126
It is not possible to make any definite statement regarding the influence of rat Plague on human Plague owing to the probability that many rats were imported into the Colony and that by far the majority of the rats collected were reported as found in the streets.
It is of course obvious to everyone why rats are more frequently found in the streets than in the houses. The tenant of a shop, for example, has no mind to allow the authorities to discover rats in his shop if he can avoid it. This and the undoubted importation of rats renders it impossible to say for certain whether the rise of rat Plague in a district or the discovery of Plague rats in a house is as a rule followed by human Plague as a direct consequence. The total number of Plague infected rats for the ten Health Districts of the City of Victoria from January to June this year is 2,579. Of these, 43 only have been returned as found in infected houses, giving a percentage of 166 only. Of these 13, only 27 were brought in by the rat coolies employed, the remaining 16 being sent in privately by tenants of houses (8) or found by the Plague Inspectors while disin- fecting Plague infected houses (8). But besides these eight last-mentioned rats. others have sometimes been found during the disinfection of premises but too dried up or decomposed to send for bacteriological examination.
The following Table shews the houses in which rat Plague and human Plague have both been known to occur, with the dates of each, in the City of Victoria.
In the cases marked (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) in the Table the rat Plague and human Plague were synchronous, the rats being found during the cleansing oper- ations following the report of human Plague in each house. With regard to (B) however it was found that the Japanese case was brought to the house from Ship Street, Wantsai District, two days before the case was found to be one of Plague.
These figures are interesting but it is disappointing that they are so small. Were the people willing to allow all rats caught in their houses to be returned as such there is no doubt that much more light would be thrown on the relationship of the rat to human Plague.
HEALTH DISTRICT I.
ADDRESS.
RAT PLAGUE DATE.
HUMAN PLAGUE DATE.
130, Wanchai Road,
May 9th
Nil.
HEALTH DISTRICT II.
24, Sau Wa Fong, 10, Wing Fung Street,
5,
Do.,
5 Kat On Street,
13, MacDonnell Road,
34, Nullah Lane,
January 31st
Feb. 14th
March 21st
"
Nil.
Nil.
Nil.
None this year, but one case in 1962.
Nil.
57, Praya East,
March 28th May 16th
Nil.
Nil.
23, Tai Wo Street, (A)
23rd
""
One case on May 17th--a servant girl aged 11 years, resident here 6 months,
Officers' Quarters, Magazine
Gap Sanatorium,
2, Magdalen Terrace,
Sanatorium, Magazine Gap, .... Homestead, Peak,
Do.,
HEALTH DISTRICT III.
March 7th
Nil.
Nil.
99
Nil.
April 4th
Nil.
May 9th
Nil.
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