Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 490

Sessional Papers 議政定例兩局文件 All

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Q.--Supposing a ship came from Japan and the day before her arrival here one of the passengers or crew died of cholera, in your opinion is it necessary to put that ship in quarantine?

A.-I should say simply disinfect the part that the man had occupied, see that everything was properly fumigated, and then let the vessel go.

Q. With regard now to small-pox. Suppose a ship arrives in which a case had broken out, say on the previous day-are you of opinion that all passengers ought to be released at once?

A.-At once, there is much less danger by releasing them.

Q.-Would you make their release conditional on being vaccinated or showing proof of re-vaccination or would you release them without any such requirement?

A.-As far as they could be vaccinated, certainly, but release them. Q.-You would not put them under observation at all?

A.-Unless you do it for the full eighteen days, it is utterly useless to put them under observation for forty-eight hours.

Q.-We understand you then that those passengers on a ship not suffering from small-pox ought to be allowed to mix with the general community?

A. Yes. It is not dangerous to any European, and the Chinese care abso- lutely nothing about it. There is no danger to a European here because it is a protected place.

Q.-Then there is no necessity for a quarantine station for small-pox or a floating hulk for persons who might be sick?

A.-I do not think there is any need for anything but the Hygeia.

The Chairman-What are your views, Dr. JORDAN? Do you consider it necessary to segregate the healthy passengers in a ship arriving in port with small- pox on board?

Dr. JORDAN-I might explain my views upon the two cases.

If a ship arrived with a case of cholera which had broken out say, the day before her arrival, in that case there should be provided a hulk or some place to which passengers might be removed, whilst the sick persons are put on board the Hygeia-Then the ship might be properly disinfected—which would be impossible if anyone was on board-and I do not think the passengers need be detained more than twenty-four hours.

Q.-Then you agree with Dr. TURNBULL?

A. Yes in those particulars.

Q. And as to small-pox?

A. As regards small-pox the crew and passengers coming in here on an infected ship, I think I should make the attempt, if possible, for vaccination, but I do not think it would be judicious to keep them on the ship, indeed they would have to be removed in order to disinfect it.

Q.-How long would you detain them?

A. From a medical point of view I should not detain them at all, but from a political point of view having regard to our neighbours and their feelings on the matter, I think it would be more advisable to keep them under detention.

Q.-For what time?

A.--I should not keep them any longer on the hulk provided for the segrega- tion than it would take to disinfect the ship, that would be about thirty-six hours.

Q.-Not any longer?

A.-No.

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