L 25
Plague.
The incidence of Plague during 1911 was heavier than usual, 269 cases being recorded, of which 15 were imported.
A very large proportion of the cases occurring in the City came from No. 9 Health District which is one of the poorest districts and contains many old houses with basements and defective walls in which rats can find a home. This district has always been one of the most plague-stricken in the Colony and there is little hope of thoroughly eradicating the disease therefrom until all the old houses are replaced by more modern dwellings.
The measures upon which the Colony relies for the prevention of Plague consist in (1) the exclusion of rats from all dwellings by means of concreted ground surfaces, the prohibition of ceilings in the native quarters, the prohibition of hollow walls and the protection of all drain openings and ventilating openings by iron gratings; (2) the collection and bacteriological examination of all dead rats—facilities for their collection in the native quarters are provided in the shape of small covered bins attached to lamp-posts, telephone posts, electric light standards, etc. These bins contain a carbolic acid disinfectant, and the inhabitants are invited to at once put into them all rats found or killed by them. There are 650 of these bins distributed throughout the City and its suburbs, and each of them is visited twice daily by rat collectors who take all rats found in them to the Government Bacteriologist. Each rat is at once labelled with the number of the bin from which it is taken, and if subsequently found to be Plague-infected, a special survey is at once made of the block of houses in the immediate vicinity of such bin, all rat-holes and rat-runs are filled up with broken glass and cement, defective drains and gratings dealt with, and rat poison freely distributed to the occupants, while the occurrence of several Plague-infected rats in one locality is a signal for a special house-to-house survey and cleansing of that district. The disinfectant in the rat bins is renewed not less than once a week. (3) the destruction of rats by poison, traps and birdlime hoards, special effort in this direction being made just before the onset of the regular Plague season which in this Colony is March to July; (4) the encouraging of the community to keep cats; (5) the systematic cleansing and washing out of all native dwellings at least once in three months with a flea-killing mixture—kerosine emulsion; (6) an efficient daily scavenging of all streets and lanes and the removal of refuse daily from all houses coupled with the provision of covered metal dust-bins for all houses, to reduce as far as possible the amount of food available for rats; (7) the disinfection of Plague-infected premises by stripping them and washing them out thoroughly with the kerosine emulsion coupled with the disinfection of all bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs, etc., by superheated steam. No objection is raised to the treatment of Bubonic Plague cases in native hospitals, and no restrictions are imposed in regard to the burial of those dead of Bubonic Plague, except the provision of a sub-
L 25
Plague.
The incidence of Plague during 1911 was heavier than usual, 269 cases being recorded, of which 15 were imported.
A very large proportion of the cases occurring in the City came from No. 9 Health District which is one of the poorest dis- tricts and contains many old houses with basements and defective walls in which rats can find a home. This district has always been one of the most plague-stricken in the Colony and there is little hope of thoroughly eradicating the disease therefrom until all the old houses are replaced by more modern dwellings.
The measures upon which the Colony relies for the preven- tion of Plague consist in (1) the exclusion of rats from all dwell- ings by means of concreted ground surfaces, the prohibition of ceilings in the native quarters, the prohibition of hollow walls and the protection of all drain openings and ventilating openings by iron gratings; (2) the collection and bacteriological examination of all dead rats-facilities for their collection in the native quarters are provided in the shape of small covered bins attached to lamp-posts, telephone posts, electric light standards, etc. These bins contain a carbolic acid disinfectant, and the inhabitants are invited to at once put into them all rats found or killed by them. There are 650 of these bins distributed throughout the City and its suburbs, and each of them is visited twice daily by rat collectors who take all rats found in them to the Government Bacteriologist. Each rat is at once labelled with the number of the bin from which it is taken, and if subsequently found to be Plague-infected, a special survey is at once made of the block of houses in the immediate vicinity of such bin, all rat-holes and rat- runs are filled up with broken glass and cement, defective drains and gratings dealt with, and rat poison freely distributed to the occupants, while the occurrence of several Plague-infected rats in one locality is a signal for a special house to house survey and cleansing of that district. The disinfectant in the rat bins is renewed not less than once a week. (3) the destruction of rats by poison, traps and birdlime hoards, special effort in this direction being made just before the onset of the regular Plague season which in this Colony is March to July; (4) the encouraging of the community to keep cats; (5) the systematic cleansing and wash- ing out of all native dwellings at least once in three months with a flea killing mixtare-kerosine emulsion; (6) an efficient daily scavenging of all streets and lanes and the removal of refuse daily from all houses coupled with the provision of covered metal dust- bins for all houses, to reduce as far as possible the amount of food available for rats; (7) the disinfection of Plague-infected pre- mises by stripping them and washing them out thoroughly with the kerosine emulsion coupled with the disinfection of all bedding, clothing, carpets, rugs, etc., by superheated steam. No objection is raised to the treatment of Bubonic Plague cases in native hospitals, and no restrictions are imposed in regard to the burial of those dead of Bubonic Plague, except the provision of a sub-
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