Enclosure
39
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 276.
C.O.
13632
REC? [Red 6 AUG 96
The following report on certain steps taken to prevent the spread of Bubonic Plague in Victoria is published.
By Command,
J. H. STEWART LOCKBART,
Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 19th June, 1895,
No. 115.
SANITARY BOARD ROOM,
HONGKONG, 14th June, 1895.
SIR,I have the honour, by direction of the President, to transmit you, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, the enclosed report having reference to certain steps which have been taken to prevent the spread of Bubonic Plague in Victoria.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant.
HUGH MCCALLUM, Secretary.
The Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary,
SANITARY BOARD ROOM,
HONGKONG, 7th June, 1895.
SIR-Referring to the letter of the Assistant Sanitary Superintendent of the 3rd ultimo setting forth the steps that he had taken in pursuance of the instructions of the then Captain Superintendent of Police conveyed to him verbally immediately after the first case of plague had been reported, we have now the honour to submit the following report for the information of the Board.
SPECIAL SANITARY SERVICE.
House-to-house Visitation.
2. In the attached schedule A will be found a statement of the number of houses visited by the 5 sections of Police aud Military told off for this special service. The total number of inspections made by the whole detachment, consisting of 24 Police and 15 Soldiers, was 41,646.
3. The examination of houses has gone on with great smoothness and regularity. Throughout, the attitude of the public has been friendly and the coudnet of those engaged on the service good. The special instructions which have from time to time been issued to the Police Sergeant or Constable in charge of sections have been promptly and intelligently complied with.
4. In several instances application has been made by Chinese householders for their houses to be exempted from the inspection on the ground that an invasion of the privacy of their dwellings In such cases the searching parties would be objectionable as in cases of sickness after child-birth, &c. have been promptly directed to omit the inspection. No requests for exemption on trivial grounds have been received.
5. Since the 17th of May in consequence of certain confidential information communicated to the Board regarding the existence of plague in the neighbouring Portuguese Colony of Macao, a special watch has been kept on all Chinese passengers arriving from Canton. The Captains and Officers of the river steamers who have been communicated with have expressed their willingness and intention to do everything in their power to meet the possibility of cases of plague arriving here from Macao We are informed that suspicious cases of sickness are promptly rejected at Canton; and in the event of the officers observing while en route any sick persons who may have escape detection before the departure of the steamer, it has been arranged for the Police Sergeant on duty at the wharf here to be acquainted of the fact the moment the steamer arrives.
vid Canton.
6. Another measure in the nature of a secret service has been adopted for the detection of imported cases, the details of which it is undesirable, in the interests of the public service, to disclose,