CO129-389 - Governor Sir Lugard Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1912 [3-4] — Page 366

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when it is remembered that the population increased from 329,038 in 1906 to 372,989 in 1911. The reason for the high death-rate in 1910 was explained in the Report for that year as being due to large building operatione on the western confines of the City(i.e. the University buildings), in the neighbourhood of untrained nullahs These nullahs were trained pari passu with the construction of the buildings but it is usual here for builders and other workmen employed on construction works to reside in matsheds on the site, and consequently they are exposed to the bites of anopheline mosquitoes at night, with the result that malarial infection spreads rapidly among them Even during 1911 more than 26 per cent of the deaths occurring in the City came from No. 9 Health District, which is the district nearest to these

building operations. In any future large constructional works it is hoped that it will be possible to arrange for the work-

men to be housed between sundown and sunrise in sheds at

least 600 yards distant from their place of work and on a

site free from mosquitoes.

Another Beashne feature of our malarial infection which was

also commented on in the last Report is the constant movement of the saxe native population between Hongkong and the

delta of the Canton river nearly four thousand natives leave Hongkong daily by river boats and about the same number arrive

daily.

Special classes are held in all the Schools of the Colony for

instruction in Hygiene, which includes a description of the

part played by mosquitoes in the transmission of Malaria, and

a considerable quantity of literati on this subject both

community. Francis Clark m.2. MRCP OIGH.

in English and Chinese is distributed yearly to the community.

March 29th. 1912.

Medical Officer of Health.