May 6, 1905.]
THE HEALTH OF CANTON.
A report by Dr. E. C. Davenport, covering the health of Canton for the fifteen months ended 31st March, 1904, is published by the Statistical Department of the I. M. C.
The general health of the foreign community Las not been altogether good, owing to an increase in the number of cases of typhoid fever, dysentery, and diphtheria.
On the foreign Settlement of chamien, in 15 months there have been eight births and three deaths. Three deaths also occurred in Hongkong hospitals amongst patients removed from Canton to Hongkong.
Of these six deaths, two were caused by tyhoid fever, and one by plague.
A few cases of plague occurred among the natives during January and February 1903, but the disease did not appear to spread widely till the following March; it then continued till July, when nothing more was heard of it. Four cases came under my notice, two Chinese and two Japanese, all of which were fatal. One French gentleman resident in Canton contracted the disease in the port and died subsequently in Hongkong.
At the end of this month (March, 1904) I find on inquiry that there is little or no plague present in this port. The Chinese say that there were comparatively few deaths last year from plague; but an accurate, or approximate, idea of the number of deaths is impossible in Canton.
even
Little or no cholera was heard of in the port during the past year. This fact is worthy of note, as the death rate from this disease was
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
salicylate of busmuth, 10 graim of carbonate of ioda, and 5 grains of compound powder of specacuanha three times a bave disappeared. With these I have habitually day till all symptoms given 2 drachms of sulphate of soda in hot water in the morning, and have in addition washed out large intestine with weak solution of boracic acid.
With one exception, all the cases that have been treated after this manner lave done well going about doing their work with the disease from the onset; but the cases that have been present on them for many days before submit- ting to treatment have proved obstinate. The worst case, or rather the most protracted one, was a young man who came under observation on the 3rd day of disease: was given 40 grains of powdered ipecacuanha, but was unable to retain it, in spite of previous dose grain of opium.
of one
291
be an entirely surface system. The advantages anticipated by this method over the existing deep system are:-
at the sea wall, which, with additional pointing 1. The ability to close all the existing exits by cement of the whole of the Bund wall around Shami in, will minimise the washing away of Settlement and sinking of the initial and sand. etc., and consequent subsidence of the middle portions of the drains.
drains occur, defects are readily seen and more 2 Should any cracking and sinking of the easily remedied.
tide, aud no escape of poisonous gases anywhere 3. There should be no regurgitation at bigh near respective compounds.
4. There would be no obstruction by roots of trees.
5. Apy ga bage hat may find access, either There have been several cases of malaria
accidentally or wilfully, can be readily removed. during the past year, but mostly of a mild form.crete, further pollution of wells will be 6 With unbroken drains, composed of con- One case of malignant malaria from the Customs impossible. Service was treated in Hongkong Hospital, where patient ultimately recovered. During building operations in the course of the last year several cases of malaria occurred in two houses in the immediate vicinity when founda- tions were being laid and earth removed.
A. M., a member of the Customs staff at Samshui, was shot by pirates on the West River. Patient was brought to Canton and, by kind permission of Dr. J. M. Swan, was admitted into the American Missionary Hospital. On examination there was a small external wound
where ballet had entered below and a little to
the right of nasal septum; teeth, with alveolar very high the previous year, both among natives and palatal processes of right superior maxilla, and foreigners.
Two serious cases of ptomaine poisoning occurred on steamers in the port; one patient was a Chinese and the other a Customs employé, who had partaken of meat pies. Both patients
recovered.
Two
cases of small-pox among foreigners occurred in Canton; both these arrived in the port already infected. The first case, a Customs employé, came from Kumchuk, and was isolated in Canton, Patient had been vaccinated once in infancy; had a mild attack of the discrete in variety and made an uninterrupted recovery.
The second patient was apparently infected in Shanghai or some other northern port. He was removed on the steamer of which he was an
officer to Hongkong, where preparations were made for reception and isolation of patient, re-vaccination of all the crew, and disinfection of steamer. Patient had a severe attack of the confluent type, but ultimately recovered.
In all, five cases of diphtheria, among for eigners came under my notice during the winter
months.
In the 15 months 12 cases of euteric fever amongst foreigners have come under my notice, and all, with the exception of three, occurred on Shamien. Two of these proved fatal. The first fatal case occurred on 27th February 1903, and was complicated with malaria. The second case, that of a German living on Shamien, and who also had malaria, was removed to Hongkong on 27th February, 1904, and died on the 22nd of the following month.
Of the 10 cases, all were of a mild type, except two, namely, the first being a lady who had lately arrived in the East from England, and was removed early in the disease to the Peak Hospital in Hongkong; and the second patient being a Customs employé, who was also removed to the Government Civil Hospital in Hongkong, where he ultimately recovered, after a relapse.
At the time of writing a Customs probationer is suffering from typhoid fever at the Govern. ment Civil Hospital, where he was sent as soon as diagnosis was confirmed, as the quarters for such cases and the facilities for obtaining the needful and continual attention are inadequate in this port.
There has been a very noticeable increase in the number of cases of Dysentery. In all, 23 cases have been treated by me during the last 15 months, and several cases have occurred under the care of my colleagues. Most of them bave been of a mild type and respondent to treatment, which consisted of rest in bed, very light diet of milk and chicken broth, ipecacuanha in large doses (about 40 grains) at onset in early cases, and 20 grains of
were loose
and air upon contents of drain.
7. More healthy, owing to influence of sun
8. No harbour cockroaches.
offered
9. Fxpense of utlay less.
to
rats or
10. Whereas annual expense of maintenance Municipal Council for sweeping, etc., expense may be greater, owing to coolie hire by will be more uniform than that incurred by any other system.
similar conditions in other towns.
11. Efficiency experienced by this system in
The system as recommended should be used for sallage and surface water only, and no sewage of any description. Various landowners would be required to connect their respective Roentgen rays revealed bullet lying in jaw at | drains with municipal drains alongside their floor of antrum of Highmore. Under chloro-compound, and in most cases only at small cost. form, loose teeth and fragments of jaw were easily removed and bullet extracted. Small process of maxillary process of molar bone was removed with bone forceps. A large opening remained between the mouth and antrum closed up chiefly, but not entirely, until a small This plastic operation was performed some few months later by Dr. Noble, of Hongkong, who constructed a plate with false teeth to fit the mouth. Beyond the trouble and annoyance of removing the plate daily, patient suffers bat
little inconvenience.
During the past year several houses and godowns have been built on the Concession of Shamien, but the accommodation for the increasing population is still insufficient.
The drains on Shamien are, I regret to say, very defetcive and insanitary condition. The "outhouses" of several "lo's" have been found to be very unhealthy and to have a very deficient accommodation for hinese servants. Repairs and improved systems are now course of construction.
in
iz
For many years past the drainage of Sha mien has been carried out by the deep system of drains, which are composed chiefly of glazed tiles and bricks, with little or no cement, and without any led of concrete. The central drains are in many cases at the present time lying at a lower level thau the exits of the mains at the Bund, this sinking being due to the fall of the central portion of the Settlement, which is owing greatly to the previous condition of the existing drains and continuous carriage of sand etc., as the drains empty at each fall of the tide. Many drains have been found to be almost entirely occluded by roots of trees. of which there are many on Shamien, and also detritus of all kinds. S. wage, etc., now percolates through the pervious drains into the bed of sand, and ultimately pollutes the only water supply, namely, the wells. Furthermore, at high tides, water is forced back through the sewers and causes emanation of sewer gas in and near various compounds, and is a source of dang r to residents in the immediate neighbourhood.
The increased number of bases of typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhoea, diphtheria, and septic throats that have ccouried of late is probably caused chiefly by the defective and insanitary drainage system. For this reason, and having in view further increase in population, a more sanitary system of drai age is urgently called for. With a low-lying and subsiding Settlement, surrounded by a tidal river, such as Shamien is, the most suitable method of drainage seems to
present time, by bucets, and is a source of All sewage should be conveyed daily, as at
danger objection to carrying out this system revenue to the Municipal Council. The only
etc; but such an event, I trust, will not occur. is the possibility of causing epidemic of fever,
ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT OF A
PORT REGULATION.
Before Mr. F. A. Hazeland (First Police Magistrate) and Mr. Basil Taylor (Nautical Assessor) at the Police Court on May 2, Captain Lalor, licensed pilot, was cha ged with that on the 19th March, while in charge of the 8.8. Slavonia he unlawfully did infringe a regulation made by the Harbour Master in not bringing the said ship up to the No. 1 Wharf of the Godown Company so a to avoid accident and damage to the said ship, which struck No. 2 wharf and was damaged thereby. Mr. Looker (of Messrs. Deacon, Looker and Deacon) pro- secuted, and Mr. Wilkinson (of Messrs. Wilkin- son and Grist) appeared for the defendant.
plan of the Kowloon wharves, explained to Mr. Looker supplied their worships with a them the conditions governing the berthing of ships on either side of a wharf, and described the nature of the tides in connection with the wharf in question. He further stated that it was the duty of a pilot to use his utmost care and diligence, and more was expected from him than from the driver of s carriage. If it were proved that this accident could have been avoided, he submitted that the negligence proved a breach of the regulation. The Godown Company took no responsibility for the berthing of ships, but bad a wharinger to render assistance if necessary. It was an improper thing for the plot to carry out his manoeuvres for going alongside with four or five Chinese launches hanging on to the side of his ship, as serious damage might have accrued to the ship, and it was merely a matter of luck that she sustained no more damage than she did. There had never been any accident under the old Chinese pilots, but since the new Ordinance had been introduced there had been imminent risk, and it was to remind the present pilots of the care it was neessary for them to exercise that these proceedings were being instituted. The points he wished to introduce to their worships' con- aideration were (1) The pilot did not adopt the ordinary precaution of going close up to the wharf to ascertain the state of tide; (2) when