735
2. The burning of the houses would probably destroy the germs for a little depth, say a foot, and the soil deeper down, though possibly contaminated, would not be so dry as to become dust readily and cause the germs to blow about. The best way of treating the earth from Tai-ping-shan would be to cart it to some distance, say Kennedytown, and dump it there some way from dwellings. I don't know of any efficient mode of disinfecting soil in quantity but the process of burning would disinfect the walls and the superficial soil, and the subsequent exposure of the new surface before it is built upon would be the means of killing any germs should they have penetrated to the depth of four feet which is improbable.
Certainly the present soil should be taken away and to a distance from dwellings. No doubt some risk would be run by the people moving it, but very slight in my opinion.
I certainly cannot imagine that any course but the complete destruction of the infected area would be of any advantage, and to reconstruct it without destroying it would involve first its being pulled about so much as to double the labour and to allow a most dangerous spot to exist. The houses are structurally bad, the materials are old, the lanes are too narrow and the whole area is over-peopled, the drains are imperfect and, finally, most of the soil and the materials are full of plague germs. There are no doubt other places nearly as bad, but none quite so bad and none so much poisoned.
I am sure that half measures are to be condemned and that the only way to make things safe is -1st burn the combustible parts, 2nd pull down the walls, 3rd dig up the soil. You then have a clean area that can be properly laid out and drained and, with well contrived houses, will hold a good number of people.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) H. E. R. JAMES.
EVIDENCE GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING THE CHINESE
at their meeting of 13th July, 1894.
The Colonial Surgeon (Dr. AYRES, C.M.G.) examined.
The CHAIRMAN.-With regard to the treatment of the walled-in portion of Tai-ping-shan, Dr. AYRES, now under consideration, what is your opinion?
A.-Those places are now being disinfected with chloride of lime and acid.
I quite approve of the course recommended by the Permanent Committee.
The CHAIRMAN. Then I understand we may take it that your opinion on this is the opinion expressed in the report of the Permanent Committee, that the houses be demolished?
A. Yes, destroyed, as far as possible, by fire. I say that the sub-soil is strongly infected, and cannot be thoroughly dealt with as long as the buildings stand over it. If it were not so, you would not see rats coming up out of the sewers and holes in the ground, full of bacteria, not communicated to them from human patients but from the sewage which is soaking through the soil, and from the gases down below, a sure proof that the sub-soil is in a dangerous state. Rats do not catch the disease from any infection above, but from below.
The CHAIRMAN.-Would you advise the destruction of the wood-work, and leave the brick-work?
A.-Destroy the wood-work, certainly; the bricks would after fire be just as valuable as when new, or would even be improved perhaps, and could be used over again; but they would have to be removed for the sake of getting at the ground properly. Drop all the beams and other wood-work from the upper floors to the ground floor and burn them, and take the tiles off the roof and throw down the beams and rafters too.
The CHAIRMAN.-Do you advise the entire demolition of the houses, or would you leave the walls standing?
A.-Entire demolition. The whole of the surface soil will have to be dug up and disinfected. That may be troublesome; probably in course of digging we shall have to go on disinfecting the soil carefully before disturbing it, and very possibly even then some of the diggers may have trouble.
The CHAIRMAN.-That is the point the Governor was anxious to get at. In Mauritius an epidemic was once started from the digging-up of an infected area.
A.-Yes, but it must be done, and we must do the best we can.
Dr. HARTIGAN.-What was the disease?
A.-Bilious Remittent.
The CHAIRMAN.-And should the soil be dug up and taken away, or disinfected and left?
A.-If it is mixed with lime enough or anything of that kind it could be turned over and disinfected and left there. Of course, all the filthy parts will have to be taken away but the cleaner parts of the soil should be disinfected on the spot.
Principal Medical Officer (Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON) examined.
I am in favour of the complete demolition of every house in that portion of the City. I have been through it several times and seen a great deal inside it, and I think the whole place should be destroyed by fire.
The CHAIRMAN.-Why?
A.-Because every house is polluted.
The CHAIRMAN.-Are there not some that could be left?
The COLONIAL SURGEON.-There are very few buildings worthy of consideration, and they are on the very outside of the District. The lanes and alleys are too terrible for anything. (Described in detail buildings on a steep slope where the basement in many parts consisted of excavations in the hillside). In many of the darker back parts there were two inches' depth of fecal matter although the front might appear very fair. Some of the places are as dark as pitch, and you cannot see anything except with the aid of a lamp.
The CHAIRMAN.-Then it is faulty construction of houses as much as anything else that influences you?
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON.-Every house has become a focus of disease apart from faults of construction. Every house I have been into is unfit for human habitation. I think there is nothing for it but the entire destruction of the whole lot by fire.
The CHAIRMAN.-And as to the digging up of the soil?
A.-Well, I hardly know; if there is a large conflagration that would disinfect the soil a great deal, but to cart it away bodily or to disinfect it completely would be a very big job, and I doubt if it could be done.
The CHAIRMAN.-Then, do you mean that the question lies between cementing it over on the surface of the soil?
A.-I think it must be disinfected thoroughly, if possible.
The COLONIAL SURGEON.-The streets already are covered with lime-as far as that goes they are being disinfected.
The CHAIRMAN.-But you are not prepared to decide about taking up the soil and carting it away?
A.-No. It is probably impregnated with germs throughout, or bacteria or bacilli, and I think it should be thoroughly disinfected with powerful disinfectants. Otherwise, it would be unsafe to disturb the soil at all.
The COLONIAL SURGEON.-Of course, it would be absolutely necessary to disturb the earth in re-building the streets.
Surgeon Colonel PRESTON.-Yes, but that must be allowed as little as possible.
»
735
2. The burning of the houses would probably destroy the germs for a little depth, say a foot, and the soil deeper down, though possibly contaminated, would not be so dry as to become dust readily and cause the germs to blow about. The best way of treating the earth from Tai-ping-shan would be to cart it to some dist- ance, say Kennedytown, and dump it there some way from dwellings. I don't know of any efficient mode of disinfecting soil in quantity but the process of burning would disinfect the walls and the superficial soil, and the subsequent exposure of the new surface before it is built upon would be the means of killing any germs should they have penetrated to the depth of four feet which is improbable.
Certainly the present soil should be taken away and to a distance from dwellings. No doubt some risk would be run by the people moving it, but very slight in my opinion.
I certainly cannot imagine that any course but the complete destruction of the infected area would be of any advantage, and to reconstruct it without destroying it would involve first its being pulled about so much as to double the labour and to allow a most dangerous spot to exist. The houses are structurally bad, the materials are old, the lanes are too narrow and the whole area is over-peopled, the drains are imperfect and, finally, most of the soil and the materials are full of plague germs. There are no doubt other places nearly as bad, but none quite so bad and none so much poisoned.
I am sure that half measures are to be condemned and that the only way to make things safe is -1st burn the combustible parts, 2nd pull down the walls, 3rd dig up the soil. You then have a clean area that can be properly laid out and drained and, with well contrived houses, will hold a good number of people.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed) H. E, R. JAMES.
EVIDENCE GIVEN TO THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING
THE CHINESE
at their meeting of 13th July, 1894.
The Colonial Surgeon (Dr. AYRES, C.M.G.) examined.
The CHAIRMAN.-With regard to the treatment of the walled-in portion of Tai-ping-shan, Dr. AYRES, now under consideration, what is your opinion?
A.-Those places are now being disinfected with chloride of lime and acid.
I quite approve of the course recommended by the Permanent Committee.
The CHAIRMAN. Then I understand we may take it that your opinion on this is the opinion expressed in the report of the Permanent Committee, that the houses be demolished ?
A. Yes, destroyed, as far as possible, by fire. I say that the sub-soil is strongly infected, and cannot be thoroughly dealt with as long as the buildings stand over it. If it were not so, you would not see rats coming up out of the sewers and holes in the ground, full of bacteria, not communicated to them from human patients but from the sewage which is soaking through the soil, and from the gases down below, a sure proof that the sub-soil is in a dangerous state. rats do not catch the disease from any infection above, but from below.
The
:
The CHAIRMAN.Would you advise the destruction of the wood-work, and leave the brick-work?
A.-Destroy the wood-work, certainly; the bricks would after fire be just as valuable as when new, or would even be improved perhaps, and could be used over again; but they would have to be removed for the sake of getting at the ground- properly. Drop all the beams and other wood-work from the upper floors to the ground floor and burn them, and take the tiles off the roof and throw down the beams and rafters too.
The CHAIRMAN.Do you advise the entire demolition of the houses, or would you leave the walls standing?
A.-Entire demolition. The whole of the surface soil will have to be dug up and disinfected. That may be troublesome; probably in course of digging we shall have to go on disinfecting the soil carefully before disturbing it, and very possibly even then some of the diggers may have trouble.
The CHAIRMAN.-That is the point the Governor was anxious to get at. In Mauritius an epidemic was once started from the digging-up of an infected area.
A.-Yes, but it must be done, and we must do the best we can.
Dr. HARTIGAN.-What was the disease?
A.-Bilious Remittent.
The CHAIRMAN.--And should the soil be dug up and taken away, or disinfected and left ?
A.--If it is mixed with lime enough or anything of that kind it could be turned over and disinfected and left there. Of course, all the filthy parts will have to be taken away but the cleaner parts of the soil should be disinfected on the spot.
Principal Medical Officer (Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON) examined.
I am in favour of the complete demolition of every house in that portion of the City. I have been through it several times and seen a great deal inside it, and I think the whole place should be destroyed by fire.
The CHAIRMAN.----Why?
A.--Because every house is polluted.
The CHAIRMAN.-Are there not some that could be left?
The COLONIAL SURGEON.-There are very few buildings worthy of conside- ration, and they are on the very outside of the District. The lanes and alleys are too terrible for anything. (Described in detail buildings on a steep slope where the basement in many parts consisted of excavations in the hillside). In many of the darker back parts there were two inches' depth of fecal matter although the front might appear very fair. Some of the places are as dark as pitch, and you cannot see anything except with the aid of a lamp.
The CHAIRMAN.---Then it is faulty construction of houses as much as any- thing else that influences you?
Surgeon-Colonel PRESTON.-Every house has become a focus of disease apart from faults of construction. Every house I have been into is unfit for human habitation. I think there is nothing for it but the entire destruction of the whole lot by fire.
The CHAIRMAN.-And as to the digging up of the soil ?
A.-Well, I hardly know; if there is a large conflagration that would disinfect the soil a great deal, but to cart it away bodily or to disinfect it completely would be a very big job, and I doubt if it could be done.
The CHAIRMAN.-Then, do you mean that the question lies between cement-
'ing it over on the surface of the soil?
A.-I think it must be disinfected thoroughly, if possible.
The COLONIAL SURGEON.-The streets already are covered with lime-as far
as that goes they are being disinfected.
The CHAIRMAN.-But you are not prepared to decide about taking up the soil and carting it away?
A.-No. It is probably impregnated with germs throughout, or bacteria or bacilli, and I think it should be thoroughly disinfected with powerful disinfectants. Otherwise, it would be unsafe to disturb the soil at all.
The COLONIAL SURGEON.--Of course, it would be absolutely necessary to disturb the earth in re-building the streets.
Surgeon Colonel PRESTON.--Yes, but that must be allowed as little as possible.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.