CO129-564-4 Cholera epidemic 23-8-1937 - 9-4-1938 — Page 31

advice was as follows :-

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PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN TO AVOID CHOLERA.

Cholera is a disease which affects the intestines and develops very rapidly. Very minute particles of human dis- charges are sufficient to cause the disease. The greatest precaution must therefore be taken to avoid contamination of food and water with human excreta. Contamination may be brought about in so many ways that it is important that food should be kept under cover and free from flies. Water must be boiled before drinking and fresh uncooked vegetables avoided.

It is not sufficient to consider only the actual food you eat. Kitchen utensils, tables, paste boards, chop-sticks, cutlery, etc. must be kept scrupulously clean and dried with a clean doth before use.

Flies are a very great danger as they may fly from a Sze-tap, latrine or even a garden fertilised with night- soil and from there carry infection to food before or after it has been cooked. Cockroaches are also very dangerous as they spend the day on the crown of sewers and drains and at night time wander over kitchen tables and crockery. It is therefore advisable to wash basins and crockery immediate- ly before use.

wells.

Great care should be taken to avoid the pollution of

Sufficient water may be left on a rice bowl or plate which has only been rinsed in infected water, to cause Cholera.

The washing of clothing & bedding in the vicinity of a well must be strictly avoided.

In addition to these precautions persons of all ages should be inoculated as early as possible at one of the Government Hospitals or Chinese Hospitals or Dispensaries free of charge.

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(f) Special vigilance by Sanitary Inspectors.

Sanitary Inspectors were instructed to keep a special watch

on poor class eating houses in their respective districts in order

to supervise the proper preparation of food and cleaning of cook-

ing utensils. They were also instructed to watch the public:

latrines with a view to detecting individuals suffering from

severe diarrhoea or vomiting who might turn out to be early cases

of Cholera.

Course of the Epidemic.

During the week August 8th to 14th there was a rapid increase.

in the number of cases to reach a total of 205. The epidemic