96. The Ordinance No. 8 of 1856, "An Ordinance for Buildings and Nuisances," gives the local Government complete control over the construction of all buildings in the Colony. This law contains a series of minute and stringent rules, with adequate penalties, framed to prevent the construction of any houses that are not built on what was then supposed to be the best sanitary principles. The Ordinance was evidently copied almost entirely from certain Sanitary and Building Acts in force, at that time, in England. I cannot find that the Chinese householders were in any way consulted on the subject when it was being framed and passed; and the result is, that some of its provisions are entirely unsuited to this Colony, and would do more harm than good if enforced. Amongst other things, Clause VIII provides that it shall not be lawful to construct or re-construct any house without a sufficient water-closet or privy. (This is copied from an English Act, but the system of water-closets and house privies is a system quite out of place in a tropical Colony, and not in accordance with the customs of the Chinese people.
97. The Chinese house-bucket system, especially when combined with the dry earth system (which, in various ways more or less perfect, they have practised for centuries), is far better than a system of water-closets and house privies. The Chinese inhabitants maintain that the attempts now and then made by successive Surveyor Generals and Colonial Surgeons to force what is called "Western Sanitary Science" upon them, are not based on sound principles. As I stated in the Legislative Council in November 1878, in a discussion in which I referred to Ordinance 8 of 1856, the leading Chinese residents had said to me: "Nothing alarms us more than the Government projects of drainage and water supply for flushing house sewage. They are not consistent with our mode of living."
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98. On that occasion, I quoted the views of one of the most experienced medical men in China, Dr. Dudgeon of Pekin, in support of the Chinese house-bucket system as opposed to the underground drainage system, whether connected with water-closets or house privies. In his work on "The Diseases of China contrasted with those of Europe," he says: Much that is recommended at home in the way of ventilation, water supply, and disinfection of privies is rendered in China unnecessary. All the advantages claimed for the dry earth system are gained here free of expense to the individual or public. The industrious and frugal habits of the Chinese, and even their very poverty, thus work to their advantage (all sanitary measures more than repay their cost), for it compels them to utilise all excrementitious matter. Every particle of every kind of manure, besides rags, paper, etc., are collected and preserved with the greatest care. The private privies, which are all out of doors, are visited daily by these manure collectors, and so great is the demand for it, that no payment is made to these scavengers. Foreigners pay a trifling monthly sum to guarantee respectability, cleanliness, and regularity on the part of the collector. The healthiness of our foreign settlements in China is, in a great measure, owing to the absence of water-closets in the dwelling-houses, which, in Europe, are a fruitful source of disease. Gases, such as sulphuretted and carburetted hydrogen, are not so injurious to health when given off in the open air, as when escaping from sewers. China is, par excellence, the country of bad smells, and yet, as we have seen, the people do not seem to suffer from them.
"The removal of excreta and the disposal of sewer water is the sanitary problem of the day in Great Britain. There the sewers allow transference of gases and organic molecules from house to house and place to place; occasionally, by bursting, leakage, or absorption, the ground is contaminated, and the water supply is constantly in danger of being poisoned and contaminated; and all these dangers are greater from being concealed and being beyond individual control. Fevers and cholera are thus possibly propagated from house to house. In China we are entirely free from this danger.
99. With the best possible intentions, some of my medical and sanitary Officers have, from time to time, been arguing against Dr. Dudgeon's views and the long established practice of the Chinese community. Those Officials advocate an underground network of drains and sewers in Hongkong, and of compelling the Chinese to build their houses and to modify their domestic arrangements in accordance with the methods of "Western Sanitary Science." I have pointed out to them that the methods of Western Sanitary Science of a few years ago, which they are so fond of quoting, are no longer considered infallible; and that some Public Health Officers in England seem even disposed to take a lesson now from the experience of China and to adopt views similar to those of Dr. Dudgeon. I have reminded them that the only fatal cases of typhoid fever that occurred in Hongkong since my arrival, have been in European built houses with water-closets; and that the Chinese residents do not appear to suffer from typhoid fever or diphtheria.
100. In the tabular statements appended to the Colonial Surgeon's reports for 1877, 1878 and 1879, the total number of cases of typhoid fever amounts to 8, all being Europeans. Other forms of sickness arising from sewer gas, defective water-closets, or privies in the European style, appear also to be confined mainly to the Europeans.
101. Instructions were given by the Secretary of State, in 1867, to have the dry earth system of conservancy carried out in the gaol and other Government establishments. The local medical authorities did not, however, approve of the system. Nine years after the instructions from Downing
96. The Ordinance No. 8 of 1856, "An Ordinance for Buildings and Nuisances," gives the local Government complete control over the construction of all buildings in the Colony. This law contains. a series of minute and stringent rules, with adequate penalties, framed to prevent the construction of any houses that are not built on what was then supposed to be the best sanitary principles. The Ordinance was evidently copied almost entirely from certain Sanitary and Building Acts in force, at that time, in England. I cannot find that the Chinese householders were in any way consulted on the subject when it was being framed and passed; and the result is, that some of its provisions are entirely unsuited to this Colony, and would do more harm than good if enforced. Amongst other things, Clause VIII provides that it shall not be lawful to construct or re-construct any house without a sufficient water-closet or privy. (This is copied from an English Act, but the system of water-closets and house privies is a system quite out of place in a tropical Colony, and uot in accordance with the customs of the Chinese people.
97. The Chinese house-bucket system, especially when combined with the dry earth system (which, in various ways more or less perfect, they have practized for centuries), is far better than a system of water-closets and house privies. The Chinese inhabitants maintain that the attempts now and then made by successive Surveyor Generals and Colonial Surgeons to force what is called "Western Sanitary Science" upon them, are not based on sound principles. As I stated in the Legislative Council in November 1878, in a discussion in which I referred to Ordinance 8 of 1856, the leading Chinese residents had said to me:"Nothing alarms us more than the Government "projects of drainage and water supply for flushing house sewage. They are not consistent with "our mode of living.'
27
98. On that occasion, I quoted the views of one of the most experienced medical men in China, Dr. Dulgou of Pekin, in support of the Chinese house-bucket system as opposed to the underground drainage system, whether connected with water-closets or house privies. In his work on "The Disenses of China contrasted with those of Europe," he says:-
Mrch that is recommended at home in the way of ventilation, water supply, and disinfection of privies is rendered in China unnecessary. All the advantages claimed for the dry earth system *ard gained here free of expense to the individual or public. The industrious and frugal habits of the Chine, and even their very poverty, thus work to their advantage (all sanitary measures more *than repay their cost), for it compels them to utilise all excrementitious matter. Every particle of
every kind of manure, besides rags, paper, etc., are collected and preserved with the greatest carga The private privies, which are all out of doors, are visited daily by these manure collectors, and so great is the demand for it, that no payment is made to these scavengers. Foreigners pay a trifa nonthly to guaranice respectability, cleanliness, and regularity on the part of the collector. The "healthiness of our foreign settlements in China is, in a great measure, owing to the absence of water-closets in the dwelling-houses, which, in Europe, are a fruitful source of disease. Gases, such: "as sulphurettel and carburetted hydrogen, are not so injurious to health when given off in the open air, as when escaping from sewers. China is, par excellence, the country of bad smells, and yet, as we have seen, che people do not seem to suffer from them.
เ
"The removal of excreta and the disposal of sewer water is the sanitary problem of the day in "Great Britain. There the sewers allow transference of gases and organic molecules from house to honse and place to place; occasionally, by bursting, leakage, or absorption, the ground is contaminate, "and the water supply is constantly in danger of being poisoned and contaminated; and all these dangers are greater from being concealed and being beyond individual control. Fevers and cholera · "are thus possibly propagated from house to honse. In China we are entirely free from this danger.
99. With the best possible intentions, some of my medical and sanitary Officers have, from time to time, been arguing against Dr. Dudgeon's views and the long established practice of the Chinese community. Those Officials advocate an underground net work of drains and sewers in Hongkong, and of compelling the Chinese to build their houses and to modify their domestic arrangements in accordance with "the methods of Western Sanitary Science." I have pointed out to them that the methods of Western Sanitary Science of a few years ago, which they are so fond of quoting, are no longer considered infallible; and that some Public Health Officers in England seem even disposed to fake a lesson now from the experience of China and to adopt views similar to those of Dr. Dudgeon. I have reminded them that the only fatal cases of typhoid fever that occurred in Hongkong since my arrival, have been in European built houses with water-closets; and that the Chinese residents do not appear to suffer from typhoid fever or diptheria.
100. In the tabular statements appended to the Colonial Surgeon's reports for 1877, 1878 and 1879, the total number of cases of typhoid fever amounts to 8, all being Europeans.. Other forms of sickness arising from sewer gas, defective water-closets, or privies in the European style, appear also to be confined mainly to the Europeans.
101. Instructions were given by the Secretary of State, in 1867, to have the dry earth system of conservancy carried out in the gaol and other Government establishments. The local medical authorities did not, however, approve of the system. Nine years after the instructions from Downing
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