CO129-194 - Governor Hennessy Administrator Tonnochy - 1881 [8-9] — Page 247

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# MINUTE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR,

I fear the Colonial Surgeon is not as fully alive as he should be to the grave consequences of allowing the existing system of Gaol latrines to continue.

Under the present system, a solitary case of cholera or of typhoid fever in the crowded and badly situated Gaol of Hongkong, might speedily destroy a large proportion of the Community.

Nor is the danger confined to that part of the Town of Victoria (the centre of the European Quarter) where the Gaol is situated. On proceeding towards the place (Lap-sap-wan, West end of Victoria District) where the contents of the prisoners' tubs are ultimately deposited, I found the stench so great as to be offensive outside a radius of an eighth of a mile.

I am not disposed to allow this to continue till some calamity compels the responsible officials to carry out the instructions given more than once by the Secretary of State on this subject.

An abundance of proper earth can be obtained (especially from the neighbourhood of the Wong-nei-chung Valley) for the Gaol.

Means must at once be taken for collecting, kiln-drying and properly sifting this earth, and using it according to the printed instructions which accompanied the Secretary of State's despatch of 2nd December, 1867.

I shall hold the Chief Authorities of the Gaol, and especially the Colonial Surgeon, gravely responsible if any unnecessary delay occurs in carrying out these instructions.

## VICTORIA GAOL OFFICE,

12th June, 1877.

[No. 54.]

SIR—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, enclosing copy of a minute of His Excellency the Governor directing the immediate introduction of the dry earth system of sewerage into this gaol, and have the honour to report that I at once took the necessary measures for carrying out His Excellency's instructions. I beg to request that I may be furnished with a copy of the printed instructions which accompanied the Secretary of State's despatch of the 2nd December, 1867, as there is not a copy on record in this Department.

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

GEO. L. TOMLIN,

Acting Superintendent.

The Honourable J. G. AUSTIN, C.M.G.,

Colonial Secretary,

HONGKONG.

(Signed)

J. POPE HENNESSY.

6th June, 1877,

## EXPLANATION BY THE COLONIAL SURGEON.

GOVERNMENT CIVIL HOSPITAL,

HONGKONG, 11th June, 1877.

Sir,—I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. 389 of the 7th instant, and deeply regret to think that His Excellency the Governor should think I am not fully alive to the evils referred to.

2. In 1875, partly at my instance, an attempt was made to put the dry earth system into operation in the Victoria Gaol. During the time it was on trial and apparently working satisfactorily, I was attacked with typhoid fever, and was subsequently absent for some months on sick leave. Before my return, the dry earth system had been abandoned as impracticable, for what valid reason I was never able to discover.

3. Dr. MOUAT, the Inspector General of Gaols, mentioned in the Indian Report as one of the promoters of the dry earth system in India, being a personal friend of mine, I have been able to obtain from him the results of its success, and these results I have been able to verify for myself when I was in charge of Indian Gaols and Hospitals.

4. At the same time, I may perhaps point out that being only consulting physician of the Victoria Gaol, I have myself no practical means of putting in practice the dry earth system in that Establishment, and that my duties in regard to it are limited to indicating to its Superintendent whatever sanitary measures may occur to me from time to time desirable.

5. I am however by no means desirous on this account to limit myself to giving good advice, and would be glad to assist His Excellency the Governor practically, and in any way which the Government may wish, in the work of Sanitation. On this matter, I would respectfully invite the attention of His Excellency to the sanitary portion of my Annual Report, which deals with a variety of subjects, requiring reform.

6. In applying the dry earth system to the Victoria Gaol or any other Public Building, I would strongly recommend, in spite of the increased expense, the use of some other earth than that obtainable in the Island, as its deodorising qualities, from the prevalence of quartz, are extremely feeble.

I have, &c.,

(Signed)

PH. B. C. AYRES,

Colonial Surgeon.

The Honourable J. GARDINER AUSTIN,

Colonial Secretary.

GOVERNOR J. POPE HENNESSY, C.M.G.,

To Earl of Carnarvon,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 14th June 1877.

MY LORD,—I enclose for Your Lordship's information a copy of my Minute of the 28th May referring the question of the state of the latrines in the Gaol to the Colonial Surgeon, Dr. AYRES. In his reply of the 29th of May, he gives his reasons for thinking that nothing could be done to carry out the dry earth system in the Hongkong Gaol: though he admits that even in the Warden's Quarters, the stench is, at times, sickening; and that the previous Warden's health suffered much in consequence.

In my Minute of the 6th of June, I pointed out that, under the present system, a solitary case of cholera or typhoid fever in the crowded and badly situated Gaol of Hongkong might speedily destroy a large proportion of the Community, and I directed proper steps to be taken, without any unnecessary delay, for establishing the dry earth system.

There will be in fact no real difficulty in getting this system into operation in the Gaol. Gentlemen who have also resided here for many years, tell me they have used the system with complete success and with not more trouble than in other places.

I have, &c.,

The Right Honourable The EARL OF CARNARVON,

Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State,

No. 80.

&c., &c., &c.

(Signed)

J. POPE HENNESSY,

Governor.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 1st August 1877.

MY LORD,—In Mr. Administrator AUSTIN'S despatch No. 53 of the 14th of March 1877, he announced the resignation of Mr. GREY, the Warden of the Hongkong Gaol, on the ground of ill health, and the provisional appointment of Mr. CORCORAN to the post of Warden.

2. In my despatch No. 34 of the 14th of June, I laid before Your Lordship copies of some Minutes on the defective sanitary arrangements of the Gaol, in one of which, dated 29th May 1877, the Colonial Surgeon, Dr. AYRES, said: "The stench in the Warden's Quarters at times in the hot weather is sickening, and the previous Warden's health suffered very much in consequence."

3. On referring to the papers on which Mr. GREY was pensioned, I find the Medical Officer of the prison certifying that the Warden had been continually suffering from intermittent fever and bowel complaints; being the diseases that in my experience of hospitals and prisons are generally traceable to the want of such sanitary arrangements as the dry earth system.

4. I also transmitted to Your Lordship a copy of the instructions I felt it to be my duty to issue (after some preliminary Minutes) on the 6th of June to the Acting Superintendent of the Prison and to the Colonial Surgeon directing that means should be taken at once for establishing the dry earth system in the Prison.