Page
April 2, 1898.j
26th
5th March,
$2975
$5289
46
42
サラ
22
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12th
16
17 12
19
34
19th. 26th
31
11
E
47
40
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·DAILY ABSTRACT,
Cases Deaths
27th March,
7
11
28th
"
29th
17
30th
+
6 777
17
1
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE AND SMALLPOX
AT MACAO.
MEDICAL, INSPECTION RECOMMENDED, On Thursday afternoon a special meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held for the purpose of considering a report submitted to the members by Dr. J. M. Atkinson concern- ing the prevalence of the bubonic plague and smallpox at Macao, which place the doctor visited a few days ago. Dr. J. M. Atkinson (Principal Civil Medical Officer) occupied the chair, and there were also present the Hon. F. H. May (Captain Superintendent of Police), the Hon. B. D. Ormsby (Director of Public Works), Mr. A. W. Brewin (Acting Registrar-General), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Dr. Francis Clark (Acting Socretary and Medical Officer of Health).
The PRESIDENT remarked that they would see that the report they were called upon to consider dealt with the prevalence of the bubonic plague and smallpox at Macao, and he might add that he was informed that this letter must be considered confidential. He would call their attention to the condition which existed in 1895. In 1895 informati n was obtained of the existence of plague in Macáo, and in consequence Dr. Lowson visited the colony and subsequently reported that the disease was and had been for two months prevalent in that colony. On the 23rd of April, ten days after this report was issued, His Excellency the Governor by proclamation pro- hibited the importation af Chinese from the port of Macao. The members had read the letter submitted to them and knew, the state- ments it contained. If they had anything to say on the matter he thought they had better hear it.
Dr. CLARK read one paragraph from the letter as follows. For some months past small-pox and plague have been prevalent in Macao."
The PRESIDENT-I think you, Dr. Clark, visited Macao some time ago ?
obtain information
Dr. CLARK-Yes. The PRESIDENT-To with regard to plague ? Dr. CLARK-Yes. The PRESIDENT-Have you the report which you sent to the Board?
Dr. CLARK said that in the report sent by him to the Board on May 25th, 1897, he said that on going over to Macao he first visited the Chinese Hospital and saw there 40 or 50 pati- ents, none suffering from plague. He was informed that plague patients were at once removed to another Hospital across the river on Chinese territory. In this Hospital be found nine cases of plague. There were also two cases of smallpox-one convalescent-and half-a-dozen patients suffering from other dis- eases. On visiting the Chinese quarters and cemetery, he found in the latter place a con- siderable number of newly-made graves. He was inclined to think there were eight or nine cases of plague daily in the colony of Macao. Dr. Clark added that the information con- tained in this report was subsequently con- firmed.
The PRESIDENT said that the curious thing about it was that while the plague was epidemic or practically raging in Macao in 1895 in Hong- kong they were more or less free from it, and he certainly thought that the stoppage of the immigration of Chinese from Macao was one of the main causes of this.
Mr. EDE-In your report you say only two cases existed.
The PRESIDENT-I saw myself in one Hospi. tal two cases of plague, but there were only 20 patients in that Hospital altogether.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Mr. EDE said he hardly thought they could
rely upon the statement of the Chinese doctor that he had visited 27 cases.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE said why should not the statement of this Chinese Doctor be true P All Chinese are not liars.
Mr. EDE said what the President said was reliable.
The PRESIDENT said that first of all this Chinese doctor told him he had attended two cases a day. He told him he did not want mere statements he wanted facts, and asked him how many he had attended himself. He replied, I can positively tell you I have seen one fresh case every two days since the Chinese new year.'
44
""
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE said there might be 20 cases a day, They knew the slack way they did things at Macao. They had no house to house visitation.
The PRESIDENT said, that if there were two cases a day that meant that there had been since the Chinese new year about 78 cases. He was informed that there were many more cases than that-that they would have to multiply that num- ber by ten to get at the real number of cases. He should like to know have many health re- turns had been sent from Macao recently. A month or six weeks ago health returns were sent weekly from Macao. How many had been sent during the last six weeks? He noticed that they did not admit the existence of small- pox or plague. They simply grouped all such cases under the title "fever eruptive," or as Dr. Lowson called them in 1895"
foul gas
fever." Dr. CLARK said there was a return for the week ending 20th February, one for the week ending 27th February, one for the week ending 7th March, and another was dated March 13th. There had been nothing since. - In the last return it was stated that there had been ten deaths from typhoid fever so-called.
The PRESIDENT-How eruptive fever ?
many cases of
Dr. CLARK-Three, and ten of typhoid. The PRESIDENT-That is the first time typhoid has appeared?
Dr. CLARK-No, there was one case men- tioned the previous week,
The PRESIDENT-How many the week before? Dr. CLARK-Twelve eruptive fevers (fevres eruptives). They change the name. Sometimes they call it typhoid and sometimes eruptive fever.
Mr. EDE-Is it supposed we got the plague from Canton and Macao P
The PRESIDENT-I think it is very probable, but we cannot prove it. Most of the cases which occurred here are picked up in the streets Answering Mr. Ede, Dr. CLARK said the majority of the cases were dead bodies.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -The Medical Officer says the majority of the cases are dead and picked up in the street, and you cannot trace anything about them.
|
Mr. EDE-I think that is owing to the fact that the Chinese are afraid of their houses being disinfected, and when they see that a man is affected they put him out into the street.
The CAPTAIN-SUPERINTENDENT-It would be impossible to find out how long the person affected bad been in the colony. This epidemic of plague started about ten days or so after the Races, when there was a tremendous influx of Chinese.
Dr. CLARKI certainly think that that was the start of it,
The PRESIDENT said they had a knowledge of the existence of the plague at Swatow at that were introduced time. Probably some cases from Swatow about the Chinese new year. He certainly thought it was their duty to recom- mend the Government to take every step to prevent the introduction of fresh cases of plague. If no one had anything more to say he would move that they recommend the Government to institute medical inspection of all Chinese from Macao either by Chinese vessels or steamers.
Mr. EDE-And Canton ?
The PRESIDENT-No, we have no practical knowledge that the plague exists in Canton. If you think it necessary to include Canton, before that is done I think it would be advisable to send some one to Can'on to ascertain the particulars.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -It will be necessary for us to advise the Government to declare Macao as a place where
253
bubonic plague prevails, in other words, to de- clare it an infected port.
Mr. EDE said that if they did not include Canton people could go down to Canton from Macao and then come to Hongkong.
The PRESIDENT-I move that the Sanitary Board advises the Government to proclaim the port of Macao a place at present infected with the bubonic plague, and that the Board recom- mends the Government to institute medical inspection of all Chinese arriving from Macao, but that we do not think the disease is suffici- ently prevalent to recommend the stoppage of all immigration from Macao-simply medical inspection. There is a definite letter from the Consul at Canton saying there have only been about four cases of plague at Canton, and they were supposed to have been imported from Hongkong.
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTEndent of POLICE -I beg to second.
The motion was passed unanimously and the Board then adjourned.
PROBATES AND ADMINISTRATIONS IN 1897.
The following is the calendar of probates and administrations granted by the Supreme Court of Hongkong during 1897, exclusive of Chinese estates under $1,000:-
Name of Testator
or Intestate.
Wu Wong.....
Peter Foster
William Brand.
Johannes Petersen
William George Pearne ........** William Thompson. George Brown Lefavour.
George Harper.
Ho Ham
Value
sworn under
William George Pearne Li Shing
1,600
5,000
Subder Ali
300
Daniel Stephen Henysman
400
6,000
John Wallace
16,800
Dominico Musso
119,200
José Fillipe Tavares
280
Louis Grünauer
39,500
Tam Choi
$1,350
Walter Chandler
200
Chan Sin Lin
5,000
Bonifacio Innocente d'Aquino
1,100
William Doran
250
Li Kam..
2,500
William Ingram Stewart
100
James Stewart
Peter McGregor
100
Yip Chuu Shan
14,500
Augustus Rawlins Hudson....
58,900
Marciano Antonio Baptista..
3,900
Francisco Luis Roxas
5,010
970
1,200
1,500
f
5,250
14,800
41,000
7,500
James Walker Knox
300
Ada Hayden......
1,600
Norberto Joaquim Gomes
1,700
Joseph Player
375
1,300
Alexander Stewart Harper.
Cheang Chai alias Tsai Tung
14,500
1
$5,100
Graham Romė..................................................................
1,100
4,000
Henry Joseph Dyer...
7,020
Tang Chiu Shing..
8,300
Edward Lewis
2,250
Stella Kathleen App otherwise called
Jeane Blood
16,000
Francisco Jonathan Murray
50
Mok Chai Bee
2,300
24,000
2,500
Majee Mirza Mahomed Ally Tong A-Tow
!
5,000
Antonio Vicente Barrito
294,000
Ruttonbai Mehta .............
1,844
David Symington.. The Kwai
150
2,800
Edward James Hagan........... Marietta Carvalho
26,700
500
Ada Hayden
2,400
Ho Oi Cbu alius Ho I Shek
5,000
Leung Shut Chi
6,000
Lee Awoon
8,000
800
300
Cheong Sau alias Cheong Assow. William Marsh Cooper .............. Kalla Singh
122,200
2,200
7,100
Chan Yee
Tang Man Hing
Wong Wing Fat
Lim Ah Khye
Manuel Reynolds....
C. F. Burdett
H. Metzler
Marie Gabriel Simon Lajest James Painter McEwen
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