CO129-303 - Public Offices & Others - 1900 — Page 339

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These Regulations (L) define as "infectious or

contagious disease" maladies not dealt with under the

Venice Conventions; moreover they attempt to regulate

by the same ordinance Plague, which is governed by the Venice Convention of 1897, and Cholera which is governed

by the Venice Convention of 1892. It would have be on

better to have had separate and distinct Regulations for

Cholera and Plague as has been adopted by the East Africa

Protectorate.

As matters stand, any attempt at Hong Kong to

deal with Cholera under these would inevitably lead to

trouble. By the Venice Convention Cholera suspected and

cholera infected vessels are to be dealt with on a 7

day basis, not on a 12 day basis as here proposed.

too as regards period of "observation" and "surveillance"

of Cholera vessels, Venice Convention makes such period

5 days not ten.

So

But even as regards plague the Regulations are

not wholly in accord with the Venice Convention of 1897,

Thus:-

Article 6 (a)(b) may be read as making ten days

observation or surveillance date from arrival of vessel

instead of from occurrence of last case of plague on

board.

Article 6 (c) period of surveillance should

date from time of leaving infected part, not from date of

arrival at Hong Kong.

In certain respects, these Regulations may as

regards plague be regarded as incomplete or not suf-

ficiently explicit. No mention is made of. exemption of