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slightly under 24 sq. feet. The Public Health Standards minimum require· ments are 36 sq. ft. per person.
The lack of hot water, except that rationed for drinking purposes, plus the difficulty of obtaining adequate soap supplies, made washing facilities very difficult. One issue of 500 lbs. of soap, 6 dozen brooms and 50 gallons of disinfectant was the only issue made by the Japanese Authoritics, other- wise soap, toilet paper etc. was only obtainable through the Canteen or the Camp Welfare Committee, the lattor, who purchased such necessities from profits made in the Canteen. The one and only issue of camp bed and blankets was made by the Authorities just one year after internment, and consisted of 500 of cach. This still left many persons sleeping on floors, boards, doors, and other makeshift articles.
J
With the ever increasing number of malaria casos, 143 for 1942, and 213 up to August 31st 1943, a strong anti-malarial campaign was inaugurated. After many attempts, permission was finally obtained from the Authoritics for a squad of men to go outside the boundary once weekly to fill in holos likely to hold water, spray ponds etc. above high water level, and this has, to some extent retarded the disease and the brooding of anophelone mosquitoes.
The disposal of refuse was the chief problem of the Sanitary Department in the Corp.
Incineration was first attempted, but with the lack of adequate fuel, provod unsatisfactory. Consequently disposel by burying was adopted, but here again difficulties were met with in fly breeding due to the shortage of line, necessary to cover the refuse. Duc to the close proximity of the Stanley Villiage the fly nuisance became even worse, as no sanitary work was being undertaken there, and our staff was unable to obtain permission to go there and cope with the nuisance. Upon taking over the Camp, many bodies of killed soldiers were found in a badly decomposed state, some partially covered, and others totally exposed. The job of the Department was to properly bury all such corpses. These corpses coupled with a mild winter gave the fly nuisance a good start in the Camp. In addition to this, thoro wore many bodies outside the barbed wire boundary and several washed upon the beaches that could not be attended to. Those, naturally made ideal. brooding places for flics.
*
As a result of all this fly breeding, the first summer in camp saw an opidemic of fly-borne diseases, chiefly dysentery. In the summer of 1942, 410 cases were reported and treated in hospital, while there were only 4 cases of typhoid. In 1943 to August 31st these figures were reduced to 65 dysentery and only 1 typhoid. No cholera cases were reported, although there was a cholera epidemic in Hongkong at the time.
The inspection of fresh foodstuffs was carried out daily on its arrival from Hongkong by one food inspector and one veterinary surgeon, and rejections mado on diseased meat or any foodstuffs considered unfit for human consumption. Any such rejected foods were never replaced by the Authoritics.
S. D. Robbins
Health Inspector
Hongkong Medical Department
64251-1
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