Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 895

SHANGHAI

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Superintendent in his last report says: "For good reasons I am inclined to believe that the native population is very much under-estimated," and he considers that three- quarters of a million work within the Settlement, although they do not all reside there. The native population of the French Concession in 1905 was 84,792 (against 80,526 in 1900, 45,758 in 1895, and 34,722 in 1890), the boat population 4,340, and in transit 7,000. This rapid increase has occurred notwithstanding that rents have risen from thirty to sixty and in some cases even one hundred per cent. and that provisions and cost of living generally both of natives and foreigners have increased. The majority are immigrants from other provinces who followed in the wake of foreigners, attracted by the high wages paid to skilled and unskilled labour required for the many industries. The population of the native city is estimated at 651,000. This large congregation of over half a million natives in the Settlements and outlying roads, eight and two-thirds square miles, is kept in admirable order by a police force of 229 Europeans, 468 Indians, and 975 natives for the north of the Yang-king-pang, being one constable for about each three and a third acres, and for 326 head of population. There are nine police stations. There are 57 European, 1901 Tonkinois, and 215 Chinese police for the French Concession, or about one constable for every 250 inhabitants, As the natives have to be tried by their own authorities, and bribery and obstruction have to be contended against, and there is a want of the facilities found elsewhere, the difficulties of organizing and efficiently working such a small force are considerable. In few places are life and property more secure. In August, 1899, the Captain Superintendent stated that twenty-four hours had passed without one defaulter being reported, an unique police experience for any city in the world of its population.

CLIMATE

The climate of Shanghai is generally allowed to be fairly healthy. The death rate amongst the resident foreign population during the past two decades has ranged from 24.6 per thousand (in 1891) to 11.2 per thousand (in 1905). The rate including non-residents was considerably higher; it reached 34.6 per thousand in 1902, which however, was exceptional. The number of deaths of foreign residents, including non- Chinese Asiaties, was 251, and of non-residents 73 in 1909. Partial outbreaks of cholera have occurred at intervals, but the larger proportion of the cases were among the ships in harbour. The highest recorded number of deaths from this cause among foreigners was 32 in 1890. Of these, 11 were amongst residents. In the years 1892 to 189 and 1897 to 1901 inclusive there were no deaths from cholera among foreign residents, and an average of five per annum in the subsequent eight years. The highest number of deaths of foreigners from small-pox was 21 in 1907. There were no deaths of foreigners from this cause in 1900, three in 1902, seven in 1903, eleven in 1904, fourteen in 1905, none in 1906 or 1909, and five in 1908. In winter, cases of smail-pox and typhoid are frequent among the natives. Amongst the shore population the death rate was 12.1 per thousand in 1906, of which 1.5 per thousand were from zymotic causes, against a rate of 2.19 per thousand from these diseases in England. The rate in 1907 was 17.9, in 1908 15.9, and in 1909 16.7. These rates compare favourably with those of large towns in Europe and America. The Health Officer in a late Report says that “out of the seventy- five deaths registered there were but nine which can in any sense be termed climatic." There were reported 8,329 deaths amongst the natives in the "Anglo-American Settlement" in 1909 (against 7.380 in 1904, 6,413 in 1905 and 5,689 in 1906, 10,217 in 1907 and 8,156 in 1904), which makes the rate 15,1 per thousand (against 30.9 in 1902, 21.2 in 1903, 19.2 in 1904, 14.2 in 1905, 11.9 in 1906, 20.0 in 1907, and 15.4 in 1208). Small-pox, which in 1901 claimed only 31 victims, was the cause of 434 deaths in 1992, 241 in 1903, 759 in 1904, 216 in 1905, 29 in 1906, 863 in 1907, 1-43 in 1908 and 9 in 1909; cholera, which was responsible for 1,500 deaths in 1902 and 162 in 1903, was entirely absent in 1904 and 1995, but reappeared towards the close of 1906, and was the cause of 193 deaths among the Chinese in that year, of 655 in 1907, of only 8 in 1908 and of none in 1909; scarlet fever for 1,500 in 1902, of whom 27 were non-Chinese; only 2 in 1903, none in 1904 or 1905, 5 in 1906 79 in 1907, 33 in 1908 and 9 in 1909; and tuberculosis for 2,000 in 1902, 1,976 in 1903, 1,827 in 1904, 1,414 in 1905, 1,000 in 1906, 960 in 1907, 938 in 1908 and 828 in 1909. The thermometer ranges from 25 deg. to 103 deg. Fahrenheit, the mean of eight years having been 59.1 deg., the average being 41.0, 65.1, 77.8 and 52.5 for first, second, third and fourth quarters, respectively. Shanghai approaches nearest to Rome in mean temperature, while the winter temperature of London and Shanghai are almost identical. The mean daily range averages 15.60, being from 13.3 during the first to 16.6° during the second quarter. In October and

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