CO129-564-4 Cholera epidemic 23-8-1937 - 9-4-1938 — Page 25

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From the 24th to the 30th July, single cases were found

daily in different parts of Victoria, having died of Cholera.

For the week ending 31st July, there were 12 deaths from

Cholera, of which at least 6 were imported from Canton.

Accord-

ingly, arrangements were made to send Dr. T.W. Ware, 2nd Port

Health Officer, to Canton for the purpose of establishing contact with the Health Authorities there and investigating the position

with regard to Cholera. The H.B.M. Consul General in Canton

introduced him to the Director of the Canton Municipal Bureau

of Public Health, who very willingly put at Dr. Ware's disposal

every facility for carrying out this investigation. Reliable

statistics were difficult to obtain but inquiries made at the

larger hospitals indicated that a Cholera epidemic of consider-

able dimensions existed. It was very unfortunate that this

state of affairs was not notified to us in Hong Kong at an

earlier date.

The Weekly report of communicable diseases from Canton for

the week ending July 24th reporting only 22 cases and 17 deaths

was dated the 30th July, and was not received by the Medical

Department until the 3rd August and subsequent to the visit by

the Port Health Officer.

Epidemic Established.

The figures for the week ending 7th August were 51 cases

and 31 deaths. It was evident by this time that the epidemic

in Canton was fast spreading into this Colony, and it became

urgently necessary to make all preparations to tackle the problem

vigorously and introduce measures for the protection of the popu-

lation.

The anti-cholera measures adopted were as follows :-

(a) Inspection and examination of all incoming pass-

engers, especially from Canton and Macao;

(b) Institution of mass inoculation;