where water and filth has percolated through the floors. I would dry it; that would make it harmless, for there is no decomposing matter in dry soil. Dry it, and drain it so as to keep it dry in future; that is quite sufficient.
Mr. JACKSON. As I understand, Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON seems to think the walls of the houses could be left standing.
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON. No, not left standing, because I think the whole should be reconstructed in toto. What I said was that the bricks could be used again, after they had been purified by fire.
Mr. JACKSON. Then the question I was going on to ask is unnecessary; my idea was that if the walls were to be left standing, with soil below them saturated, you could not make a complete job of it.
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON. No, no!
Dr. HO KAI. What is meant is to leave the walls standing until after the fire, and then remove them.
Mr. JACKSON. It seems to me that the balance of the medical evidence before us is in favour of burning. Do you think the whole of the infected district should be burnt?
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON. Every part of it that I have seen.
Dr. HARTIGAN thought it not necessary to burn all.
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON. To burn some and leave some would be like putting a new patch on an old garment. It would never do. I do not think the place capable of reconstruction piecemeal, or by partial measures.
The COLONIAL SURGEON. There would be so very few that could be allowed to remain, even at the most favourable estimate possible, that they are not worth consideration, and even they would have to be entirely altered. Very few of the floors are washable; they are boarded, and in some cases covered with tiles, but mostly not so; if liquid falls on them, it comes through into the floor below, or the ground. I have often seen that. They take no notice.
Dr. HARTIGAN. Is there much difference between those places and Stanley Street, Poel Street, Pottinger Street, and Wanchai?
The COLONIAL SURGEON. The same condition is to be found distributed all over the Colony. When all the houses were burnt down in the fire of 1878, where there used to be good European houses, all that property in the Central district was reconstructed on this bad Chinese principle. The law should compel every house rebuilt to be in proper form, with floors that can be washed.
Mr. TURNER. Do you mean that all the floors should be made impervious? A. Yes.
Mr. TURNER. You would not allow wooden floors in the houses?
A. Not unless you can wash the floors without drowning the people below, or soaking the soil.
Mr. TURNER. But even in European houses not many floors are impervious. A. Oh, they are. I know my bedroom floors are washed regularly, and most others the same.
Mr. TURNER. It must be done very carefully then, or else the water is not poured out freely but used only with mops. If you throw a lot of water on any wooden floor it will get through.
A. I do not mean to flood it; the floors are painted or varnished, and you can put water on to wash them thoroughly; the boards are thick enough, and fit close. But in Chinese houses they are not half thick enough, nor close enough.
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON. Of course every floor should be able to be washed. There is another point, that when this infected district is cleared and reconstructed with wide streets, &c., it will form a 'lung' or breathing space for the City which is greatly to be desired.
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No. 1,295.
SIR,
750.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE,
HONGKONG, 16th July, 1894.
I am directed by the Governor to state that His Excellency would be much obliged if you would be so good as to furnish me with your views on the subject of a proposal in regard to the sanitary improvement of Tai-ping-shan, viz., that, after the destruction of the houses, the surface earth should be removed to a depth of at least one foot all over the condemned district.
I have the honour to be,
Your most obedient Servant,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
The Deputy Inspector General, R.N.,
NAVAL HOSPITAL,
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ROYAL NAVAL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 17th July, 1894.
In reply to your Letter No. 1,295 dated July 16th, 1894, in which you request me to be so good as to favour His Excellency the Governor with my views on the subject of a proposal in regard to the sanitary improvement of Tai-ping-shan, viz., that, after the destruction of the houses, the surface earth should be removed to a depth of at least one foot all over the condemned district, I have the honour to inform you that I am of opinion such an extensive removal of earth is unnecessary, and I venture to suggest that if the surface earth were broken up, to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, and the ground thoroughly saturated with a 5 per cent. solution of Carbolic Acid, it would not be necessary to remove the earth at all. I am convinced, if this were done, there would be no fear of a recrudescence of disease from any germs that may be lurking in the soil.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
THOS. H. KNOTT,
Deputy Inspector General.
The Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
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GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,
HONGKONG, 17th July, 1894.
I enclose a series of questions that His Excellency the Governor is desirous you have any objection to furnishing the desired information as he considers it would be of the greatest value in determining whether these houses and their foundations should be utterly destroyed or not.
If you will examine the surface soil as asked in question 7, I will see you are supplied with specimens taken from plague-infected houses.
We sincerely hope you will do us the favour of giving such information as you think most desirable in the interest of destroying all future source of infection.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
PH. B. C. AYRES,
Colonial Surgeon.
Dr. YERSIN.
Dr. KITASATO.
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