376
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
And this naturally leads me to refer to the drains. It is not creditable to this Colony that after their unhealthy condition has been pointed out, both by myself and by the Sanitary Commission, they should remain as they are, a source of disease and death. In the early part of the past year the tenants and others interested in the Praya lots applied to the Government, through me, in regard to the seaward openings of the drains, and the noxious emanations from the foreshore, but the lowness of the public exchequer is the excuse offered for the unavoidable continuation of this most dangerous nuisance. Pending some more radical improvement, the drains should be run out into deep water, so as to prevent sewerage being exposed on the foreshore at low tides, and the openings trapped, to prevent the wind blowing up them, and thus forcing the foul air out at the various gratings throughout the town. Carbolic acid has been freely used, but no amount of it will suffice, until the system of drainage has been entirely remodelled as recommended by the Sanitary Commission.
Typhus fever was imported in eight vessels from Yokohama between the 10th February and the 11th May—and all these vessels were placed in quarantine. In the eight vessels there were thirteen cases of fever, of which number one terminated fatally. The Health Officer of the port, Dr. Adams, has, as promised last year, sent in a Report on the subject of the connection between this disease and the ballasting of ships with tidal mud, a subject which has attracted considerable attention in other countries. Of 235 vessels in ballast, only 20 carried mud alone, obtained from Shanghai; and in those 20 no case of fever occurred; "124 of the total number came from Yokohama, Japan, ballasted either with ordinary soil, obtained from the hill side, or with muddy shingle, taken from the beach: eight of the ships so ballasted had typhus fever on board.” "It is significant that (although cases of typhus had occurred on shore at Yokohama, where the crews might have been infected) no typhus fever was reported while the vessels had cargo on board, general or otherwise." Now as Shanghai mud is unquestionably "tidal” and the ballast obtained at Yokohama was not strictly of this character, there does not appear to be any strong evidence afforded in the cases recorded in favour of the theory that it is a frequent source of typhus.
In the winter of 1869-70 there were very few cases of small-pox reported, but in December last they commenced to appear, and by the end of the year there had been 14 cases admitted into the Government Civil Hospital, and 46 into the Seamen's Hospital, besides seven in the Gaol. Since the beginning of the year the disease has been rapidly approaching an epidemic form, in spite of every precaution taken by the police to prevent it spreading.
No other epidemic visited the Colony during the past year.
I—THE POLICE,
Although both the rate of sickness and the rate of mortality of this Force have been higher than in the previous year, it is not much above what it was in 1868, nor greatly in excess of the average rate.
Page 395
Page 396
376
Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
OF HER MAJESTY'S COLONIAL POSSESSIONS.
And this naturally leads me to refer to the drains. It is not creditable to this Colony that after their unhealthy condition has been pointed out, both by myself and by the Sanitary Commission, they should remain as they are, a source of disease and death. In the early part of the past year the tenants and others interested in the Praya lots applied to the Government, through me, in regard to the seaward openings of the drains, and the noxious emanations from the foreshore, but the lowness of the public exchequer is the excuse offered for the unavoidable continuation of this most dangerous nuisance. Pending some more radical improvement, the drains should be run out into deep water, so as to prevent sewerage being exposed on the foreshore at low tides, and the openings trapped, to prevent the wind blowing up them, and thus forcing the foul air out at the various gratings throughout the town. Carbolic acid has been freely used, but no amount of it will suffice, until the system of drainage has been entirely remodelled as recommended by the Sanitary Commission.
Typhus fever was imported in eight vessels from Yokohama between the 10th February and the 11th May-and all these vessels were placed in quarantine. In the eight vessels there were thirteen cases of fever, of which number one terminated fatally. The Health Officer of the port, Dr. Adams, has, as promised last year, sent in a Report on the subject of the connection between this disease and the ballasting of ships with tidal mud, a subject which has attracted considerable attention in other countries. Of 235 vessels in ballast, only 20 carried mud alone, obtained from Shanghai; and in those 20 no case of fever occurred; "124 of the total number came from Yokohama, Japan, ballasted either with ordinary soil, obtained from the hill side, or with muddy shingle, taken from the beach: eight of the ships so ballasted had typhus fever on board.” "It is significant that (although cases of typhus had occurred on shore at Yokohama, where the crews might have been infected) no typhus fever was reported while the vessels had cargo on board, general or otherwise." Now as Shanghai mud is unquestionably "tidal” and the ballast obtained at Yokohama was not strictly of this character, there does not appear to be any strong evidence afforded in the cases recorded in favour of the theory that it is a frequent source of typhus.
"# #
In the winter of 1869-70 there were very few cases of small-pox reported, but in December last they commenced to appear, and by the end of the year there had been 14 cases admitted into the Government Civil Hospital, and 46 into the Seamen's Hospital, besides seven in the Gaol. Since the beginning of the year the disease has been rapidly approaching an epidemic form, in spite of every precaution taken by the police to prevent it spreading.
No other epidemic visited the Colony during the past year.
I-THE POLICE,
Although both the rate of sickness and the rate of mortality of this Force have been higher than in the previous year, it is not much above what it was in 1868, nor greatly in excess of the average rate.
Page 395Page 396
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.