After laying the foundation stone, His Excellency made an important statement of Government policy, aimed, no doubt, at placating Chinese superstitions. "I know," said Sir Henry, "that many people are discommoded and irritated by the precautions that are being taken; but I ask you to remember, that these precautions are not being taken as an experiment, but as the result of experiments made elsewhere and which in other countries have been found most efficacious. Diseases in other countries have been controlled by the measures now being attempted in Hong Kong. There is nothing being done here that would not be done in London, Glasgow or Edinburgh, or in any other town in England if the same conditions prevailed....Over 4,000 men, women and children have been buried in the Plague Cemetery during the past three years. I want to stop this scourge, if it can be stopped by human agency. When I say that nothing has been done by the Sanitary Board without my approval, I think that the Chinese community will understand that nothing is being done or has been done, which is not in their interests."
The Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital still remains at Kennedy Town, next to the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital. Only smallpox cases are admitted there to-day. Fortunately, the hospital is empty at present, but should another epidemic sweep through the Colony, the building could be re-commissioned at the shortest possible notice.
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After laying the foundation stone, His Excellency made an important statement of Government policy, aimed, no doubt, placating Chinese superstitions. "I know," said Sir Henry, "that many people are discommoded and irritated by the precautions that are being taken; but I ask you to remember, that these precautions are not being taken as an experiment, but as the result of experiments made elsewhere and which in other countries have been found most efficacious. Diseases in other countries have been controlled by the measures now being attempted in Hong Kong. There is nothing being done here that would not be done in London, Glasgow or Edinburgh, or in any other town in England if the same conditions prevailed....Over 4,000 men, women and children have been buried in the Plague Cemetery during the past three years. I want to stop this s courge, if it can be stopped by human agency. When I say that nothing has been done by the Sanitary Board without my approval, I think that the Chinese community will understand that nothing is being done or has been done, which is not in their interests."
The Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital still remains at hennedy Town, next to the Government Infectious Diseases Hospital. Only smallpox cases are admitted there to-day. Fortunately, the hospital is empty at present, but should another epidemic sweep through the Colony, the building could be re-commissioned at the shortest possible notice.
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