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25. The problem before us is, then, not simply the prevention of introduction of plague from without, a precaution taken singly that, considering the wide infec- tion of the city must be futile, but the elimination of the media of infection in our midst, and the building up of the power of resistance to plague invasion by im- provement in the general health of the population that may result from improved sanitary conditions. The first can only be accomplished by constant, unremitting attention to cleanliness of person, furniture and premises, and to be effectual it is of cardinal importance that the co-operation of the people be secured. With pro- per facilities afforded, I am of opinion that, while in Hongkong, as elsewhere, the residuum might be difficult to deal with at first, the difficulties are not insur- mountable, and practical co-operation might be secured by enlisting the sympathies and services of the large class of respectable Chinese in a determined effort to combat the recurring epidemic, the evils of which they fully realize.
Beyond the cleansing of premises there is no way by which a large number of Chinese tenement houses can be made sanitary. Each floor of these houses is a tunnel thirteen feet wide, nine feet high and of varying length, from thirty to sixty feet, with a window in front and rear. Into a large number of these floors direct sunlight never enters, and in the centre even diffused light is practically When to these conditions is added a surface population so dense as it is in our congested districts---being in one district over 990 persons to the acre-it will be recognized that a population so circumstanced must necessarily be deficient in vitality.
absent.
The only remedy for this is the reconstruction of Chinese tenement houses on improved plans, and the rigid observance of the provisions of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance in relation to overcrowding. The removal and reconstruction of Chinese tenement houses will be very costly and will necessarily be a slow process,
but it must be faced if we desire to prevent the devitalising of the working population to such a point that they fall ready victims to the invasion of every passing disease.
26. I attach, in Appendix I, an interesting report just received from the Government Bacteriologist relating to the question of exterminating plague bacilli
in vermin.
This experiment shows that the mere washing of furniture with a solution of Jeyes' fluid will not destroy the vermin that infest it.
HENRY A. BLAKE,
Governor.
Government House, Hongkong, 3rd August, 1903.
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Appendix A.
REPORT OF THE EXPERIMENATAL BLOCK IN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS.
FROM 20TH APRIL, 1903, TO THE 20TH JULY, 1903.
YOUR EXCELLENCY,
CENTRAL POLICE STATION,
HONGKONG, 18th July, 1903.
I have the honour to report the following for your information :-- On or about the 20th of April, at the direction of your Excellency, I took over charge of the South side of Second Street, the North side of Third Street from Eastern to Western Street, and all strects and lanes within this boundary.
On the 22nd of April, we started a systematic cleansing out of all the houses within this radius. We usually washed out from 9 to 12 floors daily at each tank, of which there were 4 in the experimental block. The tanks measured 9 feet in length, 2 feet in width and 3 feet deep and held about 400 gallons of water. [uto this quantity we put about 2 pints of carbolic acid and when this was boiling we commenced operations. We induced the people to first dip their mats and cloth material into the tanks for about 2 minutes, after which we dipped the bed boards, stools and furniture, etc., and more especially the kind of furniture most likely to harbour vermin.
After the furniture, etc., had been washed, the floors were first washed out with cold water and then sluiced down with hot water from the tanks, and when the things were dry the occupants removed them back to their houses again.
If a case of Plague or other infectious disease came from any of the floors, the same process was gone through with the addition that the clothing, etc., was disinfected, either by dipping them into the hot water tanks or at the disinfecting station as the people preferred.
During the early part of our experiment, when a case broke out on a floor, we allowed the patient to remain in the house and removed the other occupants to an empty floor,
When the patient died or recovered, the occupants moved back again after the house had been cleaned out.
Latterly, instead of this, we rented a house in the block and turned it into a Hospital. When a case came to our notice, the patient was removed to the Hospi- ral. The other occupants then washed out their furniture and had their clothing disinfectel. They did not shift but remained where they were.
On the 25th of April, owing to the Plague being upon us, we set all the tanks going and washed out the whole block.
On the 14th of May, owing to the large maber of Plague cases in Sheung Fung Lane, all the people living there, numbering 339 persons, were removed to the observation block in Kui Yan Lame. After removal no further cases occurred
amongst them.
On the 25th of May, we took over both sides of Second and Third Streets, making a total of 253 houses consisting of 631 Hoors and occupied by 7,701 persons incli- sive.
78 of these floors were varant at the time this census was taken.
On the 27th of May, we started to wash out the new block in conjunction with the old block,
On the 29th of May we caught a number of bugs in Sheung Fung Lane and sent them to Dr. HUNTER for examination.
A number of them contained Plague baccillus.
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