Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 764

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18. Appointment of medical men for districts. (See paragraph 11 of Memo- randum I.)

20. Dumping of bodies of persons dead of plague must be stopped.

21. The inhabitants to be made res- ponsible. Town to be divided into dis- tricts and sub-districts and streets.

Fines to be levied on district or street in which a dead body is dumped.

R

22.-(a.) Handbills explaining causes and symptoms of plague and measures to be taken on its appearance to be distri- buted.

(6.) Conference of Chinese Doctors to be held and measures for plague prevention explained to them.

(c.) Contractors of labour and heads

of guilds to be informed of Government's wishes.

23. Bacteriological examination of rats

The arrangement as regards the Japa- nese doctors did not succeed. It is sug- gested (by the Medical Officer of Health) that qualified students of the Hongkong College of Medicine would answer the purpose admirably. Not yet stopped.

Decided in Executive Council on the 3rd instant that this proposal be not adopt- ed but that reward of $10 be offered instead for each authentic living case of plague reported by a Chinese as having occurred in any particular house occupied wholly or in part by Chinese.

ed.

Several thousands have been distribut-

:

Not yet done if done, little good be- yond the mere publication could be hoped for.

Every rat found or caught in the Col-

to be carried out daily. (See paragraph ony is now bacteriologically examined. 4 of Memorandum I.)

24. Blocks of buildings in which plague infected rats have been found or human plague has occurred may be tem- porarily closed before plague becomes epidemic.

26. Filling up of rat-runs with glass and cement to be carried out.

27. Isolation of contacts

may be carried out before plague becomes epi- demic. Vacating of the whole house must be adopted and inmates allowed after disinfection to go to certain districts. Exception to be made in pneumonic plague cases.

28. Procedure to be adopted on-

(2.) Occurrence of a case of plague

in a house.

(b) When plague infected rats are

discovered.

29.--(a.) Special plague staff to be established under the Medical Officer of Health.

(b.) Medical Officer of Health to

be relieved of clerical work.

This has been done. A list of the houses so closed is attached to C. S. O. 1193/02.

This is carried out by the officers of the Board in plague infected houses and by the owners on the written order of the Board in all other houses which are found to contain rat-runs.

Several large blocks of new buildings have been rented by the Government for the accommodation of persons displaced from plague infected houses and such premises are visited daily by the Assistant Medical Officer of Health and the persons inspected. These people are not kept as prisoners but allowed to proceed to work. Shop-keepers have been given ground- floors so that they can continue their business.

This has been carried out except that there has been no detention and isolation of contacts other than that described in 27 (above), and that the inspector is not a medical man.

Not yet arranged for.

A European clerk has recently been appointed who attends to a good deal of this class of work now,