Sessional_Paper_1903 — Page 313

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The following table gives the number of cases reported in each month of the

last two years ¦

January,

1901.

7.

1092.

1

February,

14.

1

March,

54..

2

April,

160.

27

May,

701

157

June,

551.

194

July,

109.

131

August,

27

50

September,

24..

2

October,

1

2

November,

1

December,

1,651

572

The first cases occurred at Jardine's Bazaar at the East end of the town. A whole block of houses there was vacated and thoroughly disinfected, the rat- runs being filled up, &c.

This principle of vacating infected blocks, cleansing them and rendering them rat free was carried out during the year, in this way houses were closed as follows :-

Jardine's Bazaar,

Blacksmith's Lane,

....18th January.

Fuk Hing Lane,

Mosque Junction,

3rd March.

Kwong Yuen Street East,

...17th 77

Mosque Junction,

7th April.

Shelley Street,

9th

.14th

Mosque Street,.

Second Street,

Centre Street,

.....15th

7

Shelley Street,

19th

Stanley Street,

On Wai Lane West,..

.28th

Peel Street,

Tun Wah Lane,

Ezra Lane,

Pottinger Lane,

Fuk Luk Lane, Fuk Sau Lane,..... Hollywood Road,. Second Street, Pokfulam Road, Western Street,

5th May.

6th

";

13th "}

. 20th June.

...31st

...18th

27

Tsu Lun Lane,

Possession Street,

Rats.

2nd June.

......15th

The

Much more active measures were taken to exterminate rats. number of rat-catchers was considerably increased early in the year and as a result 117,839 rats were destroyed during the year.

The number of rats caught during the past three years is as follows:-

1900, 1901, 1902,

46,593

77,763

.117,839

Since March a systematic bacteriological examination has been made of all rats caught. The services of three Japanese doctors, versed in this work, were obtained from the Japanese Government for six months and since then work has been carried on by Chinese bacteriological assistants, specially trained by the Government Bacteriologist, who arrived in the Colony at the end of February.