M 63
Since the introduction of bacteriological and pathological methods of diagnosis the belief in the general immunity of Chinese to Typhoid fever has been destroyed but in view of the experience of earlier years it should not have been held.
These earlier experiences and some later ones also show that if given a foul water supply the Chinese will suffer from Typhoid.
Foul water will infect by many other channels than deliberate drinking.
The higher the presumed immunity of Chinese to Typhoid the higher presumably may be the number of unknown "Carriers" of Typhoid amongst them.
There is no means of estimating the probable ratio of "carriers" per 1000 of the population.
When however it is recognised that carriers may be employed in handling food, drinks and ice the existence of a source of infection even when the public water supply is above suspicion is evident.
The eating of raw vegetables and uncooked oysters are of course methods of laying oneself open to infection.
But given carriers amongst the community the principal source of infection other than that of food drinks and ice handled by them is probably through the agency of flies.
The excreta in the pans of dry privies invite the visits of flies and so do exposed articles of food and milk.
Experience has shown that in this colony a plague of flies in a house is generally evidence of domestic negligence on the part of the house holder or a neighbour.
Fortunately there are very few stables in the colony but there are some from which occasionally residents procure manure for their gardens.
The use of stable manure in the gardens of houses, unless care be taken to prevent its giving rise to a fly nuisance, has been known to be and will continue to be a grave source of danger.
The substitution wherever possible of water flushed public latrines for former "dry" latrines which has been the policy of the Government for a number of years is a step towards the reduction of the chances of infection, as is also the installation in private houses of water-closets to replace the "bucket" privies formerly found in nearly every house.