Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 212

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(6.) 8 Tai Ping Shan Street, 26th May, 3rd floor. Resident one month, came from 210 Hollywood Road. Sick 3 days. Dide

25th May. Previous case 27th March, 1st floor.

The value of disinfection is, I think, well illustrated in the case of a small localised epidemic which occurred at Deep Water Bay. Before Plague was actually discovered here several of the employees had run away sick. Every particle of clothing possessed by the coolies was boiled for 20 minutes. All bed-inats were burned. When new mats were issued the quarters in which the coolies had been housed were disinfected and shut up and new quarters given to the men. No further case occurred at the works. Although a case found in No. 9 Health District was said to have come from Deep Water Bay he was not known there, and it is very improbable that he came from there.

With regard to the second method of combatting the disease, I submit some remarks on the various blocks closed by the Board with an account of the cases in them before closure and after re-occupation.

It will be noticed that the first two blocks closed were released from the closing order quite early in the epidemic and that subsequent cases occurred in the houses.

The third block was re-occupied during the height of the epidemic and no further cases occurred in them.

Swatow Lane was re-occupied at the end of April and though the epidemic was at its worst in May, no further cases were reported from here.

Amoy Lane was released when the epidemic had reached its highest point but was still severe. No known cases occurred after the release.

The houses closed in Cross Street, Nullah Lane and Albany Street and also those in Holy Infant Lane were not re-occupied till the epidemic was practically over and hence it is not possible to make any deductions from the number of cases occurring in them as to the effect of the closure on the spread of the epidemic.

The Board offers shelter to the people turned out of closed blocks in houses which they rent for the purpose.

There were three blocks of houses rented for the purpose this year-one at Wanchai, one towards West Point, and one in the centre of the City."

But the people turned out from closed houses are not bound to make use of the shelter blocks, nor if they do so are they in any sense in quarantine but are free to pursue their daily avocations. Not a single person from the first, second or third blocks nor the last block (Holy Infaut Lane) went to the shelter blocks. The people dispersed temporarily and found homes with their friends.

It is obvious that it is, therefore quite impossible to say whether the vacation of the infected block by the tenants is followed by less Plague among them than might have occurred had they not vacated their houses. An opinion on this point could only be arrived at by comparing a number of cases in which evacuation was not enforced with a case in which it was enforced and strict quarantine and medical observation of those turned out enjoined.

year

Inoculation with Haffkine's prophylactic fluid was introduced last year. The Board's stuff of disinfecting coolies, rat-catchers and case-removing coolies were inoculated. It being a condition of employment that they should submit to the operation. Several of the Inspectors also were inoculated. Altogether last 587 persons were inoculated, and as far as is known no cases of Plague occurred amongst the Board's employees nor in any of the few others who were inoculated. As there are frequent changes in the staff of coolies it is impossible to say how many, if any, of them contracted Plague after leaving their employment.

The inoculations were performed at frequent intervals from February 7th to October 1st, 1902. This year the same course was adopted, 352 men being in- oculated between March 11th and June 19th. Five men who had been inoculated afterwards developed Plague. One was a European Inspector, two were engaged in rat-catching work, one was an artisan in the Board's employ, and one a disinfect- ing coolic. The two former died while the two latter recovered. The European Inspector recovered. More particulars of these cases are given in the special report