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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 28th ult. in the Board Room. Pre- sent-Dr. J. M. Atkinson Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Hon. A. W. Brewiu, Registrar-General (Vice-President); Hon. W. Chatham, Director of Public Works; Dr. F. Clark, Medical Officer of Health; Colonel J. Hughes, D.S.O., R.A.M.C.; Mr. F. J. Badeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police; Mr. E. Osborne, Mr. Fung Wa Chün, Mr. Lan Chupak, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
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PLAGUE PREVENTION.
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The PRESIDENT said - Gentlemen, this meeting has been called to consider Pro- fessor Simpson's recommendations with refer. ence to plague prevention, and to state which urgent and which we think sught to be acted upon at once. You know main difficulty here is with reference to the obtaining of the necessary medical staff for combating this disease when it is epidemic. It is impossible for as to trust to the Army and Navy. They have helped us in previous years, but we cannot get enough assistance-European medical men-unless of course we obtain them from England; and that is impracticable, at any rate, so far as this year is concerned. Professor Simpson seems to think that it is much better for us to obtain more medical men at once
before the disease really becomes epidemic, so that we shall have some one on the spot to detect the first cases that occur. I will ask the Secretary to read the medical Officer of Health's minute, which places form Professor Simpson's recommendations. After that, if you agree with me, I think it will be advisable to consider this matler in Committee for there are several things to discuss.
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The SECRETARY read Dr. Clark's minute, which was as follows:-I have discussed this question fully with Professor Simpson, and I beg to recommend (with his concurrence) the adoption of the following measures for anticipat. ing and combating an outbreak of plague :-
1. Five assistant
surgeons from India, specially trained in plague work, for the ten health districts of the city. The duties of these assistant surgeons will be the investigation of all suspicious deaths, the tracing out of the sources of infection, the investigation of cases, house-to-house visiting, and so on. Each of them should be provided with a small office in his district, and each office should be in tele- phonic communication with the Si nitary Board office, and should have a telephone clerk. The office would serve as a depôt for reporting all suspicious deaths or cases and all insanitary conditions, and should be used also by the senior iospector of the two corresponding districts, so as to bring the people of the immediate neighbourhood into touch with the sanitary (fficers. The office would also be of service us a place for the inoculation of Haffkine serum.
2. Two assistant surgeons for the examina- tion of all persons going to and arriving from Canton and the mainland of China, so as to prevent the introduction of infec ion into the Colony 83
far as possibl: and the dissemination of the disease by sick persons.
1 understand that the above assistant sur- geons could be obtained for $160 a month and quarters (or a house allowanco of $40 a month), and they should be engaged for a period of eight months and should be asked for by telegram.
The above-named seven doctors are in ad- dition to the three asked for yesterday, and it is proposed to put one of these three in Kowloon, with an office on the telephone, as in the city, and a telephone clerk, while the other two are to be engaged in the examination of rats.
The PRESIDI NT-I beg to move that the Board goes into Conmittee,
The VICE-PRESIDENT secouded and the motion was agreed to.
Dr. CLARK-I may mention that the reas n why Professor Simpson has suggested Indian surgeons is rather one of expediency-because he thinks they are necessary. "He says it is quite possible that Europeau doctors would be better in some respects than Indian officers, but we cannot hope to get doctors from Australia- that seems almost impracticable-and it will take us longer to get doctors from England, and we
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
shall have to pay very much larger sums for them than for the Indian doctors. Professor Simpson tells me that in the service of the Indian Government they had ten of these district inspectors and these were each paid £750 & year, with quarters, and even then they were difficult to get. It is not an easy matter to get doctors who have had experience in plague work, and of course those who have had no experience are not so valuable; and he suggested these Indian surgeons accordingly. Professor Simpson. however, wished Ine to explain
the to
Board that it
because he had any particular preference for Indian doctors but rather on the ground of expediency-that they can be more easily got, at considerably less cost, and more rapidly. Of course, too, they will probably have had far more experience in plague work in India than any doctors we could get out from England.
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Col. HUGHES-I see the recommendation is for an eight months' engagement.
Dr. LARK - Yes; that of course dates from the time of the appointment in India.
Col. HUGHES And for seven additional surgeons.
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Dr. CLARK-We have asked for three already, so that there are in all ten.
Hon, W. CHATHAM-The only matter, sir, I have any doubt in my own mind about is whether the Chinese population generally will submit to the inspection, by these Indian medical men, of their houses and dwellings. I imagine that there would be great objections on their part to Indian medical man entering their dwellings "and examining them to see whether there were any cases of sickness. That objection would be overcome in a great mea sure at any rate if they were Europeans-if they were British doctors; and I think it would be worth while to enquire, at least, for five or sevon men does not seem a very large number to attempt to get from a city or Sydney or some of like Melbourne these places; and I think it would be well worth an effort to enquire any way and see whether the cervices of such a number of men could be obtained.
The PRESIDENT-From Australia? Hon. W. CHATHAM-Yes.
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Col.. HUGHES-I think there is no doubt we are all agreed that extra help is wanted. think the matter is urgent. Last year you had about ten assistants from the Army, bat the Board certainly cannot get any assistance
me this year, because now from
we are shor -handed and I am trying to get another man myself So that that is out of the There is no Indian assistance question. provided this year, like last year, and whether Australian doctors or medical they subordinates or Indian assistant surge us, think there would be a tremendous lot of time wasted if you applid to Australia. As to these men that Professor Simpson proposes, as I told you before. I have had great experience of them in India, and I know as a rule they were excellent men; and a lot of these assistant surgeons were white men; they were not all Indians.
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The PRESIDENT- Some of them Parsees ? Col. HUGHES-Eurasians and Anglo-Indians. Any amount of men in our service were treated by these sabordinate assistauts, and many of
As to the Chines them were white men. objecting, the thing has to be done, whether they object to it or not. Personally I should advise tha: application should be made to these men at ones. I even doubt whether we shall get them easily from India.
The PRESIDENT-Even from India ? Col. HUGHES-Yes, considering the way India is in just now, I do not think they will be easily got. The Government is very hard pressed for Government medical officers and also for subordia tes. The plague season is practically on and there has been something like 3,00 deaths. I do not think you will get them for the prices you are willing to pay. or eight months' Then I see that a leve | engagement is proposed. If you got them before the middle of February, that would carry them on to September. I would suggest ab ut six months.
The PRESIDENT-I should think six months might do. The diserse generally declines here in the end of July.
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[February 1, 1902.
Col. HUGHES-What would you pay those Australians that you suggest, Mr. Chatham ?
Hon. W. CHATHAM-I may say, sir, that what Colonel Hughes has said practically removes my objection. If he thinks it practic- able to obtain the services of Anglo-Indians such as he has referred to, there would be of course no object in applying elsewhere. It is 'mply that I think the Chinese would be reasonably entitled to object to black doctors.
The PRESIDENT-Another reason why the Indians would be of more use is that they are not so liable to be affected by the climate here in the summer months.
Col. HUGHES-In regard to the objection of the Chinese, the same objection might be ad- vanced in the case of the British troops in India. M. OSBORNE-I think the Chinese would prefer the Indians to the Australians.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN-If we were to get Japanese I think we would prefer to have them. Of course I do not know whether you would care to have them.
Dr. CLARK-But the Japanese cannot speak English and cannot speak Chinese.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN- When they want anything they can put it on paper. They can write Chinese.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Their work would be mainly a house-to-bonse visitation to ascertain whether anybody is suffering from plague; they would not require much Chinese for that.
The PRESIDENT -Their main duty will be to maintain a general sanitary supervision over a district, more especially in regard to deaths, in order that we may know when the disease is commencing.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Is it proposed that these men should do a good deal of the work that just now falls to the inspectors ?
The PRESIDENT-Yes, especially with refer- ence to inquiries into the causes of death.
The VICE PRESIDENT-Well, some of the members think that in a question like this we should not consider the feelings of this point to the Chinese, but there is
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considered-that if We go in opposiî- tion to them in any measures we propose to take, the usefulness of these men is very largely diminished, and I think that is a reason why this consideration should be taken into account. If the Japanese could do this work of inspecting plague bodies as well as the Indians, and if we think the Chinese would prefer to have this house-to-house visitation carried on by Japanese, I think it would be quite proper to encourage them.
Col HUGHES-How are we to find out what the Chinese prefer? There have been any amount of Indians here for years-watchmen and so ou-and they get on well with the Chinese.
Mr. LAU CHUPAK-I do not think they are on good terms with the Indian watchmen.
Col. HUGHES-Are they with the Japanese ? Mr. LAU CHUPAK-I think the Japanese are preferable.
Mr. FUNG WA ( HUN-I have spoken to the leading Chinese here and they all say they prefer to have Japanese.
Col. HUGHES-1 move that Professor Simpson's recommendations be adopted.
The PRESIDENT-I think it is as well before we come to a decision that we should hear what the Chinese have to say.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Well, some gentle. men gave me their opinion yesterday, and as far as they are concerned the opinion, seems to be fairly equally divided. When I say that, I do not refer to the poorer c'asses. They unani- mously say that they would prefer the house-to- house visitation to be carried out by Chinese. I am afraid we cannot go behind their opinion as to this matter. I would hesitate to put myself in opposition to that.
Mr. C8BORNE-I think, sir, if we had Japa- nese, we should find them very difficult to deal with. They would object of course to the Chinese obstructions being placed in their way. I think the chances are that they would not remain here long. The Indians would be more amenable to representations made and would remain bere during the plague season, I do not think the Japanese won'd.
The FRESIDENT-It is difficult to get Japa- nese with a knowledge of English. Dr. CLARK-Yes; that is so.