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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 21ST JANUARY, 1871.
Appendix G.
THE CLIFFS, HONGKONG, January 9th, 1871.
SIR,-In accordance with your request, conveyed to me in your communication dated January 11th, 1870, desiring specific information regarding the sanitary condition of vessels calling at this place, ballasted with mud, during the year ending December 31st, 1870, I have the honor to submit to you, for transmission to His Excellency The Governor, the following as the result of my observations.
In the period under review, I have visited 235 vessels in ballast; of the above number, 20 only were ballasted with mud proper; in none of these did disease of any kind occur, or more correctly, the crews were healthy on their arrival in this Port, as in each case they were mustered for inspection. In all, the mud was taken from the river near Shanghai.
124 of the total number came from Yokohama, Japan, ballasted either with ordinary soil, obtained from a hill side, or with muddy shingle, taken from the beach. Although such ballast is not (strictly speaking) mud, I mention it here, seeing that, of the ships so ballasted, eight had Typhus Fever on board. The first infected vessel arrived on the 10th February, the last on the 11th May, being confined to the season of the year when Epidemic Contagious Diseases generally occur. All the *cases, as soon as discovered, were removed to Stone Cutters' Island, and the ships placed in quarantine till thoroughly disin- fected; no fresh cases presented themselves among the remainder of the crews, after the removal of the Fever-stricken patients. Regarding the Fever, I may state that it was unmistakeable Typhus, running the recognized course, only ending fatally in one of the 13 cases treated.
It is difficult from such data, to conclude positively that the Ballast used, was the primary, or even the exciting cause, of the Fever, as Typhus was prevalent at the same season in 1869; in both years, cases occured in the foreign settlement at Yokohama, where other influences must have been at work.
It is, however, significant that no Typhus Fever was reported while the vessels had cargo on board, general or otherwise. The subject is deserving of further investigation.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
(Signed,)
W. S. ADAMS, M. D., C. M., Health Officer of the Port.
J. J. MURRAY ESQ., M. D., F. R. S. E.,
No. 12.
Colonial Surgeon, Hongkong.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
JOHN IVOR MURRAY, Esquire, M.D., Colonial Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals, and Surgeon of the Lock Hospital, having been granted Twelve Months' leave of absence from this date, His Excellency Major General WHITFEILD, Cominanding Her Majesty's Troops in China and Japan, and Lieutenant- Governor of the Colony of Hongkong and its Dependencies, has been pleased to make the following appointments provisionally, and until further notice; namely:-
GEORGE Dons, Esquire, M.D., to be Acting Colonial Surgeon and Inspector of Hospitals, and RICHARD YOUNG, Esquire, I..R.C.P., and S. EDIN., to be Surgeon Superintendent of the Lock Hospital. By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 19th January, 1871.
No. 8.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary,
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION,
Tenders will be received at this Office until noon on Monday, the 23rd instant, for repaving portions of the Central Market.
The Plan and Specification can be seen, and a proper form of Tender obtained, on application at the Surveyor General's Office.
The Government does not bind itself to accept the lowest, or any Tender.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 13th January, 1871.
No. 7.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN, Colonial Secretary.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.
Tenders will be received at this Office until noon on Monday, the 23rd instant, for the reconstruc- tion of, and repairs to, the Praya Wall.
Plans and Specification can be seen, and a proper form of Tender obtained, on application at the Surveyor General's Office. The Government does not bind itself to accept the lowest, or any Tender.
By Command,
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 13th January, 1871.
J. GARDINER AUSTIN,
Colonial Secretary.
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