Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 294

HONGKONG.

289

No. 20

97

•

MEDICAL REPORT ON THE PREVALENCE OF BUBONIC PLAGUE IN THE COLONY OF HONGKONG DURING THE YEARS 1895 AND 1896.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

INTRODUCTORY.

Dr. Lowson, Acting Superintendent Government Civil Hospital, bas described in his able Report dated 2nd March, 1895, the Epidemic of Bubonic Plague in 1894. I propose to deal only in this Report with the history of the disease in longkong during the years 1895 and 1896.

At the outset I propose to briefly record such data as are obtainable from the records of this Department bearing on the subject and such other information obtained from various sources, which may be useful in tracing the origin and subsequent progress of the disease.

In view of the important practical questions that at the present time are engaging the attention of many experts in Europe and India I propose in concluding this report to set forth such deductions as appear to me may be reasonably made from such data; my object being to concisely enumerate the more important facts to be observed in preventing the occurrence or restricting the spread of the diseasc.

HISTORICAL.

The History of The Plague in China and Hongkong during modern times will probably be best gathered from the following extracts from ALLBUTT'S System of Medicine, 1896, and Dr. RENNIE'S report on the Plague at Canton in 1894 contained in the Imperial Maritime Customs Medical Reports, 47th and 48th issues.

In order that the progress and route taken by the disease may be clearly traced I attach a plan of the locality showing the several places referred to.

Extract from Allbutt's System of Medicine.

The first definitely known epidemic of Plague in Yunnan was about 1860; but it is believed to have existed there at least since 1850, and probably long before, as it has all the characters of an endemic disease. It is said to have recurred nearly every year up to 1893.

In Pakboi it is also frequent, but was absent from 1884 to 1893. Some think the epidemics of Pakhoi were derived from Yunnan,

It is impossible to trace the derivation of the disease from any other district. must in some way have found its way to Canton, where it broke out in 1894.

From Pakhoi it

Dr. RENNIE of Canton thinks it passed by land, since in 1891 a severe epidemic occurred in the district of Kao-chao, lying to the north of Pakhoi; and in the spring of 1894 it prevailed in towns to the South of Canton. From Canton to Hongkong it was carried by numerous persons suffering from the disease, or in the stage of incubation."

Extract from Dr. Rennie's Report.

Dr. RENNIE in his report states that: "The starting-point was doubtless Yunnan, and thence it nost probably found its way to Pakhoi by one of the usual trade routes.

The great highway of commerce between Yunnan and Kwangtung is the West River, on which are situated one or two entrepôts of trade with Pakhoi and Lienchow, through which opium and other products of Yunnan are transmitted to these cities. Inquiry in official circles shows, however, that no outbreak of plague has been known at Nan-ning-fu, Wuchow-fu or other cities on the West River, which we should expect to find if the disease had spread by this Channel. We feel, therefore, justified in excluding this route and limiting ourselves to the more probable supposition that it reached Pakhoi overland through Kwangsi or the borders of Tonkin. Chinese Authorities state that it reached Pakhoi from Tonkin, but it is known sporadically in the borders of Kwangsi, this latter source is more probable. From official sources we learn that in 1891 the disease broke out in Kao-chao, the prefecture adjoining Lienchow, in which Pakhoi is situated; it had evidently, according to the Chinese, spread northwards from the latter city. During the present spring (1894) the disease prevailed in other places between Kao-chao and Canton; the outbreak at Yang-chiang was especially severe, and no doubt other towns and villages suffered equally from the ravages of the plague in its march northwards."