78
by
those visited visited by Europeans were examined: the women in purely Chinesć brothels were left alone. Similarly in the Straits
whereas the former class of women were examined once a week,
the latter were examined only once a month.
Mr. Hare's
disease are two-fold:-
definite proposals as regards venereal
1.
that the Protector and State Surgeon should
have power to inspect brothels and direct any women to go to
a hospital.
2.
that private medical clubs should be established.
1.
This proposal is in part similar to the Indian rules; but in Mr.Hare's scheme is included registration and inspection of brothels, which Mr. Chamberlain has decided not to approve.
2. This is not a matter for the Government to inter-
fere with: and it would be out of the question to do as Sir J.A.Swettenham proposes, viz: to fix the medical fee per cap.
per annum by law.
IV.
At Hong Kong the figures given by the China Association
in 4718 and supported by the annexed tabular statement furnish-
ed by the Army Medical Department are more serious than at
p. 86
the S.3.· There has been a more or less continuous increase in the amount
of disease since the Act was repealed in 1889. But consider-
ing the great fluctuations that have taken place in the S.S. it would not be surprising if the 1898 figures show a decrease.
In the Army Medical Report for 1897, certain reasons are given for the excessive prevalence of venereal disease, which are altogether apart from the repeal of the C.D.0. I hope the War Office will attend to the suggestions made in this Report, and spend a little more money on making the barrackshore attractive, and giving the men recreation rooms. Those suggestions, however, are wholly for the War Office to
consider.
Pp.152 -3
p.35 (C.8919)
C-8538
C-8919
The
The 0.A.G. does not appear to be any more in faw ur
of the kind of legislation proposed by Mr.Chamberlain than Sir J.A.Swettenham; but he has complied with the Secretary
of State's instructions to prepare an Ordinance on the lines
He sends home two of the Indian Cantonment Regulations.
the
draft Ordinances; one dealing with venereal disease, other with contagious and infectious diseases generally.
It is obviously more convenient that the special pro- visions dealing with venereal disease should be incorporated in a special Ordinance. No necessity has been shown for amending the existing laws dealing with contagious and in- fectious diseases in general. I therefore proceed to cri- ticise the first Hong Kong draft Ordinance. It goes far bo- yond the Indian Regulations, inasmuch as it creates several new offences with heavy penalties attached. If an Ordiriance is to be passed, the Ceylon draft, with the amendments sug- gested above, is much less objectionable.
I will not criticise the Hong Kong draft in detail, but
I notice the following more important points:
A. Section 2 contains a curious definition of pre-
mises, including, inter alia, buildings etc., "occupied by This definition is non-Asiatics who are not prostitutes".
in order to save European householders from the operation of section 3; but I understood Mr.Chamberlain to propose to
However,
make the provisions of universal application. section 3 of the draft Ordinance, which introduces the prin-
an absolutely ciple of notification of these diseases -
novel principle in English law, -as regards these diseases is based on a clause in the draft Indian Cantonment Regula- tions, which is altogether omitted in the Regulations as
finally
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