CO129-348 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [7-10] — Page 197

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is useless. It was not reasonable to anticipate that the

new procedure would at once become effective, or that the

ignorant masses of the Chinese would at once abandon their

prejudices, or be able to realise the changes introduced.

I have been constantly assured that they dreaded the advent

of the Sanitary Inspector with his disinfecting apparatus

much more than they dreaded the Plague, and it appeared

probable that under the former system they were more like-

-ly to cherish the rat than to destroy it lest its carcase

should betray gems which would bring upon them the

measures they so detested as described in Dr. Clark 's

Memorandum. The experience of this year will not be too

dearly purchased if it leads the people to appreciate on

the one hand the vital necessity of killing the rats, and

on the other hand that they can do so without fear of

consequences which are worse to them than Plague.

The primary object which the

Government has in view is as I have said to enlist the

Chinese themselves in the anti-plague measures,

the first

and foremost of which is the extermination of the rat,

and

I have hopes that this object is in a fair way of being

realised

Žmat manum.