CO129-391 - Acting Governor Claud Severn Governor Sir May - 1912 [7-8] — Page 293

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Hong Kong

Preliminary Report on the Plague Outbreak

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C. 6 C7743

RECE O SEP 12

286

1912.

The number of cases of Plague occurring in the Colony this

year up to the end of July was 1825. It will be seen from the follow-

ing table that this has been the most extensive outbreak which the

Colony has experienced for many years past:-

Year

No. of cases of Plague

Year

No. of cases of Plague

1900

1086

1906

993

1901

1651

1907

240

1902

572

1908

1073

1903

1415

1909

135

1904

510

1910

25

1905

304

1911

269

The explanation which I have suggested elsewhere is that this increase

of Plague is due to the great influx of Chinese from the Canton delta

during the past fifteen months. It has been estimated that at least

20,000 Chinese refugees arrived in Hongkong in April and May of last

year, another 10,000 in November and others at intervals since; the

Census of the City of Victoria taken in May 1911 showed an increase

of nearly 45,000 on the previous Census of 1906.

This has resulted in a general overcrowding of the native quar-

ters and has practically converted Hongkong for the time being into a

huge refugee camp. The political disturbances and unrest in China

have unfortunately not yet entirely ceased, and therefore many of

these refugees still remain in Hongkong, and although active building

operations are in progress in many parts of the Colony yet the supply

of house room is unequal to the demand and is likely to remain so for

some considerable period of time,

3. The manner in which this overcrowding has operated to produce

80 severe an epidemic of Plague is by largely increasing the rat

(1)