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amusing, and to some extent ungrateful. If the far wider experience of plague now available in India may be taken as a criterion, the Hongkong Government is entitled to a large amount of credit for having kept its plague epidemics within such narrow limits. The Hongkong public may be recommended to study the history of plague in Western India. They will then discover that public bodies in India realised in less than seven years that petitions and "representations" had no effect on the plague mortality, and that business men ultimately came to the conclusion that the measures for fighting a disease of which so little is known, were best left in the hands of Government and their skilled advisers.
In one respect the last Hongkong epidemic presented a feature for which no parallel can be found in India. In six weeks, in the not very large European community, twenty-five persons were attacked and nine died. Possibly it was the unexpected revelation that Europeans were less immune than was supposed which caused the residents in Hongkong hurriedly to draft a formidable petition to the Secretary of State. The majority of their grievances are of purely local interest, and need not be specified here. They complain that nineteen years ago a sanitary expert was brought out from England to enquire into the sanitation of Hongkong, and that "with a few exceptions the whole of his recommendations have been ignored". A memorandum signed by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, and two other members of the Administration makes short work of this rather reckless allegation. By no stretch of imagination can Hongkong be described as sanitary; but Mr. Lockhart and his colleagues clearly demonstrate that at any rate Mr. Chadwick's recommendations have been carried out, save only those which would have imposed an impossible strain upon the limited resources of the Colony. The petitioners have artlessly placed before Mr. Chamberlain an assertion made by Dr. J. A. Lowson in 1895 about the ease with which a plague epidemic could be "got under rapidly if men in sufficient number could be got to do the work". Upon such windy observations as this their case seems to be based. We in India know something about the armour-plated self-confidence of the Hongkong plague experts; but apparently these prophets are still enjoying unusual honour in their own country.
The one strong point in the petition is the appeal for the appointment of a Commission to investigate and report upon the sanitary condition of the Colony. The implication of lack of confidence in the Hongkong Government contained in this request has, however, been largely discounted; for a similar suggestion has been forwarded to the Colonial Office by Sir Henry Blake, the Governor. The scheme for an elaborate enquiry into Hongkong sanitation is, indeed, one in which all parties may join; but the criticism on the plague administration is another matter. Doubtless the Government made many mistakes; blunders have been perpetrated by all executive authorities called upon to face an outbreak of plague. But careful examination of the reports conveys the impression that the measures taken were reasonably adequate; and
the
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amusing, and to some extent ungrateful. If the far wider experience of plague now available in India may be taken as a criterion, the Hongkong Government is entitled to a large amount of credit for having kept its plague epidemios within such narro■ limits. The Hongkong public may be recommended to study the history of plague in Western India. They will then discover that public bodies in India realised in less than seven years that petitions and "representations" had no effect on the plague mortality, and that business men ultimately came to the conclusion that the measures for fighting a disease of which so little is known, were best left in the hands of Government and their skilled advisers.
In one respect the last Hongkong epidemic presented a feature for which so parallel can be found in Indis. In six weeks, in the not very large European community, twenty-five persons were attacked and nias died. Possibly it was the unexpected revelation that Europeans were less imaune than was supposed which caused the residents in Songkong burried- ly to draft a formidable petition to the Secretary of State. The majority of their grievances are of purely local interest, and need not be specified bere. They complain that nineteen years ago a sanitary expert was brought out from England to enquire into the sanitation of Hongkong, and that "with a few exceptions the whole of his recommendar tions have been ignored". A memorandum signed by Mr. Stewartbockhart 0.1.5., Colonial Secretary, and two other members of the Administration makes short work of this rather reckless allegation. By no stretch of imagination can Hongkong be described as sanitary; but Nr. Lockhart and his colleagues clearly demonstrate that at any rate Mr. Chadwick's recommendations have been carried out, save only those which would have imposed an impossible strain spon the limited resources of the Colony. The petitioners have artlessly placed before X, Chamberlain an assertion made by Dr. J. A. Lowson in 1995 about the sass with which a plague epidemic could be "got under rapidly if men in sufficient number could be got to do the work". Upon such windy observations as this their case seems to be based. He in India know something about the armour-plated self-confidence of the Hongkong plague experts; but ap- parently these prophets are still enjoying unusual honour in their own country.
The one strong point in the petition is the appeal for the ap- pointment of a Commission to investigate and report upon the sanitary condition of the Colony. The implication of lack of confidence in the' Hongkong Government contained in this request has, however, been large- ly discounted; for a similar suggestion has been forwarded to the Colonial Office by Sir Henry Blake, the Governor. The scheme for an elaborate enquiry into Hongkong sanitation is, indeed, one in which allpparties may join; but the criticism on the plague administration is another matter. Doubtless the Government made many mistakes; blunders have been perpetrated by all executive authorities called upon to face an outbreak of plague. But careful examination of the reports conveys the impression that the measures taken were reasonably adequate; and
the
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