REPORT ON THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN
HONG KONG DURING 1937.
23
Introduction.
The prevalence of Cholera in the Far East during the early
part of the year 1937 was entirely confined to Siam. The first
cases were reported from Bangkok in the latter part of December
1936, and thereafter a severe epidemic raged throughout the
country, reaching a peak in April 1937 and petering out at the
end of June 1937. In all, the Bangkok epidemic resulted in
1902 cases and 989 deaths. Throughout this period, in some
miraculous manner, French Indo-China, including the ports of
Haiphong and Saigon, escaped this scourge.
Hong Kong declared Bangkok an infected port on account of
Cholera on 20th January 1937, and rescinded the declaration on
7th July 1937, when the epidemic there was considered to be at
an end.
In the early part of July 1937, the incidence of all the
more serious epidemic diseases in the Far East as shown in the
weekly fasiculus from the League of Nations
Eastern Bureau,
Singapore, was extremely small, and Cholera apparently non-
existent.
Initial Warning.
The first intimation that Cholera had broken out in South
China was contained in a letter dated 10th July, 1937, from the
Commissioner of Chinese Maritime Customs at Hoihow, that there
had been reported over 100 cases of Cholera at Hoihow since the
1st July.
On the 15th July, quarantine restrictions were imposed