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frequently discussed this subject with experienced Australian and American quarantine Officers and they have all admitted the impossibility of dealing with the matter in accordance with this Convention.
Practical Experiences. In 1894 all coolies from Canton and Macao were examined. Whilst the accusation, sometimes made, that the work was not properly done might hold good in my case as I had all the Steamers so inspected in addition to my ordinary work, it hardly applies to the two Officers who were specially engaged and well paid to inspect junks only. They worked for 8 hours a day and had only small lots to deal with at a time as the junks only carry 6 to 20 passengers each. Not a single case was discovered in that year nor in '95, and '93 when I again did the Steamers. The reason which I gave and still give is that the Chinese do not want to come here if they have plague so that no one starts who feels the least ill. The incubation period of plague being from 2 to 9 days it is impossible to detect it when they have only been a few hours on board. Beyond irritating the shipping people it has never had any result.
Singapore has often and only quite lately been placed in "quarantine of inspection" and out of the hundreds of Steamers examined only one had cholera. This Steamer according to all maritime laws would have been obliged to go into quarantine in any case owing to so many cases of death and illness on board, and I, therefore consider the inspection against Singapore to have been useless and vexatious. This is more apparent when it is considered that no distinction is ever made between Steamers with or without surgeon, with or without coolies or between those who have been 24 hours only in Singapore discharging cargo and those which may have been there for days. The only boats likely to import disease are those carrying coolies. The same practical result has been obtained in "quarantine of inspection" imposed against Shanghai, Kobe, Tamsui and other coast ports. I do not recollect any single case ever having come to our knowledge of any infectious disease on board these vessels. The cases lately imported from Saigon do not affect this statement as Saigon was not in quarantine and in view of the Magistrate's decision it would appear doubtful if they did come from Saigon where we have never heard of any plague being in existence.
The argument advanced that this quarantine of inspection should be in vogue here because it exists in London is a fallacious one seems to me to ignore the necessity of adopting general rules to local conditions. No one minds quarantine in London or similar places because they are the terminal ports where Steamers have plenty of time to unload and load and do not therefore feel the loss of a day or two's detention. Hongkong, however, is a port of call for 95% of the Steamers who have to catch tides in other ports, keep time, avoid fogs etc. and in some cases have to arrive on a fixed day elsewhere in order not to lose a charter and to them even a few hours and much more a day or two's detention in a port of call is a serious
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352
frequently discussed this subject with experienced Australian and American quarantine Officers and they have all adaitted the impossibili- ty of dealing with the matter in accordance with this Convention.
Practical Experiences. In 1994 all coolies from Canton and Macao were examined. Whilst the accusation, sometimes made, that the work was not properly done might bold good in my case as I bad all the Steamers so inspected in addition to my ordinary work it bardly ap- plies to the two Officers who were specially engaged and well paid to inspect junks only. They worked for 8 hours a day and had only small lots to deal with at a time as the junks only carry 6 to 20 passengers sach. Not a single case was discovered in that year nor in '95, and '93 when I again did the Steamers. The reason which I gave and still give is that the Chinese do not want to come here if they have plague so that no one starts who feels the least ill. The incubation period of plague being from 2 to 9 days it is impossible to detect it when they have only been a few hours on board. Beyond irritating the shipping people it has never had any result.
Singapore has often and only quite lately been placed in"quarantine of inspection" and out of the hundreds of Steamers examined only one bad cholera. This Steamer according to all maritime laws would have been obliged to go into quarantine in any case owing to so many cases of death and illness on board, and I, therefore congider the inspection against Singapore to have been useless and vpxations. This is more apparent when it is considered that no distinotion is ever made between Steamers with or without surgeon, with or without coolies or between those who have been 24 bours only in Singapore disobarging cargo and those which may have been there for days. The only boats likely to import disease are those carrying coolies. The same practical result has been obtained in *quarantine of inspection" imposed against Shangbai, Kobe, Tamsui and other coast ports. I do not recollect any single case ever having come to our knowledge of any infectious disease on board these vessels. The cases lately imported from Saigon do not affect this statement as Saigon was not in quarantine and in view of the Magistrate's decision it would appear doubtful if they did come from Saigon where we bave never heard of any plague being in existence.
The argument advanced that this quarantine
of inspection should be in vogue here because it exists in London is a fallacious one seems to me to ignore the necessity of adopting general rules to local conditions. No one minds quarantine in London or similar places because they are the terminal ports where Steamers have plenty of time to unload and load and do not therefore feel the loss of a day or two's detention. Hongkong, however, is a port of call for 95% of the Steamers who bave to catch tides in other ports, keep time, avoid fogs c. and in some cases have to arrive on a fixed day elsewhere in order not to lose a charter and to them even a few bours and much more a day or two's detention in a port of call is a
serious
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