No. 37.
LETTER FROM COLONIAL SURGEON ENCLOSING COPIES OF HIS REPORT OF THE YEARS 1874 AND 1875 HITHERTO NOT PRINTED IN EXTENSO.
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 28th July, 1880.
SIR,-I have the honour to forward three reports made by me, referring to the sanitary condition of the city of Victoria, at the request of His Excellency the Governor. These reports were made within a year and a half of my arrival in the Colony, and are,-first, a report on the sanitary condition of the brothels, dated January 19th, 1874; secondly, a report on the sanitary condition of the town, dated April 15th, 1874, and my Annual Report for 1874, dated April 5th, 1875.
The first-the report on the sanitary condition of the brothels-was made by order of the Government. I found this order had been laying on the Colonial Surgeon's desk for some months before my arrival, and was in consequence of a great number of typhoid cases being brought in from the brothels licensed by Government. I first went round all the brothels with Mr. TONNOCHY, then Acting Registrar General, and afterwards with the Inspectors, taking notes of each brothel, the number of women that they could accommodate, and the sanitary improvements they required. These notes were sent in after each inspection to the Acting Registrar General, and the improvements I recommended were ordered to be made in each case.
The inspections were made in the afternoon,-which was the least inconvenient time to the women, and the greatest care taken not to give offence in any way. Numbers of these houses were owned by Europeans, and the improvements required by me were especially grateful to the inhabitants, but caused much disgust among the owners. No one, I will venture to say, can read this report, which is merely a plain statement of facts, without a feeling of disgust that such a filthy state of things should exist in any dwelling receiving a special licence from Government, or wonder that, with such a condition of things, typhoid fever was raging among them.
The second report on the sanitary condition of the town was the result of a series of inspections made by myself in company with Inspectors O'BRIEN and HAZLITT, who were then the only Inspectors of nuisances allowed by Government. This report, also, is a very mild statement of the state of things I saw. In one house alone 172 pigs were found kept under the beds by Government licences of from one year to five years' date, to continue in force till further orders. The dearth of water among the poorer classes is a terrible thing to think of, and not only that, but the fact of their being compelled to use water out of foul wells or tanks or go without, and this state of things still exists as I pointed it out six or more years ago. Nor is the construction of houses much improved; many new ones have been built back to back as I have described, precluding all chance of decent ventilation or admission of light. Houses here, containing on an average five to ten families, paying between them £2.10 to £5 a month, would not be considered fit to put pigs in by any decent person.
These houses are owned by Europeans and wealthy Chinamen, who squeeze those who have no power to make their complaints known, without scruple. The Europeans, in fact, know little or nothing about their properties, and the poor wretches who inhabit these houses are at the mercy of the Chinese compradores employed by Europeans,-men who are able to find good security to their masters, and who out-rival in their extortions any of the Irish land agents of whom so much has been told.
The above reports were the result of inspections made by myself within the first six months of my arrival in the Colony. The sanitary report in my annual report for 1874 was the result of inspections made in conjunction with Mr. PRICE, the Surveyor General, with Mr. R. G. ALFORD acting as interpreter by order of Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY. In this report many things are commented on besides sanitation, and I desire here to remark that in this report I brought to notice the smallness of the Prison cells, especially with regard to the Hospital accommodation, also the desirability of change in the diet scales, and also the impropriety of confining lunatics in the Gaol; but this matter had already been laid before the Secretary of State in the case of a lunatic confined in the Gaol by order of the Colonial Secretary, a clerk in Messrs. BOURJAU & Co.'s employ, concerning whom I had occasion to request His Lordship's decision.
The sanitary report made here was written before the series of inspections before mentioned had been completed, but quite enough has been said to give a general idea of the state of things which still exists to a great extent. I specially call attention to the state of the down-spouts and house drains herein reported; if they were not to some extent flushed by the heavy rains descending on the roofs, matters would be still worse than they are, but they ought not to depend on this alone. I also particularly call attention to the way the night-soil is kept in covered pots under the beds from two to five days according as the inhabitant has power to remunerate the scavenging contractor for its removal. I also request notice of the state of the water supply in the poorer quarters of the town, which is a subject of many bitter complaints, and justly so. I also call attention to the condition of the houses themselves, for which, taking into consideration the rents paid, the landlords might be held solely responsible; and I submit that it is not improper interference with Chinese prejudices, to insist on proper sanitation of their dwelling houses or to attend to the interest of the poorer classes, who represent the majority. I see in the newspapers lately that in Manila most stringent regulations have been made concerning the sanitary arrangements for the Chinese quarters of the town in that Colony.
No. 37.
LETTER FROM Colonial SURGEON ENCLOSING COPIES OF HIS REPORT OF THE YEARS 1874 AND 1875 HITHERTO NOT PRINTED IN EXTENSO.
}
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 28th July, 1880.
STR,-I have the honour to forward three reports made by me, referring to the sanitary condition of the city of Victoria, at the request of His Excellency the Governor. These reports were made within a year and a half of my arrival in the Colony, and are,-first, a report on the sanitary condition of the brothels, dated January 19th, 1874; secondly, a report on the sanitary condition of the town, dated April 15th, 1874, and my Annual Report for 1874, dated April 5th, 1875.
The first-the report on the sanitary condition of the brothels-was made by order of the Govern- ment. I found this order had been laying on the Colonial Surgeon's desk for some months before my arrival, and was in consequence of a great number of typhoid cases being brought in from the brothels licensed by Government. I first went round all the brothels with Mr. TONNOCHY, then Acting Registrar General, and afterwards with the Inspectors, taking notes of each brothel, the number of women that they could accommodate, and the sanitary improvements they required. These notes were sent in after each inspection to the Acting Registrar General, and the improvements I recommended were ordered to be made in each case.
The inspections were made in the afternoon,-which was the least inconvenient time to the women,~~~ and the greatest cure taken not to give offence in any way. Numbers of these houses were owned by Europeans, and the improvements required by me were especially grateful to the inhabitants, but caused much disgust among the owners. No one, I will venture to say, can read this report, which is merely a plain statement of facts, without a feeling of disgust that such a filthy state of things should exist in any dwelling receiving a special licence from Government, or wonder that, with such a condition of things, typhoid fever was raging among them.
The second report on the sanitary condition of the town was the result of a series of inspections made by myself in company with Inspectors O'BRIEN and HAZLITT, who were then the only Inspectors of nuisances allowed by Government. This report, also, is a very mild statement of the state of things I saw. In one house alone 172 pigs were found kept under the beds by Government licences of from one year to five years' date, to continue in force till further orders. The dearth of water among the poorer classes is a terrible thing to think of, and not only that, but the fact of their being compelled to use water out of foul wells or tanks or go without, and this state of things still exists as I pointed it out six or more years ago. Nor is the construction of houses much improved; many new ones have been built back to back as I have described, precluding all chance of decent ventilation or admission of light. Houses here, containing on an average five to ten families, paying between them £2.10 to £5 a month, would not be considered fit to put pigs in by any decent person.
These houses are owned by Europeans and wealthy Chinamen, who squeeze those who have no power to make their complaints known, without scruple. The Europeans, in fact, know little or nothing about their properties, and the poor wretches who inhabit these houses are at the mercy of the Chinese compradores employed by Europeans,-men who are able to find good security to their masters, and who out-rival in their extortions any of the Irish land agents of whom so much has been told.
The above reports were the result of inspections made by myself within the first six months of my arrival in the Colony. The sanitary report in my annual report for 1874 was the result of in- spections made in conjunction with Mr. PRICE, the Surveyor General, with Mr. R. G. ALFORD acting as interpreter by order of Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY. In this report many things are commented on be- sides sanitation, and I desire here to remark that in this report I brought to notice the smallness of the Prison cells, especially with regard to the Hospital accommodation, also the desirability of change in the diet scales, and also the impropriety of confining lunatics in the Gaol; but this matter had already been laid before the Secretary of State in the case of a lunatic confined in the Gaol by order of the Colonial Secretary, a clerk in Messrs. BOURJAU & Co.'s employ, concerning whom I had occasion to request His Lordship's decision.
The sanitary report made here was written before the series of inspections before mentioned had been completed, but quite enough has been said to give a general idea of the state of things which still exists to a great extent. I specially call attention to the state of the down-spouts and house drains. herein reported; if they were not to some extent flushed by the heavy rains descending on the roofs, matters would be still worse than they are, but they ought not to depend on this alone. I also partic- ularly call attention to the way the night-soil is kept in covered pots under the beds from two to five days according as the inhabitant has power to remunerate the scavenging contractor for its removal. I also request notice of the state of the water supply in the poorer quarters of the town, which is a sub- ject of many bitter complaints, and justly so. I also call attention to the condition of the houses them- selves, for which, taking into consideration the rents paid, the landlords might be held solely responsible; and I submit that it is not improper interference with Chinese prejudices, to insist on proper sanitation of their dwelling houses or to attend to the interest of the poorer classes, who represent the majority. I see in the newspapers lately that in Manila most stringent regulations have been made concerning the sanitary arrangements for the Chinese quarters of the town in that Colony.
No. 37.
LETTER FROM Colonial SURGEON ENCLOSING COPIES OF HIS REPORT OF THE YEARS 1874 AND 1875 HITHERTO NOT PRINTED IN EXTENSO.
}
GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL, HONGKONG, 28th July, 1880.
STR,-I have the honour to forward three reports made by me, referring to the sanitary condition of the city of Victoria, at the request of His Excellency the Governor. These reports were made within a year and a half of my arrival in the Colony, and are,-first, a report on the sanitary condition of the brothels, dated January 19th, 1874; secondly, a report on the sanitary condition of the town, dated April 15th, 1874, and my Annual Report for 1874, dated April 5th, 1875.
The first-the report on the sanitary condition of the brothels-was made by order of the Govern- ment. I found this order had been laying on the Colonial Surgeon's desk for some months before my arrival, and was in consequence of a great number of typhoid cases being brought in from the brothels licensed by Government. I first went round all the brothels with Mr. TONNOCHY, then Acting Registrar General, and afterwards with the Inspectors, taking notes of each brothel, the number of women that they could accommodate, and the sanitary improvements they required. These notes were sent in after each inspection to the Acting Registrar General, and the improvements I recommended were ordered to be made in each case.
The inspections were made in the afternoon,-which was the least inconvenient time to the women,~~~ and the greatest cure taken not to give offence in any way. Numbers of these houses were owned by Europeans, and the improvements required by me were especially grateful to the inhabitants, but caused much disgust among the owners. No one, I will venture to say, can read this report, which is merely a plain statement of facts, without a feeling of disgust that such a filthy state of things should exist in any dwelling receiving a special licence from Government, or wonder that, with such a condition of things, typhoid fever was raging among them.
The second report on the sanitary condition of the town was the result of a series of inspections made by myself in company with Inspectors O'BRIEN and HAZLITT, who were then the only Inspectors of nuisances allowed by Government. This report, also, is a very mild statement of the state of things I saw. In one house alone 172 pigs were found kept under the beds by Government licences of from one year to five years' date, to continue in force till further orders. The dearth of water among the poorer classes is a terrible thing to think of, and not only that, but the fact of their being compelled to use water out of foul wells or tanks or go without, and this state of things still exists as I pointed it out six or more years ago. Nor is the construction of houses much improved; many new ones have been built back to back as I have described, precluding all chance of decent ventilation or admission of light. Houses here, containing on an average five to ten families, paying between them £2.10 to £5 a month, would not be considered fit to put pigs in by any decent person.
These houses are owned by Europeans and wealthy Chinamen, who squeeze those who have no power to make their complaints known, without scruple. The Europeans, in fact, know little or nothing about their properties, and the poor wretches who inhabit these houses are at the mercy of the Chinese compradores employed by Europeans,-men who are able to find good security to their masters, and who out-rival in their extortions any of the Irish land agents of whom so much has been told.
The above reports were the result of inspections made by myself within the first six months of my arrival in the Colony. The sanitary report in my annual report for 1874 was the result of in- spections made in conjunction with Mr. PRICE, the Surveyor General, with Mr. R. G. ALFORD acting as interpreter by order of Sir ARTHUR KENNEDY. In this report many things are commented on be- sides sanitation, and I desire here to remark that in this report I brought to notice the smallness of the Prison cells, especially with regard to the Hospital accommodation, also the desirability of change in the diet scales, and also the impropriety of confining lunatics in the Gaol; but this matter had already been laid before the Secretary of State in the case of a lunatic confined in the Gaol by order of the Colonial Secretary, a clerk in Messrs. BOURJAU & Co.'s employ, concerning whom I had occasion to request His Lordship's decision.
The sanitary report made here was written before the series of inspections before mentioned had been completed, but quite enough has been said to give a general idea of the state of things which still exists to a great extent. I specially call attention to the state of the down-spouts and house drains. herein reported; if they were not to some extent flushed by the heavy rains descending on the roofs, matters would be still worse than they are, but they ought not to depend on this alone. I also partic- ularly call attention to the way the night-soil is kept in covered pots under the beds from two to five days according as the inhabitant has power to remunerate the scavenging contractor for its removal. I also request notice of the state of the water supply in the poorer quarters of the town, which is a sub- ject of many bitter complaints, and justly so. I also call attention to the condition of the houses them- selves, for which, taking into consideration the rents paid, the landlords might be held solely responsible; and I submit that it is not improper interference with Chinese prejudices, to insist on proper sanitation of their dwelling houses or to attend to the interest of the poorer classes, who represent the majority. I see in the newspapers lately that in Manila most stringent regulations have been made concerning the sanitary arrangements for the Chinese quarters of the town in that Colony.
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