404
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
be forced to submit to their outrageous wishes. Since they do these abominable things we are most desirous to eat their flesh for revenge. Their cruelty, which has been raging in Kwangtung, now turns its way to Kwangsi. The people of the two provinces should join together to seek for revenge. The foreigners who give medicine to the people do so simply to entrap them and their charity is insincere. The poor people who receive medicine from for eigners do not know that the medicine can only do good for a moment and that the sickness will soon reappear, and those who fall into their re- ligion will probably die in a short time. People should burn the books given by them. Now foreigners often go into the interior to make inquiries about all things, their chief desire being to see what benefit they can obtain from the country. As Wuchow is a very important place lying where the borders of Kwangtung and Kwangsi join and where the three rivers meet together merchants from the eighteen provinces come here to do business, and amongst them are many men of wisdom and ability. Not only will the people of Wuchow not allow foreigners to come here, but the merchants from other provinces hold the same opinion. The foreigners have steamers, but we have mountains and valleys for our defence. As to provisions,' we have a heap of rice as high as a mountain. We all stand firmly united to fight against the foreigners. Rich and poor and even a weak girl can all lend some assistance to fight the battle. How easy then for us to drive all these devils away! We are acting according to the wishes of heaven and earth, the gods and spirits, and we are fighting for the bonour of our Emperor and our parents. Happiness attends us.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the afternoon of the 7th May at the offices. Hon. F. A. Cooper (Director of Public Works) presided, and there were also present-Hon. H. B. Lethbridge (Acting Captain Superintendent of Police). Dr. Atkinson (Acting Colonial Surgeon), Dr. F. W. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
DAIRY FARM COMPANY'S PREMISES RELEASED.
The SECRETARY read the following report from Inspector Fisher-
5th May, 1896.
Sir, I have the honour to submit for your information that as no further case of rinder- pest has occurred on the French Mission premises at Pokfulam, I am of opinion that this ares should now be declared free of the disease. -I have the honour to be, &c.,
WILLIAM FISHER.
The PRESIDENT said the same report applied to the Dairy Farm Company's premises.
The SECRETARY, in reply to a question, said the limewashing of the premises was not quite completed.
The PRESIDENT-Under the circumstances I move that the orders of the 10th, 11th, and 14th March and 2nd April concerning farm lots Nos. 18, 19, 26, and 30 and the sanitarium of the French Mission at Pokfulam be hereby cancelled.
Mr. EDE-That includes all the property at Pokfulam ?
The PRESIDENT—Yes.
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[May 13, 1896.
Yaumati, and with that object I beg to move a report as this. I refer more especially the resolution.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON seconded. Carried.
CHOLERA AT SINGAPORE.
The following letter was read by the Secre- tary:
Colonial Secretary's Office,
4th May, 1896.
·
Sir, I am directed to forward for the infor mation of the Sanitary Board the enclosed copy of a letter from the Colonial Secretary, Singa. pore, on the subject of the outbreak of cholera at that port. On receipt of this communication a telegram was at once despatched to Singapore requesting that the masters of all vessels leaving that port for Hongkong should be instructed that if any suspicious cases of diarrhoea occur during the voyage they should proceed at once to the quarantine anchorage and there await the orders of the Health Officer of the port. The Singapore Government has also been requested by letter to keep this Government regularly informed of the progress or abatement of the disease. I am to inquire whether the Board has any further measures to suggest with a view to preventing the introduction of the disease into this colony.—I have the honour to be, &c.,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,
Colonial Secretary.
The Secretary, Sanitary Board.
The following is the letter referred to :-
Colonial Secretary's Office. Singapore, 24th April, 1896. Sir, I am directed to forward for your in- formation the enclosed statement of cases of cholera which have occurred in Singapore from the 14th to the 21st instant. The Governor is advised that the disease has not yet assumed an epidemic form. I have, &c.
J. SWETTENHAM, Colonial Secrétáry.
The return is as follows:-
Hospital
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to the remarks about bubonic plague, and mention has also been made, on page 6, of Dr. Lowson's name. In an annual report I think it is better to avoid controversial matter · if possible, and much that has been written with reference to the plague must be prématura. With that exception I think it is a valuable report and it contains much useful matter.
The resolution was carried.
FAT BOILERS GRIEVANCES.
A petition was received from certain fat boilers praying that they should be exempted from complying with the by-laws regulating their trade. The application was refused.
A petition was also received from tallow melters and fat boilers requesting six months' extension of time to comply with the new by. laws regulating their trade as business in hand had prevented them from carrying out certain alterations.
The PRESIDENT pointed out that the pe- titioners had deliberately stood still and done nothing and it was high time the Board enforced the bye-laws It was quite practicable for the petitioners to carry out the alterations by the 1st of May, and he moved that the petitioners be informeded that the time was extended only to that date.
The ACTING COLONINAL SURGEON seconded the resolation, which was carried.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
For the week ended 25th April the death rate was 31.4 per 1,000 per annum as compared with 15.6 for the corresponding period of last year. For the week ended 2nd May, the death rate was 27.5 as against 17.5 for the corre- sponding period of last year.
QUARTERLY REPORT OF THE SANITARY SURVEYOR.
Mr. J.R. Crook, Sanitary Surveyor, presented. his first quarterly report for 1896. It stated that plans for the re-drainage of 528 houses had heeu received and passed by him, and plans for Dead Total 1449 houses were carried forward from last year, making a total of 1,977 houses in hand during the quarter. The re-drainage of 685 houses had been completed and the plans of 21 cancelled. Certificates had been granted, under section 74, Ordinance 24 of 1887, to 116 horses as having been built in accordance with the provisions of that Ordinance.
Deaths in Hospital
April 14th
0
*
15th
4
1
4
'
16th
17th
18th
4
19th
20th
1 (treated (
at home)
21st
1
18
10
53
Mr. EDE thought all the ships arriving from Singapore ought to be visited by the Health be isolated and removed to the Hygeia. Officer and in case of sickness the patient should
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON said the Health Officer had been instructed to visit the ships to see if there are any suspicious cases of diarrhoea on board and the sick would be re- moved to the Hygeia.
The PRESIDENT-I propose that the Board acknowledge the receipt of the letter and that the Colonial Secretary be informed that the Board understands that the ships in quarantine will be under the orders of the Medical Officer of Health and that provision has been made for the treatment of the sick by the Colonial Under these circumstances the Surgeon. Board has no further suggestion to make.
The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON Secouded the motion.
Carried,
THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEAlth's repOKT. The PRESIDENT laid upon the table the re- The ACTING COLONIAL SURGEON seconded port of the Medical Officer of Health, which will
the motion, which was carried.
A PORTION OF KOWLOON DECLARED AN
INFECTED AREA.
The PRESIDENT-I have to report that since the last meeting of the Board some progress has been made as regards the number of plague cases occurring in Kowloon. They are to a large extent from the village of Yaumati, and I move that the district bounded on the north by the stream at the north end of Yaumati, on the south by the Austin Road, on the east by the rifle ranges, and on the west by the harbour, be declared infected with bubonic plague. I think it is very necessary that we should extend the operations that have been carried on recently in the city to the village of
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be found in another column.
Mr EDE--I think it is a very instructive report, but there is one particular point that I would like to speak about, and that is the great necessity there is for taking steps as soon as possible for abating overcrowding and resuming the worst parts of the towns and rebuilding and reopening it. I beg to move that this report be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary for the information of His Excellency the Governor.
The PRESIDENT-I beg to second that.
Dr. ATKINSON-Whilst agreeing with Mr. Ede in reference to the valuable nature of the report I would point out one matter that struck me. I think it is better for con- troversial matter to be excluded from such
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CHLORIDE OF LIME AS A "PLAGUE DÈS- TROYER: DOCTORS DISAGREE.
The President_forwarded the following note to the Secretary-Dr. Atkinson informs, me that during the plagus epidemic of 1894 chloride of lime was distributed free to the Chinese once a fortnight. The Chinese placed a small quan- tity in a chattie on each floor (about 41b) adding water to it, the effect being that chlorine gas diffused itself all over the neighbourhood: The Chinese called the chloride of lime “plague destroyer. Dr. Atkinson recommends that a similar course be adopted as soon as possible and that the Registrar-General should issue a noti- fication in each district informing the Chinese the day on which the chloride of lime will be issued so that they may have the chatties ready. I would suggest that arrangements be made for the house to bonse visitation parties to see to this distribution in their respective districts. Please circulate for the opinion of the Board.
The following minutes were attached :---- Mr. Ede-I am not able to express au opiniion' sa to the quantity of chloride of lime necessary to destroy plague germis, but I can from personal arper sace say that I would be very sorry to live in such a chlorine gas atmosphere as suggested. I would prefer that thorough house to house disinfection be adopted where necessary, Is there any evidence or record of the effect of the chloride of lime distribution in 1894? As regards the expense, if the chloride of lime will abate the plague without injury of some other kind to the public health, it is fully worth all the money that can be put into it.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police-I tako it that Dr. Atkinson bas good grounds for making this recommendation, which he would not have made if it
would endanger health. If this course was adopted with good effect in 1894 I think it should be tried again, cer- tainly as far as cost is ncerned. Those officers who had to deal with the plague in 1894 must know what is most beneficial.
The Health Officer-What is the object aimed at in this experiment? The amount of chlorine gas evolved from b. of wet chloride of lime during a fortnight would be infuitesimal and certainly would not act sa a germicide. There are about 6,350 occupied Chinese houses in the city comprising at least 12,000 floors, so that 1,500 lbs. of chloride of lime would be required each week at a cost
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