Sessional_Paper_1900 — Page 554

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HONGKONG.

35

No. 1900

REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ON THE EPIDEMIC OF BUBONIC FEVER (PLAGUE) DURING THE YEAR 1900.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

SANITARY BOARD OFFICES.

HONGKONG, October 31st, 1900.

To the President

OF THE SANITARY BOARD.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, the following Report upon the epidemic of Bubonic Fever (Plague) which has occurred during the current year.

The total number of cases reported to date has been 1,082 of which 28 were among non-Chinese, and the total number of deaths recorded has been 1,034, 15 being non-Chinese. This gives the very' high general case-mortality of 95.5 per cent., and a Chinese case-mortality of 96-6 per cent.

The following table gives the total cases, total deaths, and case-mortality for each of the five epidemic years:—

1894.

1896.

1898.

1899.

1900.

Cases

.2,679

1,204

1,320

1,486

1,082

Deaths.........2,485

1,078

1,175

1,428

1,034

Percentage

92.7

89.5

89.0

96.1

95.5

Mortality

The non-Chinese cases comprised 6 Europeans, 5 Portuguese, 9 Indians, 7 Japanese and 1 Filipino, and of these 1 European, 4 Portuguese, 7 Indians and 3 Japanese died, giving a non- Chinese mortality of 53.6 per cent.

The European who died was a Britisher employed at the Naval Yard and he had only arrived in the Colony from England some six weeks previously. It has been observed before, in this Colony, that new arrivals from temperate climates are far more liable to contract the disease, and to succumb, than are residents of some standing. Two of the European cases were imported by the s. s. Coroman- del, a P. and O. mail steamer running between Bombay, Hongkong and Shanghai. The Coromandel lay alongside the wharf at Bombay from April 1st to the 10th loading general cargo, including a quantity of grain (Rice); she left on the latter date for China arriving in Hongkong on April 28th, and leaving for Shanghai the same day. The vessel lay at Shanghai for about three weeks, leaving there on May 21st, and on the following day two Europeans-one a steward and the other a waiter— occupying the same cabin, developed high fever and were landed in Hongkong on May 25th suffering from well marked symptoms of Bubonic Fever. On the day that these two men were first taken ilí two dead rats were found in a storeroom close to the cabin occupied by them, and on the 25th two more dead rats were found in the infected cabin, both of which had been dead for some days. This cabin was close to the hold in which the grain was stored, and it is supposed that the grain was infected, that the rats contracted the disease from the grain and that the two men were infected by the rats which died in their cabin. The whole of the grain was accordingly destroyed and the ship thoroughly fumigated and disinfected, and all rats that could be found on board were killed and their .carcases burat.

On May 27th a native fireman was landed from this steamer, also suffering from Bubonic Fever; the two European cases recovered, but the Indian died of the disease. No cases of Bubonic Fever were known to have occurred in Shanghai up to the date of the steamer leaving that port.

Of the remaining European cases one was a Greek sailor living at the Sailors' Home, one a French lad living in the Chinese quarter (No. 2 Health District) and one was an N. C. O. in the Royal Artillery.

Taking the 1,054 Chinese cases, there were 720 males and 334 females; this is equal to a per- centage of 31.7 of female cases, as compared with 35.8 per cent. in 1898. The proportion of females in the Chinese population is 29.9 per cent.

This lessened liability on the part of the women to contract the disease must be due to one or other of the following causes: either the proportion of women in the population has become lessened since the last Census was taken in 1897, or else the improvement in the sanitary condition of the homes of the poorer classes is beginning to show good results. Probably both causes have been operative, and the Census to be taken in January next will indicate how far the former cause is to be credited with this result.