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comparison of the annual invasion of plague with the date of the Spring Ching Ming does not justify this assumption. I find that the number of plague cases reported in Hong Kong prior to the date of the Ching Ming since 1899 was,respectively, 47: 21: 99: 3 and 190. Of course it is possible that by such a migration plague might be imported from Hongkong to the native villages or vice versa, but it is clear that at present plague in Hongkong has
become endemic.
4.
The third cause suggested is the endemic
maintenance and dissemination of the disease by infected rats, infected houses and infected clothes. In my opinion we might add
to this list infected persons. We kill a large number of rats, and
bacteriological examination discovers that a certain proportion
is plague infected. I have for some time held the opinion that an
examination of a similar number of human beings would show a
similar infection even during the dormant period. I can call to
mind four cases within the past three years, where people were
accidentally killed. A workman at the Taikoo Sugar Refinery was
killed by the falling upon him of bags of sugar; a lift-man in
Queen's Buildings was killed by being jammed in the lift; a Ship's
Officer of a Merchant Ship lying in Dock was killed by falling
into the Dock at night, and last week a woman was killed by the
caving in of earth under which she was digging. All these persons
on examination at the Mortuary were found to be infected with
plague. I am at present engaged in collecting information on this point, and even in the early stage of my inquiry I see strong
grounds for the hypothesis that, the endemicity of plague being
established, a certain proportion of the community are plague
infected with whom the infection.may never progress to the point
of manifest invasion. This I am aware opens a large question as
to
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