CO129-317 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [4-6] — Page 480

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COPY.

Sir,

C.C

473

Victonka Gaol,

Hongkong, 30'tif May, 1903.

I have the honour to again urgently direct

the attention of His Excellency the Governor to the present over-

crowding in the Gaol, in view of the events of the last few days.

During the past ten days two cases of flague

have developed in newly admitted pris,mers, both of whom had been

sleeping in association in the corridors; and on Thursday evening

a man was admitted to Kennedy Town Hospital, suffering from Plague,

who was discharged from the prison on Tuesday, and who, I find, was

sleeping in the corridor before his discharge.

Yesterday two Indian Assistant Warders, Mantab

Ali and Gurmakh Singh, were sent to Kennedy Towa mith plague, and

these two men were patrolling the corridor at night while the

cases.cf plague referred to were sleeping there before they were

recognised. There seems no doubt that these three men have been

infected in the .corridors, the lowering of vitality due to the

vitiated air.rendering them more liable to infection.

It is evident, therefore, that the acute

overcrowding at present existing here during the existence of an

.epidemic of. Hague is a source of grave risk to both prisoners

and Staff.

Last night a large number of cells provided

for angle prisoners contained four prisoners each, 1.8. they

had 180.cubic feet each person.

In the corridors occupied for sleeping purposes

the average floor area for each person is thirty five square feet,

The Honourable

Dr. J. M. Atkinson, P.G.M.O.

1.e.

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