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MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-Mr. ident, I am in rather an unfortunate posi- in that I am the only member of the Board resunt now who happened to be present on the 8th April last, when the resolution was passed in regard to quarantine regulations; bat I can assure the Board that there was no misunder- standing with regard to the regulations of the Local Government Board. I think the mem- bors of this Board know that I have had much experience at a port at home during the cholera epidemic at Hamburg in 1893, and I know exactly what was done. No vessel could com- municate with the shore unless it had first been boarded by a Customs officer. You say that a boarding officer corresponds with the Customa officer. I say he does not, because the board- ing officer does not board each vessel before she communicates with the shore, and therefore if we are to rely on the boarding officer he must pay his visit before the ship communicates with the shore. That would be an admirable system, but I do not think it would be so admirable as having three medical officers.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT of POLICE --The police board the ships.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEATH-What information do they get?
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -They could get information.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTE-{{ that can be done it opens ont a fresh way of preventing the ships bringing infec tious cases into this port and landing those case. With regard to the question of the re- luctance of the Government to declare a port infected, there is no doubt that reluctance does exist. A short time ago the Board asked the Government 10 declare Amoy an infected port and the Government regretted they were unable to do so. Whatever the explanation may be the fact remains that the Government are not inclined to doolare ports infected and so neces- sitale the medical examination of ships before they communicate with the shore. I could give you other instances, but Amoy is the most recent one. Your statement that not more thau a dozen cases of infectious disease were admitted during the course of one year direct from the ship to the hospital is, I think, iu favone of the idea that the cases get ashore before the Medical Officer gots on board. My statistics show that last Fear more than fifty per cent. wore imported cases, although it is perfeolly true that not all of them were suffering from the disease when they arrived here. With regard to your re- marks about the plague in 1894 the explanation is that the Medical Officer who boarded the junks did not ferret out the nooks and corners, whereas my suggestion is that each medical officer should have an interpreter so that while the medical officer is inspecting the people on the deck the interpreter shall be below looking around to see if there are any sick people hidden there. As you have moved no resolution on the question of the medical inspection of vessels- because I take it these are two distinct questions before us-I beg to move-"That the report of the Fiealth Officer of the Port, together with the minutes of members, he forwarded to the Colonial Secrotary for the information of His Excellency the Governor," That resolution does not pledge the Board to any decision what- over. On the 8th April tast the Board passed a resolution in reference to quarantine regu. lations. The resolution was proposed by the President, seconded by the only unofficial mem ber of the Board, Mr. Ede, and supported by the Colonial Surgeon, so that presumably there some reason for such a resolution, and sooner than interfere with it I
move the resolution I hare just read out. Then in regard to the Venice Convention, you say you think this Government may adopt the convention, but that they cannot adopt it in regard to the surveillance or observation. In that case I do not see how the Government can adopt the convention when the nonvention clearly lays down that certain things for surveillance and observation shall be carried out. It seems to me deplorable that the sanitary authority in this enlightened colony should confess their inability to subsoribe to a sauilary convention recommended by our own
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Government and adopted by every one of the European powers-eighteen in all-some of whom are certainly not so enlightened in sanitary matters as ourselves. It should be remembered that that convention applies solely to plague and it recommends that persous arriving from plague infected ports should be subjected to one of two systems either detention in a boat or larazetto for ten
days, including the length of the roy- age, or surveillance, which means that the persons way proceed to their destination but will be followed there and a general supervision exercised over their movements. Great Britain has wisely decided to adopt the system of surveillance as it does not interfere with ship- ping and practically protects the country from an outbreak of plague. Each of the countries may impose certain additional restrictions and in such a colony as this, surrounded as we are by Asiatics, I have thought that an additional restriction in the way of guarantee would be of great advantage as the sanitary authorities will then be acquainted with their movements for a period of ten days. I think, sir, that the result of such a regulation as that would be that, instead of having, as the Health Officer of the Port tells us,
hundreds destitute Quolies arriving in the colony from plague-infected ports, WA should have a few respectable Chinese and those respectable Chinese could be supervised. If we only look at the alternative we can see the advantage of this system. The alternative, which I am in favour of if anything better is not adopted, is the total prohibition of immigra tion from plague-infected ports. The Captain Superintendent of Police is a strong advocate of such a prohibition and he will doubtless support me if the other fails. It is a matter for the shipping firms to decide whether they prefer to prevent all communication with infected ports
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or to allow those who come to remain here provid. ing they give the necessary guarantee. I submit that if we demand this guarantee we shall have in the place of hundreds of destitute coolies & few respectable Chinese, and over those
Wo Can excise sufficient surveillance. I therefore beg to move:-(1) "That the Beard beg to recommend the Government to become a party to the Venice Convention of 1997 in compliance with the advice contained in the letter of the Secretary of State for the colonies." (2) "That the Board are of opinion. that the scheme of medical surveillance of all persons landing in this colony from any port which has been proclaimed infected in accord- ance with Quarantine Regulation No. 1, and the provision of guarantees by all such persous as are of Asiatic or African nationality, is a practicahls one and beg to recommend its adoption by the Government in the mauner suggested by the Medical Officer of Health."
The ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS These subjects are closely allied, no doubt, becauso without medical inspection of vessels it would be impossible for this colony to sub. scribe to the convention and to become members of the convention. Therefore the one holds very largely on the other, and I must say that it appears to me thore would be very considerable difficulties at- tending it in the matter of expense, because I do not think myself that a staff of three medical officers could possibly look after the whole of the work. I think that with the long hours during which ships arrive and the climate that we have here during a considerable portion of the year, it would be physically impossible for these men to perform their duties through these long hours. However, I think it is our duty as the sanitary authority of this colony to do all in our power to take every step we can towards preventing the outbreak of any serious disease, and therefore I beg to second the mo- tions proposed by the Medical Officer of Health. The PRESIDENT--I think you are mistaken in understanding that the convention refers to the medical inspection of all shipping. The convention deals with only one disease, namely, plague, and it only refers to cases arriving from ports in Europe.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-The convention already applies to the Straits Set-
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