M 59
The total cases of plague as given in the above table are 24,196 of which 16,923 occurred in the first sixteen years of the period covered and 7,273 in the next sixteen years.
If the year 1894 be excluded because of the considerable uncertainty of the number of cases owing to the want of proper departmental machinery for dealing with the outbreak which took the community by surprise the table shows that for the nine years 1895 to 1903 inclusive there were 8,800 cases or an average of 977 cases each year, while for the twenty-two years following there were 10,396 cases giving an annual average of 472 cases.
The year 1908 is chosen for the sake of showing this distinction because in that year was enacted the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance which with certain amendments is still in force in the Colony,
The effect of this Ordinance in the matter of improvement in buildings was little, if at all, apparent during 1903.
Property owners anticipated the new stringent building laws about to be passed and submitted their plans for new buildings before the repeal of the old laws.
The provisions of the new law which were specially useful in preventing or mitigating plague were those which forbade the construction of hollow walls and "ceilings" below roofs and floors and other hollow constructions likely to harbour rats.
The enforcement of rat-proof surfacing of built-over ground and the provision of gratings to waste water outlets to buildings were also effective measures in lessening the rat-infestation of houses.
By-laws under this Public Health and Buildings Ordinance whereby the Sanitary Board could, in specially declared districts, order the removal of existing ceilings and other hollow structures were from time to time put in force.
There are doubtless other causes over which there is no human control which have acted to produce the lessening of plague and especially the absence of the disease in the Colony for well over the two last years.
It can however be fairly assumed that the existing public health laws have done much to help.
M 59
The total cases of plague as given in the above table are 24,196 of which 16,923 occured in the first sixteen years of the period covered and 7,273 in the next sixteen years.
If the year 1894 be excluded because of the considerable uncertainty of the number of cases owing to the want of proper departmental machinery for dealing with the outbreak which took the community by surprise the table shows that for the nine years 1895 to 1903 inclusive there were 8,800 cases or an average of 977 cases cach year, while for the twenty two years following there were 10,396 cases giving an annual average of 472 cases.
The year 1908 is chosen for the sake of showing this distinction because in that year was enacted the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance which with certain amendments is still in force in the Colony,
The effect of this Ordinance in the matter of improvement in buildings was little, if at all, apparent during 1903.
Property owners anticipated the new stringent building laws about to be passed and submitted their plans for new buildings before the repeal of the old laws.
The provisions of the new law which were specially useful in preventing or mitigating plague were those which forbade the construction of hollow walls and "ceilings" below roofs and floors and other hollow constructions likely to harbour rats.
The enforcement of rat proof surfacing of built over ground and the provision of gratings to waste water outlets to buildings were also effective measures in lessening the rat-infestation of houses.
By-laws under this Public Health and Buildings Ordinance whereby the Sanitary Board could, in specially declared districts, order the removal of existing ceilings and other hollow structures were from time to time put in force.
There are doubtless other causes over which there is no human control which have acted to produce the lessening of plague and especially the absence of the disease in the Colony for well over the two last years.
It can however be fairly assumed that the existing public health laws have done much to help.
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