482
Bankruptcy Ordinance. to secure & fair distribution of substantial assets among the oreditors generally. The Court is informed by Mr. Ewens there are debts due to the debtor and that he has property in China. Experience shows the latter is seldom available for long- kong creditors in these cases, though, of course, the Consul can be communicated with and will doubtless do his best. However, under section 19, I seem now to have no option. I therefore adjudicate the debtor bankrupt and appoint Mr. Seth as trustee. I can only hope the 50 per cent, dividend will be available. Had I, at the time, donbted the accuracy of tüat forecast I am not sure the receiving order would have been made at all in this case..
24th June.
IN ORIGINAL JURISDICTION.
Before the HON. W. M. Goodman (ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE).
DEATH OF A DEFENDANT.
An action in which 'T'sang Lai Woon was the plaintiff and Mrs. Caldwell the defendant was to have been Heard yesterday, but owing to the death of Mrs. Caldwell the case was held over. The suit was to recover 24,000 for breach of covenant relating to the sale of certain property, which belonged to the defendant. Some time ago Mr. D. E. Caldwell, formerly a solicitor practising in Hongkong, made arrange- ments to sell the property to the plaintiff, who paid the money to Mr. Caldwell. Mrs. Caldwell, however, refused to part with the property, and as Mr. Caldwell had left the colouy the plaintiff sought to recover the price paid for the property from the defendant. Neither party was repre- sented, and the Registrar formally notified the death of the defendant to his Lordship.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Thursday. The Hon. F. A. ooper (Director of Public Works) presided, and there were also present-Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings (Acting Captain Superintendent of Police), Dr. J. A. Lowson (Acting Colonial Surgeon), Dr. Westcott (Acting Medical Officer of Health), and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
MINUTES.
INSANITARY DWELLINGS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
hospital at Lappa, but most of the patients treated there contracted the disease in Macao. The following table, compiled by Mr. E.T. C. Werner, Vice-Consn!, shows the number of deaths on each day
A
June 7th (noon) to June 8th (noon).......18
16
7
8th
"
»
9th
9th
10th
**
35
10th
11th
">
11th
12th
**
12th
13th
13th
14th
19
14th
15th
11
"
15th
J1
16th
16th 17th
1.12
11
"
86
The following is the return of deaths at Macao from 28th May to 7th June-
May 28th (noon) to Máỷ 29th (noon)...........18
1.16
.21 1.10
.20
29th 30th. 31st
་་
23
30th 31st
"
+
**
19
June 1st
11
1+
June 1st
2nd
"
"
2nd
31
?F
""
3rd
1.15
"
3rd
4th
1
52
12
4th
5th
1+
.12
1)
5th 6th
6th 7th
.11
15
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
.11
148
The mortality statistics for the week ended 8th June showed a death rate of 18.7 per. 1,000 per annum, as compared with 133.4 during the corresponding week last year.
The death rate for the week ended 15th June was 191 per 1,000 per annum, as compared with 169.0 for the corresponding week last year.
THE DRY EARTH SYSTEM OF CONSERVANCY.
[June 26, 1895,
PLAGUE “PRECAUTIONS.
to prevent the spread of bubonic plague in The following report on certain steps taken
Victoria is published in the Gazette:➡
Sanitary Board Room, Hongkong, 14th June, 1885. Sir,I have the honour, by direction of the President, to transmit you, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, the enclosed report having reference to certain steps which have been taken to prevent the spread of Bubonio Plague in Victoria.-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant.
HUGH MCCALLUM, Secretary. The Honourable J. H. Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
Sanitary Board Room,
Hongkong, 7th June, 1895. Sir,-Referring to the letter of the Assistant Sanitary Superintendent of the 3rd ultimo set- ting forth the steps that he had taken in pursu- ance of the instructions of the then Captain Superintendent of Police conveyed to him ver- bally immediately after the first case of plague had been reported, we have now the honour to submit the following report for the information of the Board.
SPECIAL SANITARY SERVICE. House-to-house Visitation.
2.-In the attached schedule A will be found a statement of the number of houses visited by the 5 sections of police and military told off for this special service. The total number of in- spections made by the whole detachment, con. sisting of 24 police and 15 soldiers, was 41,646.
3. The examination of houses has gone on with great smoothness and regularity. Through- out, the attitude of the public has been friendly and the conduct of those engaged on the service good. The special instructions which have from time to time been issued to the police sergeant or constable in charge of sections have been promptly and intelligently complied with.
The Acting Medical Officer (Dr. Westcott) wrote as follows concerning the application of the dry earth system of conservancy to the latrines open to the public in Victoria. To the President, Sanitary Board. 1.6.95. Sir,- |
4.-In several instances application has been Complaints having been made to me concerning nuisances caused by public latrines, I have the made by Chinese householders for their houses honour to submit for the consideration of the to be exempted from the inspection on the Board a proposal for the adoption of dry ground that an invasion of the privacy of their earth system for the abatement of such quis dwellings would be objectionable as in cases of The arguments which. have been sickness after obild-birth, &o. In such cases the nces. brought against it are- -(1.) That suitable dry searching parties have been promptly directed earth cannot be obtained here. (2.) That the to omit the inspection. No requests for exemp- quantity required would be so great that the tion on trivial grounds have been received.
(3.) The minutes of the last meeting were read cost of transport would be very great.
5. Since the 17th of May, in consequence of That it would cause a loss of revenue to the certain confidential information communicated and confirmed.
colony. The soil here consists of clay and to the Board regarding the existence of plague quartz which, when dried, powdered, and "gifted, in the neighbouring Portuguese colony of Macao, forms a perft et deodorant, and has been in use a special watch has been kept on all Chinese in the military barracks for many years with passengers arriving from Canton. The captains I do not think the loss to the and officers of the river steamers who have been good results. colony would be great. as the system should communicated with have expressed their willing. apply only to the public latrines. Taking the ness and intention to do everything in their soil from the public latrines as one fourth of the power to meet the possibility of cases of plagde whole, revenue would still be derivable from arriving here from. Macao viâ Canton. We three fourths. As to the cost. The army con- are informed that suspicious cases of sickness tractor would supply dry earth. keep the buckets are promptly rejected at Canton; and in clean, and remove the soil at 5 cents per seat per the event of the officers observing while month, but of course more favourable terms en route any sick persons who may have might be obtained, and this is mentioned merely escaped detection before the departure of to give an idea of the probable cost. I venture the steamer, it has been arranged for the police to suggest a trial of the system in the present sergeant on duty at the wharf here to be Government latrines, with a view to the consi- acquainted of the fact the moment the steamer deration of its adaptability for general nse in the arrives. future."
A report was read concerning the insanitary condition of certain dwellings at Mong Kok Tsai, and as they were unfit for human habitu tion it was resolved, on the motion of the Pre- sident, to give the owners of the property a Chi- nese month's notice to remove the dwellings.
THE SITARY CONDITION OF CONNAUGHT
HOUSE.
2
A letter was read from Messrs. Leigh and Orange asking that the closets at Connaught House might be allowed to remain as they are until new ones, which had been ordered from England, arrived.
The PRESIDENT said that the Board bad been trying for three or four year to get Connaught House into proper sanitary condi- tion. Under the circumstances he moved that a concession of four months be granted to the
owners.
Carried.
DECREASE OF PLAGUE AT SWATOW AND MACAO.
Mr. Henry Layng, medical officer to H.M. Consulate at Swatow, reported as follows to the Colonial Secretary respecting the bubonic plague at Swatow:-"I am pleased to state that the death rate from bubonic plague is much diminished; the decrease has been most marked once May 25th. From May 25th to June 3rd I have heard of only nine deaths. I trust that it will shortly disappear entirely, as on June 1st and June 3rd I could hear of no fresh case and no death."
On the motion of the ACTING COLONIAL SUR- GEON it was resolved to ask the Government
to remove the restrictions on the passenger
traffic from Swatow.
A
The Secretary appended the following minute :----
This proposal opens up a question that was pretty well thrashed out some fifteen years ago. Dr. Westcott's opinion regarding the properties of our red earth is opposite to most authorities on this method of conservanoy. His estimate of the cost is not nearly comprehensive enough.
Minute by the Acting Colonial Surgeon-There is the difficulty of insuring a constant supply of suitable dry earth. At least 13 lbs. should be thrown on the excreta as often as the closet is used.
It was decided to hold over the report until the expiration of the present contract.
The Board adjourned until Thursday week.
The Japanese of Thursday Island, we learn from the Northern Territory Times, organized a big demonstration on 24th May to celebrate The Colonial Secretary forwarded letters the defeat of the Chinese in the late war. The from H.M. Vice-Consul at Macao concerning proceedings included a grand march round. the plague in that colony. The number of beaded by the local brass band, followed by a deaths from the 7th to the 17th inst. inclusive theatrical representation during the evening of was 86; 44 of these occurred in the Chinese I different striking episodes of the war.
HEJHI CAT
6. Another measure in the nature of a secret service has been adopted for the detection of imported cases, the details of which it is undesira- ble, in the interests of the public service, to disclose.
Latrine Service.
7.-The order of the Board with regard to the disinfection of the night-soil in the latrines open to the public has been enforced to the utmost possible extent Three soldiers were detailed for this service to assist the inspectors in charge of the health districts. 10,000 lbs. of chlorinated lime have been expended during the month for this purpose alone. At first there was some reluctance on the part of the keepers to comply with the order; but in only one instance did it become necessary to have recourse to legal proceedings, viz, in the case of the Gough Street latrine the keeper of which was fined $25 by the presiding Magistrate.
Disinfection of Houses, &c. 8.-The four soldiers originally detailed for this service in the event of the plague obtaining a firm hold in the colony were subsequently told luff to strengthen the house-to-house visitation
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