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Extract from the "Hongkong Daily Fress" dated 4th. August, 1903.
PREVENTION OF PLAGUE.
THE EXPERIMENTAL BLOCK. Yesterday afternoon His Excellency the Governor Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G. formally handed back to the Sanitary Board the block of 16tement honses in Second and Third Streets which he had taken over with a view i the carrying out of experimental measures for the prevention of piague as well as new methods of cleansing. The black in question consisted of 253 houses, with 614 floors and a population of 7,701 people. To begin with, the south side of Second Street and the north side of Third Street, between Eastern Street and Western Street, were taken over at the end of April. The first thing set about was the erec- tion of hot water tanks of over 300 gallons capacity each, in Wei On Lane, Tak Sing Lane, and Sheung Fung Lane. These tanks were used by the inhabitants of the district for dipping their bed-boards and such other furniture as would be likely to harbour vermin. Attached to the same furnaces which heated the tanks were bath-houses, two for men and two for women. A systematic cleansing-out of nach hense was then undertaken by the people themselves, under the supervision of Polies Inspector J. H. Gidley. From nine to twelve floors were washed out exch day. About the middle of May both sides of Second and Third Streets between Eastern and Western Streets, and all the lanes and cross- streets within that boundary, were taken in hand and treated in the same way. Latterly an empty house in the district was engaged and fitted up as a temporary hospital, and in the event of infectious disease occurring the patient was removed there and the people living In the same house, after washing it out and disinfecting their e'othing, etc., were allowed to remain in it. For the purposes of carrying out the scheme, a Kaifong was elected by the community of that district, and they lent valu- able assistance to the authorities in the work.
The ceremony of hauding back the block to the Savitary Board took place at noon in Second Street, at the point where it is crossed by Centre Street. H.E. the Governor was accompanied by Lady Blake and Sir John Kesue, A.D.C.; and there were also present Hou. Dr. J. M. Atkinson, P.C.M.O., President of the Sanitary Board; Hon. W. Chatham, D.P.W., Vice-President; Hou, F. H. May, Colonial Secretary; Mr. Fung Wa Chuu, Mr. Ho Kum Tong, Inspector Gidley, and the members of tas Kajong. Before the pro- ceedings began a photograph of the group was taken.
HIS EXCELLENCY said-Dr. Atkinson, Mr. Chatham, nud Mr. Fung Wa Chuo-I am about to haud back to you this block of buildings that over three months ago you handed to mo, to see whether I could get the Chinese people to help themselves and assist in sui- tary measures. When I came down here three
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months ago I was by no means certain that the experiment upon which I had determined to enter would be a success. I asked the people, the leading men of the two streets, to form a Kaifong, and seventeen of them came forward for that purpose. I Low take this opportunity of thanking these seventeen respectable men. who have assisted me during these three months. Among these men I would especially mention the names of Chan Ki, Chak Cheung, Wong Wal, and Tia Wi, whom I always found fore. moet in he good work of teaching the people how best to help themselves in fighting this terriblo epidemic of plague When I came here I promised the people that if they would clean their houses and if they wou d give notice of cases of ; disease, those who were affected by plague should be treated in their own houses, and I promised also that they should have tanks in which to dip their bed-boards and furniture, aul bach-houses in which to wash themselves and enable them to keep themselves clean.
Bofore we could get,
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the e baths pat ap or these tanks erected, I. came down, and within three days I found the whole of the furniture of this street put on the street, and the people themselves bad already begun to bel, to wash their houses as well as they could. I have ot a full account of all the people who used tho baths during these three months, but 27,255 people have been noted us using these baths. The district that the Kaifong have been look- ing after cons sts of 253 uonses, with 614 floors, and with a population of 7,701 people. I am told by Inspector Gidley, who deserves the thanks of the public for the way in which he has worked for the last three montas flat he and the Kaifong had no difficulty in getting the people to turn out their houses, and to de what ever they were recommended by him to do in the way of disinfection and cleanliness, Mr. Fung Wa Chun my thanks are also due for the constant care that he has exercised in the supervision of the block; and to show the spirit in which this experiment Was taken up by various people, I may say that within a
the week of taking over blook Mr. Ho Kum Tong hand d to Inspector Gidiey $200 to be distributed among the destitute peopls la.t by those who might be taken away by the piagus. The landlords of the bonses required for the be'hs not alone had the houses at ence evacuated and handed over to me, but they oue and all refused to take any rent for the houses for the "wo months, and two laudlords, Yu Shan Tin and Wong Chun zhao, bave refused to take any rent at all for their houses up to the present. No country could show a greater public spirit thau this, for for it must be remembered that these land- lords are not rich men owning large properties, but are the landlords that live among you and own these small tenements in the dis- trict. I thank them most heartily for the pubic spirit which they have shown. Now, coming to the incidence of plague during the last three months, one of the principal duties
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