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The following minutes were also appended :--- The CaptainSuperintendent of Police--I think medical inspection of all vessels arriving in the colony is not justified by past experience and therefore not necessary.
"Surveillance" of Asiatics landed from infected ports is in this colony almost impossible. I think our present system basnorked well and should be adhered to.
The Acting Director of Public Works-It: appears to me that the medical inspection of all vessels arriving here is practicable, thoagh no doubt there are considerable difficulties in carrying it out. I take it that it is not suf ficiot to inspect merely the passengers but that every person on board must undergo inspection :1 I am referring to the native craft more parti-3 onlarly if this is so, then thereÂro over 12,000 persons arriving at Aberdeen and Shankiwan in the course of a year. It is in the inspection of the native craft that the difficulty lies, in my opinion. The inspection is in great measure a question of expouse.
The President-The Regulations of the Local Government Board, upon the considera tion of which the motion of April 8th was roado, refer only to infected ships and those suspected of being infected, and not to all ship- ping.
A discussion ensued.
The PRESIDENT-The mass of papers in cludes correspondence concerning the medical inspection of shipping and also the report of the International Flagae Conference held in Venico in the spring of this year, which was seat round to the Board for its consideration. With reforence to the medical inspection of shipping, that originated, I think, with the transmission by the Local Government Board of a series of regulations dealing with plague, cholera, and small-pox in the ports of the United Kingdom. These were likewise sent round to the Board for its consideration and at a meeting held on the 8th April last the President moved that it was desirable to establish in this colouy the medical inspection of shipping. I have gone over these regulations carefully and it appears to me that the members must have misread thom. The regulations refer, not to all shipping enter- ing the ports of the United Kingdom, bat to infected ships or those suspected of being in- fected. I think you will find that is so if you refer to Part 1 of these regalations. All these regulations are practically carried out in this colony under the present systom with this difference, that the Customs officer does not first board the vessels. The boarding officer, who, I take it, practically corresponds to the Customs officer, visits the ship, but he does not put the questions which are put at home with refereues to the existence of infectious diseases on board. Part 2 of the regulations says that the officer of the Customs shall, on the arrival of any ship from a foreign port. visit the ship and ascertain as far as possible whether snab ship is infected. The question he puts is: "Has any case or suspected case of cholera, yellow fever, or plagae occurred during the voyage?" Ar answer is given and if such a case bas occurred it is the duty of the Customs officer to order the ship to be moored in a certain spot, which here would be the quarantine anchorage, and be has to facquaint the Medical Officer of Health, who visits the ship and proceeds in tho usual manner by isolating the sick, disinfecting the ship, and following out the procedure re commended in these regulations. That is what is practically carried out here, the difference being this. The boarding officer visits evory ship that arrives in this colony. I enquires for particulars wished for at the Harbour Mas- ter's office and also ascertains if there are any cases of infectious diseases on board and it there are he orders the ship into the quaran- tine anchorage. But he does not report
to the Medical Officer of Health, The Chamber of Commerce admitted in a letter which they have written in connection with this subject the desirability of the medical inspection of vessels from infected ports. That is ali done here. Why there should be any hesitation by the Government in declaring a port infected when there is definite knowledge of the prevalence of a disease at such and such a place I cannot understand. A port must of necessity be proclaimed by the Government
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before ships can bo examined. Theoretically, the inspection of all ships is perhaps a desidera- tura in that it may prevent the importation of a-few cases.
I say "few" because during the ten years' experience I have had here I do not tbiuk there have been more than twelve cases ( in any one year that have come to the hospital from stips entering the harbour. I have been through the records and I do not think there have been more than twelve, Theoretically, I say, the inspection of all ships is to be desired, but is the necessary interference to trade which would follow so small as make the inspection justifiable? The Har- bour Master states that it would be neces sary to have two resolving stations, one at either end of the harbour. Each receiving station woahl require a staff to maintain it, and I certainly think, taking into consideration the number of passengers that daily arrive here, tho number of orews that daily arrive, and the number of emigrants that daily leave, that at least three raedical officers would be required to carry ou
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this if it in intruded that all ships shell be examined on arrival. If three medical officers are required three steam launches would be re quired. I say three because there would have to be one at either station and there would also have to be another to examine emigrants on board the ships. But still, I do not know that we need consider the expense, which is a matter for the Government to decide upon. When medical inspection of all shipping was enforced here, namely, during the plague epidemic of 1894, all junks and even river boats were examined by four or five doctors, and I am informed that not one was detected on board the ships or junke. case of plague Chinamen are not likely to travel when they are ill and I suppose that is why no cases were found. Smallpox and plague are practic- ally the only cases we have to consider. "Sunall. pox occurs every winter and I take it we shall be more or less liable to plague in years to come, as the disease is evidently in the place and cannot be relegated without improved sanitation for probably ten years. Cleanliness must be promoted, overcrowding prevented, and other sanitary measures adopted so that there will be no opportunity for the germs to grow. Talk- ing of smallpox, I would mention here the desirability of urging upon the Government to order the periodical disinfection of pawnbrokers' shops. The attention of the Government has been drawn to this question more than once. - and it is undoubtedly because of the old clothes that are kept in these shops that some of the infectious gorms are in our midst. I consider that the present system of inspecting ships is well adapted for local requirements as it avoids delay in the departure of ships leaving for Singapore and America. With regard to the Venice Commission I think we may recom- mend the Government to adhere generally to the courentiou, but we cannot do so in its en- tirety as surveillance is practically impossible in this colony. To subject passengers and crews of infected ships to a period of ten days' quarantine means that some quarantine station similar to that at Singapore for the housing of thousands of persons would be necessary, as there may be three or four ships arriving from infected ports in our Immediate vicinity. am informed there is no place near the colony whore such a station could be erected. With regard to surveillance, I do not see how it can be carried out where two or three thousand? passengers are arriving daily, Presuming that we had plague at Cantou. I do not see bow so many passengers as come from there could be inspected and for such one to find a surety. as the Medical Officer suggested, that they would remain at a certain address for a given time. I do not see how such numbers could be managed. So that I think surveillance is practically impossible in this colony. With regard to infected ships--by that I mean ships. arriving with disease on board, say with plague, ou board-we should have to deal with each one individually, not having any quarantine station for the incubation of the disouse, whatever it right be. I thought it better to place these views before you, but of course I shall be very! pleased to hear any member if he has anything
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