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the succeeding February. Looking to what happened in Pakhoi, where after a bad outbreak in the Spring of 1882 and early rain in the spring of 1883, the epidemic did not re-appear. we may hope that if we get early rain in 1895 this District will again sink into that blissful state of ignorance of the plague in which it seems to have been during the memory of men now living. Should we have a dry January and February the disease will almost certainly re-appear.
In Hong Kong which is fortumate in an ably- conducted Meteorological Department, the weather can be followed from day to day, and the proper steps taken by cleansing and flooding the ground floor of houses or such action as specialists direct. We may fairly expect that the plague will be dormant in Hong Kong from August to January. In that interval the floor of every native house might be asphalted or paved with glazed tiles. This will cost money but perhaps not more than the underground drains, elaborate traps etc on which Sanitary Engineers in the East waste money, and which are as suited and useful to a Chinese coolie as an ac
cordian to a cat.
Advantages possessed by Hong Kong in coping with
the Plague.
Besides having the resources of civilization at its back Hong Kong has the advantage that at least nine-tenths of its population are drawn from the neigh- bouring districts in China; that these are eager to send their plague-stricken brethren home to China; and that the Chinese Government is very willing to re- ceive them. The truth is that a Chinese looks upon
the dead body much as a Christian does on the soul:
his
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