Sessional_Paper_1884-1885 — Page 204

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26. It is quite likely that the rumour current, had originally no reference to any actual intention on the part of the Chinese to have recourse to such diabolical means as this, in order to gain their ends, but that it alluded to the affair of the 15th January 1857, when, the city being somewhat unquiet the notorious ESING attempted to rid Hongkong of the European population by mixing arsenic' in the bread he supplied them. Fortunately for the Colony on that occasion the would be homicide made the happy blunder of adding too much of the poison, which induced violent vomiting on the part of his intended victims very soon after the poison had been admitted into the stomach.

27. The opportunities for detection and the chances of apprehension are far greater now than in 1857, and one can hardly imagine that the "ESING case" will be repeated; nevertheless the rumour being abroad, a safeguard was provided in causing the departments concerned to be on the alert.

WATER.

28. During the past year it was considered advisable not to attempt to carry out the monthly water analyses in full.

29. In estimating the minute quantities of ammonia, such as exist in nearly all drinking waters, and especially in the case of the Pokfúlam supply, accommodation different from that provided in this Hospital is necessary.

30. It must not be supposed that the following remarks on the quality of the waters referred to are exhaustive. In a room with limited accommodation, where urinary examinations are sometimes of daily occurrence, and where there is an absence of a good water supply suitable for the purposes of condensation, it has been found impossible to make determinations with sufficient accuracy to be available for comparison with those performed on previous occasions.

31. The best authorities on water are agreed that it is most unsafe to give judgment on facts derived from an estimation of one or two constituents only. This remark applies particularly to waters coming from a district where the character of specimens of undoubted purity is not known or where details concerning the locality and strata through which the samples have passed are not forth- coming; but where the nature of water suitable for potable purposes is well known, then considerable value may be attached to a few qualitative and quantitative determinations.

32. The partial analysis, which it has been found practicable to make from time to time, have shown that the quality of the water emanating from the Pokfúlam reservoir continues satisfactory.

33. The same good account cannot, however, be given of the water coming from a source, the necessity of the freedom from contamination of which is scarcely second in point of importance to that of the Pokfulam supply. I refer to that furnished by the various wells which are found in immense numbers, and in close proximity to each other, all over the city.

34. The Sanitary Board were fully alive to this, and when quarantine regulations were in force, I analyzed at their request some fifty samples taken from wells situated in the most populous parts of the city.

35. The appended table shows the result of the partial analysis of these waters, sent to the Hospital for examination by the Secretary of the Sanitary Board, in September last.

36. Of the 46 wells enumerated, 15 or 32 per cent. (marked †), showed the presence of large quantities of free ammonia on the direct application of the "Nessler re-agent," and 7 or 15 per cent., (marked *), contained 'Nitrites' in considerable amount.

37. The figures giving the amount of Chlorine, in all the waters, are very variable. Pokfúlam water and that drawn from a well on the South side of Caine Road, where the surroundings were such as would almost ensure its freedom from contamination, contained .5 and .9 grains per gallon respect- ively. Every other specimen contained a much larger quantity. There was some speculation as to the cause of the presence of 69.3 grains per gallon in the water of well No. 35. An inspection showed it to be due to the close proximity of the source of the supply to a salt store.

38. Considering the polluted condition of some of the wells, one cannot but be surprised that the figures in the columns showing the amount of Oxygen absorbed should have come out so low. Pokfulam water absorbed .0702 and that derived from a well in Wa On Lane, the quality of which may be expressed in one word 'sewage,' a similar quantity .0756. A glance, however, at the figures. given in the other columns clearly shows that the organic matter in the case of the former specimen is harmless, while that of the latter is unquestionably of a dangerous character.

39. By the kindness of Mr. MCCALLUM I was afforded an opportunity for observing the surroundings of several of these wells. In almost every instance, they were not such as would conduce to the maintenance of a pure and wholesome supply.

40. The public ought not to be allowed on any consideration to use for potable purposes 'sewage' such as the so-called water drawn from the wells Nos. 6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 33, &c., undoubtedly is.

41. It is also difficult to understand why so important a matter as the analysis of the well waters of the Colony is overlooked until it is feared an infectious or contagious disease may be in our midst. The better plan would be to have complete analyses of the water of typical wells from all parts of the city made during the Winter and Spring months, when the city is not threatened with cholera and when the conditions for making chemical analyses are more favourable. If this were done, the Govern- ment would be able to state with certainty, on the advent of an epidemic, what wells could be used with safety.