370
such as trachoma, the duration of which is indefinite
if nature be left to herself, though the course of
the disease can be appreciably shortened if the pa-
tient be subjected to treatment, but as it is impossi-
ble to establish quarantine stations for this class
of infirmities the only alternative is to return such
persons to the place from whence they came.. As a
matter of fact we observe in Mexico that frequently 20,
30, or more trachomatous persons are brought by each
emigrant ship. If two such vessels arrive, as is us-
ually the case, namely, one belonging to each of the
two Companies engaged in the emigrant traffic, the num-
ber of these invalids would amount to at least 40 per
month. If a Japanese vessel should also arrive, as
sometimes happens, this mumber would be increased to
60 or 70. As the disease cannot be cured in a month,
owing to the serious condition in which the sufferers
arrive, in the following month the number of patients
on hand would have increased to 120 or 140, and in
the third month would have reached 200 at the lowest
computation. But if it should happen, as was the case
last year, that a steamer (the Woolwich) were to bring
228 infected persons, and another (the Daphne) 120,
the result would be that in a few months' time the
State would have to support a hospital for the care
and cure of some 500 immigrants. It is useless to
say that these persons would be looked after by the
Companies because the barracks which they now possess
can only accommodate 700 healthy persons. Thus it
is practically out of the question to establish
quarantine stations for the reception of sufferers
sease.
from trachoma. If, then, this is impossible, our
only means of safeguarding the health of the Republic
is to turn away all immigrants affected with this di-
The practice which is now being followed with
respect to the immigrants imported by the China Com-
mercial Steamship Company, is the same as was fol-
lowed last year in the case of those brought over
by the Heng Hok Fong Company, and has also been adopt-
ed in the case of other vessels as can be proved by
means of the official data filed in the Archives of
this Board, and also by the accompanying List.
It would be futile to further expatiate on the
representations contained in the three statements
229
presented