32
Of the above there were imported the following cases :— Plague 24, Small-pos 9. Diphtheria 2. Enteric Fever 13. Paratyphoid 2, Relapsing Fever 1, Cerebro-Spinal Fever 5.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever,
This disease was first recognised in the Colony in February in 1918.
The Following table shows the monthly distribution of the cases which have occurred during the years 1918 to 1922 inclusive,
Monthly prevalence of Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
53
Plague.
A sharp recrudescence of plague occurred during the year the total cases notified being 1.181.
The last previous epidemic of serious proportion occurred in 1914 when there were 2,146 cases recorded.
The incidence of this disease on the total estimated civil population of the Colony was for the year 1922 1-78 per 1,000 but if the New Territories be excluded (except New Kowloon) the incidence becomes 2:04 per 1,000,
The following table shows the monthly prevalence of plague for the last ten years.
Month.
!
1918. 1919.
1920. 1921.
1922.
!
Month.
1913. 1914 1915, 1916,' 1917 1918 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922.
January....
2 47
2
13
February,
3 42
3
January,
February,
23
18
5
X
March,
A 223
] 30
G
23
74
165
32
13
13
April.
20
637
2 94
247
March....
454
71
40
59
May.
858
#2 i
11
171
28
28
454
June,
79 248
31
RE
132 56
April,
274
58
14
May.
146
24
10
*
*[
237
July.
24155
31
108
26
20
77
August.
62 25
16
23
+
1+
29
June,
96
15
10
September..
34 10
+
6
3
8
July,
52
13
7
August,
14
12
October,
November, December.
16!
7
I
7
H
3
14
ོ
28
1
September.
10
October,
5
November,
December,
X
435
Total,
E08 2,146 THE 39 38
266 464 138
130 J81
器
Total,................... 1,232
267 158 125
53
This disease has shown progressive diminution since the first year of its appearance.
While the spread of this disease is greatly influenced by over- crowding it is noticeable that the greater number of cases occur in the cold season when there are frequently cold winds from North to East blowing over the Colony from the Mainland of China. Under these conditions it is the Chinese habit to close the windows of their houses thereby seriously interfering with their ventilation while in the hot weather it is customary for large numbers to sleep in the open air.
The epidemic may be said to have begun in November, 1921.
Was
After a period of 47 days free from plague a case notified on November 14th, 1921. A severe epidemic is usually presaged by the occurrence of a few cases during the last few weeks of one year and the first few weeks of the next even though the numbers for each week be small.
It was therefore expected early in 1922 that plague would be severe during the year.
Fortunately the number of cases which were recorded, though high, fell short of what might have been expected.
Since the last two severe epidemies the population of the Colony had greatly increased but the incidence of the disease
94