CO129-265 - Public Offices & Others - 1894 — Page 225

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to house visitation referred to below. Of a Chinese population of 210,000 it is estimated that 80,000 to 90,000 left Hong Kong during May and June.

Many of them already infected with the disease. It is probable that nearer 10,000 than 2,000 were infected in the neighbourhood of Tai-ping-shan. At one time there vere as many as 15 deaths a night on board British steamers leaving Hong Kong at 6 p.m. and reaching Canton at 6.a.m. next morning. All these were persons apparently well when they walked on board in Hong Kong or they would not have been admitted.

Trouble in Canton in consequence of measures taken

in Hong Kong to stay the plague.

At once on the plague declaring itself in Hong Kong the Government ordered that all patients

were to be moved to a Hospital ship - the Hygeia -

moored in the Harbour. Unfortunately the Chinese have

a poor opinion of foreign medicine and a vivid mental

picture of the Foreign surgeon as a ruthless demon

armed with steel delighting in slashing up the human

body a practice condemned by Confucian Ethics as a

breach of the duty that, to quote a commentator," we

got our bodies perfect from our parents and should so

preserve them to the last". The result was serious

alarm almost causing riot.

On 22nd May a deputation of leading Chinese

in Hong Kong waited on his Excellency the Governor

and