COPY.
c. 0.
281
41075
A
Race 25 NOV 01 Extract from "The Times of India" of the 21st September 1991.
Hongkong and the Plague.
It is now seven years since the island of Hongkong underwent its first visitation of plague. It does not augur well for the future immunity of the colony that after enduring several severe outbreaks, it has just passed through another epidemic more virulent than any of the earlier ones. The disease began to assume an epidemic form towards the end of April, reached its height in June, and rapidly declined in July. The worst statistics were recorded during the first week in June, when the number of cases reached 212, with 203 deaths. These figures will appear exceptionally light to stricken Bombay. Even allowing for the far smaller population, the new census report puts the total number of inhabitants of the Colony at 283,000; it is obvious that, by comparison, Hongkong has escaped almost mildly. Since 1894, the island has only had nine thousand reported cases of bubonic plague, with a mortality averaging from 89 to 98 per cent.
The citizens of Hongkong appear to regard these returns as constituting sufficient reason for making agonizing appeals to the Secretary of State for the Colonies concerning the local Administration. If Hongkong had been compelled to endure the far worse experience of Bombay and other Indian cities, its public men would probably have learned to accept its misfortunes more calmly. The rate of mortality in Hongkong was appreciably higher than in Bombay, but the incidence of the disease was far less. During the single year ending in May 1900, the city of Bombay, out of an average population of 740,000, recorded 18,310 plague attacks, out of which there were 13,928 deaths. These mortality figures represent correctly diagnosed cases. If suspicious cases are added, the plague mortality is brought up to 25,845. But this is not all; for in that same disastrous year, there were 48,000 deaths set down as due to ordinary causes - and as these "ordinary" deaths were 22,000 in excess of the normal annual death-rate, it may be assumed that some of these were also due to plague. The total number of deaths from all causes in Bombay during 1899 was 71,000, representing a death-rate of 97.02 per mille.
If the Hongkong community realised the terrible significance of these figures, it would congratulate itself that the colony had been so fortunate. Proportionately, far more money was spent in Bombay, the preventive arrangements were far more elaborate, and the population was probably more amenable to precautionary measures, and in particular to inoculation. Moreover, we are inclined to think that there was, and still is, not much essential difference between the sanitary condition of Bombay and Hongkong. Yet Hongkong has not, in seven years, had to face a total plague mortality of 10,000. Under the circumstances, the sudden agitation in Hongkong about the inefficiency of the Government preventive measures strikes the observer at a distance as rather amusing.
OPY.
c. 0.
281
41075
A
Race 25 NOV 01 Extract from "The Times of India" of the 21st. September 1991.
Hongkong and the Plague.
It is now seven years since the island of Hongkong underwent its first visitation of plague. It does not augur well for the future in- munity of the colony that after enduring several severe outbreaks, it has just passed through another epidemic more virulent than any of the earlier ones. The disease began to assume an epidemic form towards the end of April, reached its height in June, and rapidly declined in July. The worst statistics were recorded during the first week in June, when the number of casas reached 212, with 203 deaths. These figures will ap- pear exceptionally light to stricken Bombay. Even allowing for the far smaller population the new census report puts the total number of the
it is obvious that, by compari- inhabitants of the Colony at 283,000
son, Hongkong has escaped almost mildly. Since 1894, the island has only bad nine thousand reported cases of bubonic plague, with a mortali- ty averaging from 89 to 98 per cent. The citizens of Hongkong appear to regard these returns as constituting sufficient reason for making agonizing appeals to the Secretary of State for the Colonies concerning the local Administration. It Hongkong bad been compelled to endure the far worse experience of Bombay and other Indian cities, its public men would probably bave learned to accept its misfortunes more calmly. The fate of mortality in Hongkong was appreciably bigher than in Boubay, but the incidence of the disease was far less. During the single year ending in May, 1900, the city of Bombay, out of an average popula- tion of 740,000; recorded 18,310 plague attacks, out of which there were 13,928 deaths. These mortality figures represent correctly diag- nosed cases. If suspicious cases are added, the plague mortality is brought up to 25,845. But this is not all; for in that same disatrous year there were 48,000 deaths set down as due to ordinary causes- and as these "ordinary" deaths were 22,000 in excess of the normal annual death-rate, it may be assumed that some of thes were also due to plague The total number of deaths from all cases in Bombay during 1999 was 71,0, representing a death-rate of 97.02 per mille.
1900
If the Hongkong community realised the terrible significance of these figures, it would congratulate itself that the colony had been so fortunate. Proportionately, far more money was spent in Bombay, the preventive arrangements were far more elaborate, and the population was probably more amenable to precautionary measures, and in particular to inoculation. Moreover, we are inclined to think that there was, and still is, not much essential difference between the sanitary condition of Bombay and Rongkong. Yet Hongkong has not, in seven years, had to face a total plague mortality of 10,000. Under the circumstances, the sudden agitation in Hongkong about the inefficiency of the Jovernment preventive measures atrikes the observer at a distance as rather
aousing
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.