M 65
Although the incidence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers during 1925 was slight, the distribution of the cases throughout the year is of interest and seems to support the theory that the prevalence of these diseases is due chiefly to domestic factors, except when, as has rarely happened, some common cause of infection has caused the disease to assume epidemic proportion.
A diagram is here given to show the incidence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers. The curves show the numbers of cases which occurred in each period of five days throughout the year for Hongkong and Kowloon separately.
It is seen from the curve for Hongkong that the time of greatest prevalence of these diseases was in August and September, but that if this rise be excluded, the diseases would have been more prevalent at the early and late periods of the year than at the middle of the year.
During the early part of each year, the Colony is generally short of water, and a constant supply of water is not maintained in houses. Restriction of water supply to houses is generally put into force before the end of one year and not abolished before the beginning of the rainy season of the next year.
When the Chinese are unable to obtain water from their house taps at any time of the day, they bring into use, for the collection and storage of water, a heterogeneous assortment of pails and vessels for the purpose.
Under these circumstances, there is opportunity for the contamination of water after it has been drawn from house taps and hydrants.
The absence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers from Kowloon for one hundred days during the rainy season, that is the season of full water supply, of 1925 is remarkable.
Early in July, there was a strike of the coolies employed in scavenging and conservancy work.
Although temporary measures were devised to cope with this occurrence, the work could not be done as well as usual. In many cases, people failed to bring their refuse out of their houses when the temporarily engaged coolies came with their carts, but people frequently threw their refuse into streets and lanes. As it was impossible to carry out more than one sweeping of streets daily, and as refuse accumulated in houses, there was more opportunity for the breeding of flies than is usual.
In Kowloon, less difficulty in this respect was found than in Victoria.
As was expected, a rise in the incidence of Enteric Fever occurred a few weeks after the beginning of the strike.
This rise is well shown in the accompanying diagram.
M 65
Although the incidence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers during 1925 was slight the distribution of the cases throughout the year is of interest and seems to support the theory that the prevalence of these diseases is due chiefly to domestic factors except when as has rarely happened some common cause of in- fection has caused the disease to assume Epidemic proportion.
A diagram is here given to show the incidence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers. The curves show the numbers of cases which occured in each period of five days throughout the year for Hongkong and Kowloon separately.
It is seen from the curve for Hongkong that the time of greatest prevalence of these diseases was in August and Septem- ber, but that if this rise be excluded the diseases would have been more prevalent at the early and late periods of the year than at the middle of the year.
During the early part of each year the Colony is generally short of water and a constant supply of water is not maintained in houses. Restriction of water supply to houses is generally put into force before the end of one year and not abolished before the beginning of the rainy season of the next year.
When the Chinese are unable to obtain water from their house taps at any time of the day they bring into use for the collection and storage of water a heterogeneous assortment of pails and vessels for the purpose.
Under these circumstances there is opportunity for the con- tamination of water after it has been drawn from house taps and hydrants.
The absence of Enteric and Paratyphoid Fevers from Kowloon for one hundred days during the rainy season, that is the season of full water supply, of 1925 is remarkable.
Early in July there was a strike of the coolies employed in scavenging and conservancy work.
Although temporary measures were devised to cope with this occurrence the work could not be done as well as usual. In many cases people failed to bring their refuse out of their houses when the temporarily engaged coolies came with their carts, but people frequently threw their refuse into streets and lanes. As it was impossible to carry out more than one sweeping of streets daily and as refuse accumulated in houses there was more opportunity for the breeding of flies than is usual.
In Kowloon less difficulty in this respect was found than in Victoria.
As was expected a rise in the incidence of Enteric Fever occurred a few weeks after the beginning of the strike.
This rise is well shown in the accompanying diagram.
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