September 28, 1901.]
was apparently from an injury incurred at the time it was caught. In the chart showing bubonic fever and general rat mor. tality, I have given the curves for the last quarter of 1900 as well as for the half-year ending June 29th, 1901, as they show that a very rapid rise in the general rat mortality antedated the epidemic outbreak of bubonic fever by several weeks, for the disease can hardly be said to have become epidemic until the 17th week (ending April 27th), while by that time the rat mortality had almost reached of its maximum, having risen from an average between four and five hundred per week, to as many as 2,770. It is interesting to note also that the maximum rat mortality was reached on the 20th and 21st weeks, when it stood at just over 3,100, while the number of cases of bubonic fever reached its maximun in the following week (the 22nd). I have noted on the chart that the price paid per head for rats was in- creased from 2 cents to 3 cents on January 24th, and it might perhaps be thought that the rapid increase in the number of rats brought in could be accounted for in this way. This suggestion is, however, discounted by the fact of the equally rapid fall in the rat mortality after the 21st week, corresponding as it does to the fall in the number of cases of bubonic fever reported.
There were about thirty men who made a business of collecting these rats, and I find that no less than seven of them died of bubonic fever during the period under report, while five others left the Colony because they were sick, and two of these latter are said to have died of this disease on the mainland.
The total number of rats paid for during the half-year, in the city of Victoria alone, was just 48,000; the number obtained during the corresponding half of last year was 26,880, while during the second half of last year we only obtained 19,700. A small percentage of these rats was examined systematically at the Government Mortuary, and some of them were found to have died of bubonic fever.
There has been no evidence of any other auimals (than rats and mice) dying of this disease during the year.
Horse-to-House Vixits.—In addition to the visits of the District Inspectors, a gang con- sisting of seven specially selected Sappers and an European Police Constable was appointed early in March to make systematic house-to- honse visits in No. 9 Health District; those men worked in pairs, and bach pair was sup- plied with a native interpreter. During the two months from 23rd March to 25th May fourteen cases of bubonic fever, one case of small-pox, and two dead bodies were discovered by, or reported to them, and during the sume period twenty-five dead bodies were found by the Police, mostly at night, in the streets and lanes of the District in which the search-parties were at work. On the 27th of May these mien were transferred to Wanchai where they dis covered fifteen cases between that date and the end of June, five of these cases being discovered by them on the first day; before, that is to say, the natives were aware that they were at work in the District.
The system of house to-house visiting appears to me to be of the greatest value before the dis- ease becomes epidemic, and while the few spor- adic cases are occurring within a circumscribed area, as the natives resort to every possible device to conceal their sick. I may mention the following as some of the difficulties with which we have to contend in this respect :-
(1.) A Chinaman of the poorer class, when be is sick or retires to bed, makes no change of costume, hence as soon as it is known that the search party is in the house, the sick man will get up and walk about and make every effort to appear in his ordinary health."
(2.) The other peopl- living in the house will conceal their sick, and an instance occurred this year of a sick woman and a dead body being concealed under the same bed, within a cubicle, (3.) When it is known that special house-to- house visits are to be paid, the sick are conveyed from the unvisited to the recently visited houses,
(4.) The sick are also concealed on the flat roofs of the houses.
∙ (5.) If there is no other means of concealing them, they are turned out into the streets to wauder at large.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
34
269
On the same date (May 25th) the Board declared the premises known as Nos. 15. 17. and 19, Peel Street and also No. 63, Wellington Street, unfit for human habitation, in conse- quence of the occurrence of several cases of bubonic fever in each of them, and the same pro- cosses of disinfection and cleansing were adopted, the premises being released on the 11th of July.
Removal of the Sick and Dead -Considerable | of the ceilings, leaving exposed the floor-joists improvements have been effected in the means which were then painted-the object of these of conveyance of the sick, an improved type of alterations being to provide as few facilities as ambulance purchased and a permanent staff of possible for the entry of rats into the building. coolies arranged for to convey these ambulances The permises were finally released from the
steam-launch for the con- closing order on the 27th day of June, to the Hospitals. veyance of the sick from the Wanchai districts to the Hospital at Wost Point was also em- ployed during the later period of the epidemic. Dead bodies are conveyed in what are termed dead-boxes," and I would suggest that some small covered-in-band carts, capable of carrying two or three dead-boxes should be obtained, as complaints have been ruàdo that the dead-boxes are not always securely closed while being con- veyed through the public streets and that the carrying coolies occasionally put the box down in some very public place, while resting. When the disease became rife in Wanchai the, dead bodies were placed on board a cargo-boat hired for the purpose and towed round by a launch to the Mortuary at West Point.
Burial of the Dead.-This was carried ont under the superintendence of one of the Board's European Officers, all bodies being buried at the Kennedy Town Plague Cemetery, unless a special permit had been granted for burial elsewhere.
On the 27th day of June another building known as "Wild Ďell” which is divided up into a number of sets of apartments, occupied by Europeans, was closed by order of the Board, for similar reasons, and was then thoroughly cleansed and disinfected; at the time of writing these premises have not been released from that
order.
General Sanitary Precautions.—Chloride of lime was supplied to all the public latrines for use in the buckets, and the District Inspectors were instructed to see that it was freely used. The sewers on the lower levels were also finshed with sea-water, by means of the Fire Brigade engines.
Disinfection of Infected Premises.-This work | has been under the personal control of Inspector Stof-The ardnons duties connected with Reidie, who spent the greater part of his leave the disinfection of all infected premises, and in Europe last year in studying the different the control of the Disinfecting Station, were methods of disinfection in vogne in Glasgow carried ont by Inspector Reidie in the most (especially during the outbreak of bubonic efficient manner, and I have very good reason fever in that city), in Edinburgh, and in Paris, to know that he worked from early morning and in examining the various forms of ap. till late at night during the height of the paratus for this purpose which were exhibited epidemic to secure the efficiency of this service. at the Paris Exhibition. Inspector Reidie It will be remembered that Inspector Reidie was assisted by three European officers,, eight contracted bubonic fever in 1899 while in the coloured foremen, three Chinese foremen, a execution of similar duties, and he has therefore staff of thirty trained coolies, and a varying good reason to claim a special knowledge of the number of other coolies for carrying purposes. disease. I consider that this officer deserves The processes of disinfection consisted in the the special thanks of the Board for the manner remoral, of all bedding, clothing, curtains, in which he has performed these duties. The carpets and mats to the Steam Disinfecting other officers who deserve special mention in Station, these articles being first tied up into connection with this year's outbreak are In- bundles with large sheets of unbleached calico, spectors Rogers and CW. Brett who are and then put into baskets which are carried by employed in Kowloon; Inspectors Hoggarth coolies, Government clothing being supplied to and Fincher in Wanchai; Inspector Knight temporarily replace the personal clothing of the who superintended the removal af all infected occupants of the infected houses. The walls and corpses from the Government Mortuary and floors of the premises are then sprayed with a their interment at the Kennedy Town Ceme- ope-in-a-thousand solution of perchloride of tery; and Police Inspector Robertson who had pereury, and the building then thoroughly considerable experience of the disease at
Į fumigated with chlerine obtained by the addi. Shankiwan and Quarry Bay. tion of dilute sulphuric acid to chloride of lime, the pots being placed as high up as possible, on a trestle or shelf; ou account of the weight of this gas. Finally the floors are scrubbed
In the office of the Hon. W. Chatham. Acting with a solution of one of the coal tar prepara- tions, the draius Anshed, and the walls line: Director of Public Works, on the 24th inst. washed, chloride of lime being added to the an interesting presentation by the staff of the limewa h in the proportion of 1 ib, to the gallon. Public Works Department was made to Mr. their homes David Wood, Superintendent of Accounts, The people displaced from during the above processes, which occupy about Correspondence, and Stores, on the occasion of The presentation six hours, are at liberty to make use of the his approaching marriage. Board's matshed shelters, but the men usually consisted of a handsome, exquisitely carved prefer to proceed with their ordinary work, cabinet, made of Canton blackwood and stand- while the women remain in the street to watching nearly seven fest high, an equally beautiful quite six feet high, of the their household goods, or seek shelter with a lamp stand,
same material, a four-fold Canton blackwood neighbour.
photo-stand, and two cabinet photo-frames, also of Canton blackwood. Like the cabinet, the lamp-stand and photo-frames showed to perfec- tion the wonderful skill in the art of wood cary. ing attained by the Oriental workman. On the cabinet, near the top, was fixed a silver plate Wood. On the occasion of his marriage. bearing the following inscription :-" David From his brother officers. September, 1901.'
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PRESENTATION TO MR. D. WOOD,
Closure of Premises.-In consequence of the occurrence of a number of cases (European and native) in a block of buildings known as Beaconsfield Arcade and consisting of fourteen three-story buildings, used as shops, offices and dwellings, I recommended the Board, ou 24th May, to close the entire block as unfit for human habitation. The closing order was made on the following day and the entire premises were
In making the presentation, Mr. CHATHAM, then thoroughly disinfected by the Officers of the Board. The walls were sprayed with a one- addressing the members of the staff present, in-a-thousand solution of corrosive sublimate, all said-Gentlemen, on the last occasion we met the rooms and passages were fumigated with fres together we came to the conclusion that it chlorine; floor-boards were taken up and the would be a pleasing act on our part to present rat-runs traced and treated with crude carbolic Mr. Wood with some little present on the now meet together again for the acid, all rat-holes being stopped with cement;'occasion of his forthcoming wedding, "and. soft wooden partitions and all rotten woodwork, we were removed and destroyed, and the floor purpose of giving him this present The boards then saturated with the crude carbolic comtuittee then appointed, I am sure have acid, while the drains and traps were treated succeeded, admirably in their duty and with the same disinfectant; all illegal obstruc- everyone of us must be pleased with the A great deal nowadays is mid- tions to light and ventilation were removed result. from the backyards and the whole block and written against Hongkong, but, whatever
In addition, may be said and written in that respect, we - then thoroughly limewashed.
can always depend upon it that it is a good the owner, at my suggestion, removed a num- ber of drain-inlets, which were within the place to get married in. (Laughter.) My only building, to the outside, and also removed most regret, as far as I personally am concerned, is