not granted pratique until 5.40 p.m., giving her barely time to berth alongside the wharves in daylight.
This letter is not written with the object of criticising the Health Officer's methods in dealing with a vessel when in quarantine, but to demonstrate how absolutely necessary it is that the Health Officer should give his undivided attention to his shipping duties.
Whether an official Boarding Health Officer be appointed or whether the duties remain in the present hands, it would, I submit, be desirable to give larger powers to the Masters of vessels carrying qualified surgeons; otherwise, to carry out the duties efficiently, a staff of boarding officers would be required.
Dr. Clarke, the Medical Officer of Health advocated this himself in his Report on the Health of the Colony for the year 1897, as the following extract from the Quarantine Regulations proposed by him in the Report will show: - "And provided also that the Boarding Medical Officer may, in his discretion, omit such general medical inspection of the passengers and crew and of all other persons on board, upon the production of a certificate in the form set forth in the schedule attached hereto, duly signed by the master of the vessel and counter-signed by the surgeon to the effect that there has been no case of sickness of an infectious nature during the voyage, and that the ship surgeon has seen every person on board during the twelve hours immediately preceding the visit of the Boarding Medical Officer and is satisfied that they are all in good health,”
In allusion to this, Dr. Clarke pointed out "that all the Mail steamers, including P. & O., O. & O., N.P., C.P.R., M.M. N.D.L., and the Holt, Shire, Glen and probably other Lines carry surgeons. It will be seen that not many of the 13 steamers which enter this port daily will need a very prolonged visit from the Boarding Medical Officer."
As already stated in this letter, the Mail Sorters, who in times of epidemic in Singapore would not improbably reside in an infected quarter during their stay there, are allowed to leave the vessel before she is boarded by the Health Officer, provided the ship's surgeon certifies they are free from infectious disease, and in accordance with Dr. Clarke's recommendation, I would suggest that this power be extended, and, provided the master of a vessel arriving from an infected port is prepared to sign a certificate, countersigned by the surgeon, that there is no sickness of an infectious nature amongst the crew or the passengers, the vessel should be allowed to proceed direct to the wharves, or to her moorings, where the certificate could be handed to the Boarding Health Officer, or perhaps to the Harbour Police.
In the case of a vessel arriving with infectious disease on board, I would beg to recommend for consideration the suggestion that arrangements should be made for telegraphing the fact from Gap Rock from the South and Waglan from the North. This could be done by a simple code of signals arranged from the Mercantile Code flags. On passing the signal station the vessel would fly a flag, under the yellow flag, denoting a letter which would signify that, say a suspected case of small-pox or plague was on board, as the case might be, and the Health Officer would then know exactly how to act, taking lymph with him, if required. In such cases the Government should insist that the Health Officer must visit the vessel immediately on anchoring.
I had originally intended to ask the representatives of the various Lines concerned to co-operate with me in a joint appeal, but have been unfortunately prevented from doing so by pressure of work, and fully realising, as I do, the importance of quick despatch to Mail steamers and other vessels and that no avoidable or unnecessary delay should be incurred when passing through this port, especially at this time of the year when fogs are so prevalent on the China Coast, I considered the purpose would be served more expeditiously and as effectually by placing the matter before the Committee of the Chamber, on which shipping interests are so prominently represented, and begging them to represent to the Government the necessity which exists for placing the medical inspection of shipping in this harbour on a more satisfactory footing without delay.
I am, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
H. A. RITCHIE,
Superintendent.
R. C. Wacos, Esq.,
Secretary,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
not granted pratique until 5.40 p.m., giving her barely time to berth alongside the wharves in daylight.
This letter is not written with the object of eriticising the Health Offloor's methods in
dealing with a vessel when in quarantine, but 330
to demonstrate how absolutely necessary it is that the Health Officer should givehis undivided attention to his shipping duties.
Whether an official Boarding Health Officer be appointed or whether the duties remain in the present hauds, it would, I submit, be desir- able to give larger powers to the Masters ofg vessels carrying qualified surgeons; otherwise, to carry out the duties efficiently, a staff of boarding officers would be required.
Dr. Clarke, the Medical Officer of Health advocated this himself in his Report on the Health of the Colony for the year 1897, as the following extract from the Quarantine Regula. Lions proposed by him in the Report will show: -" And provided also that the Boarding Me- dical Officer may, in his discretion, omit such general medical inspection of the passengers and crew and of all other persons on board, upon the production of a certificate in the form set forth in the schedule attached hereto, duly sigued by the master of the vessel aud counter- signed by the surgeon to the effect that there has been no case of sickness of an infectious nature during the voyage, and that the sail surgeon has seen every person ou board during the twelve hours immediately preceding the visit of the Boarding Medical Officer and is satisfied that they are all in good health,”
In allusion to this, Dr. Clarke pointed out "that all the Mail steamers, including P. & O., 0. & O., N.P., C.P.R., M.M. N.D.L., and the Holt, Shire, Glen and probably other Lines carry surgeons. It will be seen that not many of the 13 steamers which enter this port daily will need a very prolonged visit from the Boarding Medical Officer."
As already stated in this letter, the Mail Sorters, who in times of epidemic in Singapore would not improbably reside in an infected quarter during their stay there, are allowed to leave the vessel before she is boarded by the Health Officer, provided the ship's surgeon certifies they are free from infectious disease, and in accordance with Dr. Clarke's recommendation, I would suggest that this power be extended. and, provided the master of a vessel arriving from an infected port is prepared to sign a certificate, countersigned by the surgeon, that there is no sickness of an infectious nature amongst the crew or the passengers, the vessel should be allowed to proceed direct to the wharves, or to her moorings, where the certi- ficate could be handed to the Boarding Health Officer, or perhaps to the Harbour Police.
In the case of a vessel arriving with infec tious disease on board, I would beg to recommend for consideration the suggestion that arrange. ments should be made for telegraphing the fact from Gap Rock from the South and Waglan from the North. This could be done by a simple code of signals arranged from the Mercantile Code dags. On passing the signal station the vessel would fly a flag, under the yellow flag, denoting a letter which would signify that, say a suspected case of small-pox or plague was on board, as the case might be, and the Health Officer would then know exactly how to act, taking lymph with him, if required. In such cases the Government should insist that the Health Officer must visit the vessel immediately on anchoring.
I had originally intended to ask the representatives of the various Lines concerned to co-operate with me in a joint appeal, but have been unfortunately prevented from doing so by pressure of work, and fully realising, as I do, the importance of quick despatch to Mail stesmers and other vessels and that no avoidable or unnecessary de.ay should be incurred when passing through this port, especially at this time of the year when fogs are so prevalent on the China Coast, I considered the purpose would be served more expeditiously and as effectually by placing the matter before the Committee of the Chamber, on which shipping interests are so prominently represented, and begging them to represent to the Government the necessity which exists for placing the medical inspection of shipping in this harbour on a more satisfactory footing without delay,
I am, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,
H. A. RITCHIE,
Superintendent.
R. C. Wacos, Esq..
Secretary,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
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