In the middle of June this year, I devoted no fewer than seven articles to the Great Plague of 1894. On a number of other occasions during the past year, references have been made to other epidemics. Always, it has been noted, the greatest precautions against the spread of disease, be it smallpox, cholera or bubonic plague, have been taken by the authorities.
The Great Plague of 1894 was followed in subsequent years by other severe outbreaks. Stringent measures were adopted by the Sanitary Board, with the Government's approval, for cleaning out slum areas. The whole of Taipingshan, it will be recalled, was resumed by special Ordinance, and that hotbed of disease was completely wiped out and re-built.
544
For many years, the Chinese community viewed with suspicion the action of the authorities to forcibly enter houses and apply liberal quantities of whitewash and disinfectants. Delegations waited upon the Governor, protesting against the actions of Sanitary Board inspectors, but to one and all of the requests, a deaf ear was turned. The hue and cry was taken up in Canton and a flood of anti-British propaganda emanated from the mis-named literati of that city. Serious riots were prevented only by the exercise of the greatest tact.
Gradually, however, the wisdom of the Government measures was realised. Among the better classes, isolation came to be regarded as a blessing rather than a curse.
Matters were brought to a head by the terrible smallpox epidemic in the winter of 1897. The high death rate induced some leading members of the Chinese community to take up seriously the idea of starting a hospital for the treatment of infectious diseases. The time, for a variety of reasons, proved to be unpropitious. Next year, however, emboldened by the interest displayed by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Henry Blake, the Committee of the Tung Wah Hospital, acting through its chairman, Mr. Ho Tung, made a special appeal to the Government and a ready promise of assistance was given.
The sympathy of the Government and the liberality of the European and Chinese communities resulted in a large sum being raised for the erection of an annexe to the main hospital and an institution for the treatment of infectious diseases.
The foundation stone of the first building was laid in 1899. Two years later, on November 18, 1901, Sir Henry Blake laid the foundation stone of the Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital at Kennedy Town.
Among the large crowd which attended the ceremony were the Hon. Mr. J.H. and Mrs. Stewart Lockhart, Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Hon. Mr. A.W. Brewin, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Dr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Mr. F.J. Badeley, Dr. Clark, Dr. Pearse, Mr. A.J. May, Mr. A. Woodcock, Dr. Noble, Mr. and Mrs. A. Cunningham, Mr. B. Brotherton Harker (the architect), Mr. G.W.F. Playfair, Mr. C.C. Master, and the entire committee of the Tung Wah Hospital, headed by Mr. Lai Chuen, chairman.
2.
In the middle of June this year, I devoted no fewer than seven articles to the Great Plague of 1894. On a number of other occasions during the past year, references have been made to other epidemics. Always, it has been noted, the greatest precautions against the spread of disease, be it smallpox, cholera or bubonic plague, have been taken by the authorities.
The Great Plague of 1894 was followed in subsequent years by other severe outbreaks. Stringent measures were adopted by the Sanitary Board, with the Government's approval, for cleaning out slum areas. The whole of Taipingshan, it will be re-called, was resumed by special Ordinance, and that hotbed of disease was completely wiped out and re-built.
544
For many years, the Chinese community viewed with suspicion the action of the authorities to forcibly entering houses and applying liberal quantities of whitewash, and disinfectants. Delegations waited upon the Governor, protesting against the actions of Sanitary Board inspectors, but to one and all of the requests, a deaf ear was turned. The hue and cry was taken up in Canton and a flood of anti-British propaganda emanated from the mis-named literati of that city. Serious riots were pre- vented only by the exercise of the greatest tact.
Gradually, however, the wisdom of the Government measures was realised. Among the better classes, isolation came to be. regarded as a blessing rather than a curse.
Matters were brought to a head by the terrible smallpox epidemic in the winter of 1897. The high death rate induced some leading members of the Chinese community to take up seriously the idea of starting a hospital for the treatment of infectious diseases. The time, for a variety of reasons, proved to be unpropitious. Next year, however, emboldened by the interest displayed by His Excellency the Governor, Sir Henry Blake, the Committee of the Tung Wah Hospital, acting through its chairman, Mr. Ho Tung, made a special appeal to the Government and a ready promise of assistance was given.
The sympathy of the Government and the liberality of the European and Chinese communities resulted in a large sum being raised for the erection of an annexe to the main hospital and an institution for the treatment of infectious diseases.
The foundation stone of the first building was laid in 1899. Two years later, on November 18, 1901, Sir Henry Blake laid the foundation stone of the Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital at Kennedy Town.
Among the large crowd which attended the ceremony were the Hon. Mr. J.H. and Mrs. Stewart Lockhart, Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Hon. Mr. A.W. Brewin, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Dr. and Mrs. Atkinson, wr. F.J. Badeley, Dr. Clark, Dr. Pearse, Mr. A.J. May, Mr. A. Woodcock, Dr. Noble, Mr. and Mrs. A. Woodcock, Dr. Noble, Mr. and Mrs. A. Cunningham, Mr. B. Brotherton Harker (the architect) Mir. G.W.F. Playfair, Mr. C.C. Master, and the entire committee of the Tung wah Hospital, headed by Mr. Lai Chuen, chairman.
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