CO537-(36-37) — Page 370

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference:-

GO. 537.

95

dirt. It is I believe admitted to contain no disinfect-

ing properties so that this expenditure, generally

recognised as an ignorant mistake, is continued in

violation of common sense.

Com, ulsory limewashing should be abolished, and in its

place I suggest that more effort he directed towards

the destruction of rats, and ordinary cleanliness.

The most effective method of destroying rats is to

starve them in their runs, involving the removal of

ceilings and the effective closing of runs with coment

mortar mixed with broken glass. There should be no

openings in walls on ground floors for rats to enter

from streets and lanes. Drains from ground floors should

not be led through walls as now, but through the door

cill so that when the door is closed the rat is

excluded.

Ordinary cleansing I believe to be the most effective

preventive of plague. Short simple instructions should

be posted in Chinese houses requiring rat runs to be

closed and rooms cleansed, every house inspected say

once a month at a fixed hour on a fixed day, the

contents of the room placed in the centre, obstructions

to light and air removed. The Inspector should examine

punctually at the time appointed and grant a certificate

that the room is clean. Following the Inspector should

come the cleansing gangs to cleanse those floors which

the Inspector has not passed. I venture to say that if

this procedure were adopted, within a few months thers

would be few floors left for the cleansing gangs to

deal with.

Tanks as at present (but more of them) should perambul-

ate the streets daily containing plain boiling water-

37

RECORD OFFICE,

OUT PERMISSION ON

F THE PUBLIC

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