarial that a telegram had been received from Singapore disease, but it was necessary to know exactlyot the effect that quarantine against Hongkong how many did so, and to discover that a post had been withdrawn, but that inspection con. mortem examination was needed. In British tinues as heretofore. Guiana many infants die of what was termed malarial coms, and it must be borne in mind that infants with malarial coma were practically infective to Europeans, through the agency of mosquitoes omit. That was one reason, con- cluded the President, why he thought the matter one of urgency, because they would be able to ascertain whether these deaths were due to malarial fever or not.
Mr. BREWIN—I shall certainly vote against. this, because I cannot see in the least where the urgency comes in. The Medical Officer of Health gets ap statistics, prepares a speech, and comes and tells us all about it. As for me, 1 should like to have a little more time to think about it. The question has been discussed for years, and I don't think a fortnight's delay would cause any danger to the public health in the Colony,
PRESIDENT-Do you wish to move an amendment?
Dr. CLARK asked the permission of the Board to bring forward, as a matter of urgency, a question that had already been discussed by the Board at several previous meetings, namely, the question of infant deaths in the Convents. It would be within the recollection of the Board that about a month ago they decided that the body of every one of these infants should be sent to the public mortuary for a proper post mortem exam- ination, unless they had been attended during their last illness by a registered medical | practitioner, who would in that case give a certificate of death. The Births and Deaths | vote against it. Registration Ordinance provided that a doctor attending a person during his last illness shoulding and carried by a majority. Mr. Brewin issue a certificate as to the cause of death, and Mr. Lau Chu Pak voted against it.
This was all the business. but although the Board was now getting these certificates, the procedure was not exactly
At Kwanchanwan, the port loased to Franco satisfactory. They all know that many of the infants were brought to the Convents in a by China, the plague has vanished after carry moriband condition and died within a few hours | ing off over four thoumad persons. of admission. Now, the Ordinance distinctly French have laid a new town in that quarter to stated that a person for whom a medical certific... be called Albyville.
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On the 10th September, stating that the Macao Government considered plague over in that City and that the special messarės against the disease had now been suspended.
The SECRETARY stated that the receipt of the above letters had been duly acknowledged. He then read a notice from Saturday's Government Guzette announcing that quarantine at Wei- haiwei against arrivals from Hongkong had been withdrawn.
THE DIFFICULTY OF PROCURING WALLART.
The SECRETARY announced that, as decided at the last meeting, a letter was addressed, an the 13th August, to the Colonial Secretary acknowledging receipt of the Govenment's letter of the 30th July, and stating the Com. mittee were glad to learn that H.E. the Gover- nor had give instructions to secure the prompt issue of permits and that the question of quarrying for ballast was engaging the atten- tion of the Government.
Bome discussion ensued as to whether there Mr. BREWIN --No, I simply mid I should
was any need to quarry for ballast, but it was Dr. Clark's motion was then put to the meet-pointed out that there, was no broken stone and that the loose stone had been pretty wel! exhausted.
The
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PROPOSED BEGISTRATION OF CHINDAR PARTNERSHIPS.
It was reported by the SzczuraRY accordance with the decision taken at last meeting, a letter was addromed to Singapore Chamber of Commerce in roy to their enquiry of the 27th July, to