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April 1, 1896.]
you and request you to inform the Po Leung Kak, in order that they may not send destitutes to the hospital in future.
To Hon. Registrar-General-I think that you had better see the order first to make sure of what is wanted.—A. W. B. 13.3.96.
To Secretary,, Sanitary Board-How does the matter stand ? Please let me have a copy of the order.-J. H. Stewart Lockhart. 13.3.96.
To Hon. Registrar-General-Copy of notice attached. It has been and is being, as far as I "know, complied with--Hugh McCallum. 14.3.96. To Secretary, Sanitary Board-Please let me know, too, the kind of nuisance created by sleeping in the verandahs, and whether any- thing can be done to abate it. As you are aware the Tung Wah Hospital has been in the habit of taking care of male destitutes until arrangements can be made for returning them to their homes, and if this is to be suddenly stopped before other suitable accommodation can be provided great inconvenience may be caused.-J. H. Stewart Lockhart. 16.3.96.
To Hon. Colonial Secretary-The nuisance which had to be abated was an act which is or may be injurious to health." Vide section 16 of Ordinance 24 of 1887, sub- section 9. Do you wish the matter to be laid before the Board with a view to the notice
being reviewed? The Committee of the Hospital have not asked that it should be re- viewed and if they did I would request them to state clearly and distinctly what reasons they had for their request, so that the matter might be placed before the Board in as complete a manner as practicable.-Hugh McCallum.
16.3.96.
to the
To Secretary, Sanitary Board. Yes, I should like the matter laid before the Board. As I have stated, the hospital has hitherto housed male destitutes without expense taxpayers. The action of the Board has put a stop to this, and the question is whether the alleged nuisance is of so serions a nature as to warrant action being taken at once before an opportunity has been afforded of considering what steps should be taken to make other arrangements for housing male destitutes. I see no reason why the matter should be referred to the Committee of the Hospital. The notice, so far as they are concerned, has simply the object of preventing them from taking care of male destitutes, and they have accordingly requested that no more may be sent to them. As you are aware a Commission is at present inquiring into the Tung Wah Hospital, and I would suggest that the status quo be maintained pending the inquiry of the Commssion, to which this matter will be referred-J. H. Stewart Lockhart. 17.3.96.
The following minutes were attached :- Mr. Ede-It is certainly undesirable in the interests of the sick that the verandahs and passages of the hospital should be occupied by the destitute, but I am in favour of allowing the authorities a reasonable time to make other arrangements. As regards the occupation of cup- boards I think that should be at once discontinued.
The Medical Officer of Health-Surely better accom- modation can be made even at Tung Wah Hospital than verandahs. As a matter of fact I believe cupboards and passages are used not by destitutes but by attendants. A temporary shed might be erected for the destitute, but not too close to the sick.
The Acting Colonial Surgeon-Additional attendants' quarters have been erected, and I do not think that any of the passages or verandahs should be used as sleeping places, thus obstructing light and ventilation. Verandahs are certainly not suitable places for the housing of the
destitute.
Mr. EDE-As I understand, these destitutes are people who come out of plague houses. Of course the system is injurious to health and I certainly object to it.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON-I may say that the cupboards have been removed. I went round myself at eleven o'clock on Monday night and found three coolies sleeping in the passages. I do not think that ought to be allowed; it is distinctly a nuisance.
The PRESIDENT-Ït is an arrangement between the Tung Wah Hospital and the Government that the plague people should go to the Tung Wah.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ther that notice has been adhered to or not. Be fore that notice was issued we had a report from the Medical Officer of Health on the condition of the Tung Wah.
The COLONIAL SURGEON-They are the friends that accompany the patients and they øre detained until the police can be com- municated with.
The PRESIDENT-The Board has served a notice on the Tung Wah Hospital to cease crowd- ing the verandahs. The question now is whe-
,
277
The ACTING CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE-There is something in that, but in the case of a mendicant picked up in the
street-
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-Then we must deal with the body.
The PRESIDENT-I do not know the
Mr. EDE--As I understand the destitutes are allowed to sleep and occupy the verandahs just outside the rooms where patients are.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON Just out-source of the information, but I see in side the wards, yes.
I
Mr. EDE-I think they might be given a suf- ficient time to make other arrangements. suppose a mat shed can be put up?
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON-I do not think there is room; the place is very crowded. Mr. EDE-It is clearly unhealthy to the patients for the verandahs to be occupied.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON—I should think it would be unhealthy to the people sleep- ing in the verandahs, especially during this weather. I think the people are under the charge of the Po Leung Kak. They used to be lodged in the Po Leung Kuk premises for a
certain period. Now the Po Loung Kuk have no habitation for them and they house the destitute in this way.
Mr. EDE-There is a nice compound opposite the hospital.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON—The bet- ter plan would be to engage a house and lodge the destitute there like the Po Leung Kuk have done with the girls. I propose that the Tung Wah Hospital be informed that the nuisance must be abated.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH seconded. The PRESIDENT said it would be better to inform the Colonial Secretary that the Board adhered to its previous decision, and this sug- gestion was adopted.
THE REMOVAL OF PLAGUE PATIENTS.
The following minutes were read having re- ference to permitting persons who have died from bubonic plague to be removed from the colony under certain conditions:--
Mr. Ede-If the bodies are seen by a medical man and certified to have died of plague, allow them to go under the same regulations as those provided regarding the sick of plague, but in a separate boat.
The Medical Officer of Health-I agree with the Colonial Surgeon as to the necessary supervision.
The Acting Colonial Furgeon-Some responsible officer of the Board should accompany the steamer in order to see that these bodies are removed to Canton or Whampoa
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police--Supervise the removal of the dead certainly, but if thees philan- thropists will also take the nameless dead found abroad and in deserted houses, why not let them have them and save funeral expenses to the colony?
The President-I think some defiuite recommendation should be made on this subject; the matter might be settled at the meeting on Thursday. As I am given to understand that the persons offering to remove the sick will not be ready to start their work for some days there is no very pressing need for the immediate settling of the
matter.
The following minutes were attached to the printed conditions:†
The Captain Superintendent of Police-The dead should be allowed to go too, in a separate boat, Petitioners
will do it.
The Medical Officer of Health--Make this No. 11 con- dition--Dead bodies may be removed from the colony at the same times, but in a separate boat, and after due re- gistration of the death. All such bodies must first be seen by a medical man and a certificate of removal will be given by bim, and if the death has resulted from bu- bonic plague some officer authorised by the Board will accompany the body, which must be placed in a properly sealed cuffin to the wharf. All clothing and bedding be. longing to the deceased must be handed over to an officer of the Board Lefore the body is removed from the house. All dead bodies found in the streets, or in deserted houses, will be buried by the officers of the Board as at present.
Mr. Ede-If they wish to remove he dead they should be allowed to do so subject to a certificate of a medical man and the premises to be disinfected, &c., in the same way as in the case of removal of the sick.
Mr. EDE-Give the people every facility to take the bodies away so long as we know where they come from.
The ACTING CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE-If people own the body, yes, but if you find a body in the street and these philanthropists want to take it away
should-
we
One
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-In that case don't let the body go, otherwise all the dead will be put into the street and we shall never know where they come from. of my principal reasons for supporting the removal of the deall and sick was that we should know where they came from.
Mr. EDE-I think that is right.
९.
this morning's paper that the conditions under which persons suffering from plague can be removed have been published. The Board has received no information from the Government on the subject, and I see it says in the paper that the conditions have been issued.
It was resolved to take the action as suggested in the minute by the Medical Officer of Health.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
For the week ended the 14th March the death rate was 30.1 per 1,000 per annum as against 14.3 for the corresponding week of last year. For the week ended 21st March the death rate was 23.4 against 15.8 for the corresponding period of last year.
CLEANSING PREMISES.
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH re- ported that during the past fortnight six acting inspectors had cleansed, inspected, and limewashed 269 houses or 568 Loors,
The SECRETARY meutioned that 275 notices had been served to limewash 1,241 houses by the owners of them.
ADJOURNMENT. The Board then adjourned until Thursday week.
PLAGUE PATIENTS PERMITTED TO LEAVE FOR CANTÓN.
A notification has been issued that persons suffering from plague may leave the colony subject to the following conditions -
1.-Suitable ambulance boats shall be provided and they shall be towed astern of the steamer Pasig, steamer Tai On, or other river steam- boat to Whampoa and Canton, and shall on no account land any person or thing before arriving at Whampoa or Canton.
2. While in the waters of the colony the ambulance boats shall fly the yellow quarantine flag.
3.-While in the waters of the colony the ambulance boats must lie within the quarantine ground, but they shall if required come to the China Merchants Wharf, Saiyingpoon, at 4 p.m. of the day on which they are to be towed to Whampoa and Canton, or at such other time as- the Medical Officer of Health may fix.
4.-One ambulance boat if required shall leave the wharf every day at such hour as will permit of her being taken in tow, at a point west of the fairway buoy, by the afternoon steamboat leaving for Whampoa and Canton.
5. Any person desirous of going to Wham- poa or Canton by the ambulance boat must notify the police before 2 p.m. o'clock (or such other hour as the Medical Officer of Health may fix) on the day he desires to leave.
On the receipt of such notification a medical man will visit the premises, and if in his opinion medical man will give a certificate to that effect the person is suffering from bubonic plague the
in the attached form.
6.--All persons residing upon the premises in which a case of bubonic plague occurs will be allowed, as soon as their clothing has been dis- infected, to proceed on board a Canton steam- boat under the supervision of officers approved by the Sanitary Board.
7-In all cases where persons suffering from bubonic plague have elected to proceed to Whampoa or Canton, after their departure the premises in which they resided shall be fumi- gated, cleansed, lime-washed, and dealt with as the Sanitary Board may direct
8. In all cases where persons suffering from bubonic plague have elected to proceed to Wham- poa or Canton, the clothing and bedding which Lave been used by them shall be taken possession of by some officer authorised by the Board and destroyed, and such persons must be provided with a new suit of clothing and then removed in an ambulance to the ambulance boat and pút on board.
9.-No persons, except attendants and those in charge of the ambulance boat, will be allowed on board the ambulance boat without a certificate from a registered medical practitioner approved
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