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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[April 20, 1907.
tempted to suggest that the Chinese|HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD sufferess were obtaining more than their share of sympathy, will observe that European victinių, necessarily far fewer than the others, have not been overlooked.
An-
other criticism was that too much was
been
and more particularly on those of Asia. The Buddhist might have to modify his idea that all is illusion; the Hindus and others, who accept the doctrine of metem- psychosis, would have to reconsider their position since a one-ounce soul could hardly enter the body of a gont. The being spent on the dead to permit of Chinese and Japanese veneration for an adequate relief to the survivors; and cestors might conceivably be abated, so perhaps in this connection it might have | effective are considerations of mere size. been advisable to separate the items named An ancestor at large in the fourth dimen- in the entry, "cost of recovering and burying sion, and weighing only twenty penny- corpses and maintaining destitutes ";" but weights, would scarcely be deemed worthy even supposing the $17,985 had of so much incense and sycee. To the entirely expended on the dead, it is a small European faith or faiths, the discovery sum in proportion to the balance, and it would promise to be of great importance. i will be admitted that the proper disposal of Ecclesiasticism is always gratified when so many corpses was not only a matter of science and scientists are in support of sentimental respect to the dead but of its tenets, and we doubt not that this hygienic importance to the living. Also, triumphant corroboration of a belief which with regard to the generous assistance moderns have began to grasp less tightly given to what was called the “ungrateful, would be accorded fitting welcome. Some water population," it may be noted that allegorical meaning would be found, pro- the Committee makes no pose of pure bably (we volunteer the suggestion in philanthropy. It had an ere to the advance, for those intending, to follow up interests of trade, for which it was the clue) in the number Twelve and the necessary that there should be no long fact that uncia is a twelfth. But first continuing diminution of the supply of we would advise our readers to wait for lighters and suet auxiliary shipping. Over more advices. The Telegraph is a respec- 8198,000 were spent in assisting 1601 cases table paper, but its New York correspond-for repairs and renewals. Altogether there ent may have been hoaxed. The Mas- sachusetts medicos are of the "highest professional standing," but they may not exist. It occurs to us at the outset that "six years' study was too much to find out what handy weighing apparatus could have proved in a few hospitals in a very
#1
snort time. We should also like a more
64
explicit declaration 18 to what were the scientific deductions taken into consideration in comparing liveweight and deadweight. In addition it would be of considerable interest, though not affecting the main issue, to have the result of similar experiments with non-human animals. In conclusion, we may venture the opinion that the statement, like the corpses, will weigh less after those of high scientific standing bave finished with it.
TYPHOON RELIEF COMMITTEE'S REPORT.
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was nearly $280,000 immediately available. of which it is fair to notice that the Chinese No time was subscribed more than half. wasted, as sometimes is the case with organized charity; what had to be done was done quickly, though with scrupulous care and fairness, and there is not the slightest doubt that the public-spirited men who have been giving so much valuable time and hard work and study to the business of relief deserve more than formal thanks. Of women and children, always most hurt hy such events, 205 were assisted, for a little over $16,000. We hope that thos figures represent the bulk of the seriously needy. Another good feature of the report is that the New Territory, whose sufferings, because not in immediate view, might have escaped notice, should have received such excellent attention. Without counting the $280,000 or so promised by the Govern inent, there is a sum of $33,768 left in hand, which has been very properly accepted (Daily Press, 19th April.)
by the Government as the nucleus of a There is every warrant, and excuse for Trust Fund to be applied to future require
ments similarly caused. With regard to repeating, in connection with the typhoon of Kst September, that it is an ill "wind that the Government's undertaking to double the blows nobody good." As a direct result of amount publicly subscribed, the Committee that catastrophie, the Hongkong authorities unanimously agreed that it should he are about a necessary item of public work promptly applied to beginning the typhoon which has from time to time be shelved anchorage so long promised, as well in the for financial reasons. Plans for a typhoon interests of humanity as for the prosperity shelter for small craft are already in pre-of the port. The sugges ion, we are glad paration, and when they are ready, tenders to see, has found favour. The purse for will be invited and the actual work begun which the money was promised is practically as soon thereafter as may be. With the identical in its ol-ject—the mitigation if committee of the Typhoon Relief Fund, sufferings caused by the cycl me storms to whose report of their stewardship appears which the harbour is subject- and not one elsewhere in this issue, we can say, we of the critics is likely to find fault with the believe that no better means of spending GOVERNOR's aunouncement, that steps have the Government's contribution, hitherto already been taken toward the preparation uncalled for, could he suggested. The of plans for a detached breakwater at report referred to appears very complete Mongkoktsui, from Taikoktsui ti the and satisfactory, and it is just as well that Southern end of Yaumati. it should appear before the Governor takes his departure. It was one of the things for which our local public had been waiting with eager in'erest, and perhaps some impatience. What was being done with the mouey subscribed, and what about the Government's offer to add an amount equal to the subscriptions ? These were questions frequently answered, and answered very satisfactorily The grumblers who noted the exactions of the junk and sampan people soon after, when craft and labour were scarce, and were
heard,
and
now
Loth are
,
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was hold on April 15th at the Board Room. The Hon. Dr. J. M. Atkinson (presiden') presided, and there were also present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham (Vice-President), Dr. F. Clark (Medioni Officer of Health), Hon. Mr. A. W. Hewin Registrar General), Hos. Mr. F. J. Badeley (Captain-Superintendent of Police), Mr. H. Humphreys, Mr. Fung Wa chon and Mr. (. A. Woodcock (secretary).
THE CHINESE AND CREMATION, A letter was
received from the Colonial
Secretary relative to the number of dead bodies found cast away in the Colony.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH sag- gested cremation as the best way to dispose of these, but the Chinese members Messrs. Lau Chu-pak and Fung Wa-chun, wrote strong miantes against this proceeding, stating that it was against the Chinese traditions and a disr s pect to the dead.
Following was Mr. Lan Chn-pak's minute on the suggestion for the cremation of dead found in the streets-
If the sanitary measures which have been indiscriminately enforced during the last 13 years have not been the cause, I wonder what could have been adduced
for the Chinese
dumping their dead in the street and the Farbour. Such inbuman practica is against the custom and tradition of their own country, nor had it been heard of in the Colony previous to the year 1894, when the drastic sanitary measures were first introduced. This, I think, may be taken as the prima facie evidence of such practice having been brought about by those measures.
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It is quite true that public free dispensaries` have now been established to render some facilities to the Chinese in dealing with their sick and dead, bat the system is, from a Chiness point of view, far from being perfect, and they are too few in number to be well known or to sufficiently assert their influence yet amongst the lower class of Chinese. Pre- vions to the introduction of sanitary measures, when a death occurred, the undertakers could arrange everything for the burial, or the Tung Wah Hospital could, with immunity, be called
case of
or sex, are
to their assistance. but DOW this is not the case. They cannot remove the body for burial without its being first passed by an inspector or taken to the Government Mortuary for post mortem examinatior, nuless the dead, during his illness, had been at ended to by a European medical practitioner or by the licentiates of the Chinese College of Medicine in charge of the public dispensaries, the latter however ha ing no power to pass the dead for burial it previous to death, they had 1.ot attended him. In the persons suffering from smallpox or plague the patients, irrespective of age forcibly removed from their homes, and their friends or even Dearest relatives are pro- bibited from seeing them. •Treatment of the ack is not allowed in their homes even though their relatives are the only occupiers of the floor. Disinfection and cleansing are still being carried out by the Sanitary staff, some- times with san y consideration and sympathy, and only the other day a Chinese woman suffering from small-por was removed from her home, and her bo'y had notually bien buried before her husband know anything f her condition. With these measures still in fores naturally the lab ucing class, who, sharing floors together, ka-w what affects one of them would affect all, contrive by dumping their dead to es mp4 from the trouble ani suffering a entailed by the elaborate pro- visions of the sanitary laws.
In regard to the public free dispensaries, some of the Chinese view them as the espiona- pes of the Sanitary Beard, as by reporting
case of death to these establishments, their dead wou'd have to be take i to the Morlasry all the same, and their relations and fellow-lodgers sub- jected to the same trouble and nanoyano+ as if by reporting it direct to the Sanitary Board.
The Yellow Dragon (Queen's College Maga.; sine) says:We feel sure that we are not merely expressing our own views, but voicing the general sentiment of all engaged in education iu the colony when we say that it was with deep regret, almost amounting to grief, that we read in the local newspapers of the approaching
I have, on more than one occasion, so called departure of Ba xcellency the Governor, Sir | Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G., for another attention to the unis.rability of adopting sphere of activity. Since sir George B wea drastic measures snob as what is now suggested (1881-5) no Governor has taken such marsed by the Medical Officer of Health, viz., the ore- It is by interest in education, evinced by the inaugura-mation of boties found in the streets. ❘tion of so many beneficial changes.
adopting suggestions of such a harsh and
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