December 15, 1900.]
of 31.7 of female cases, compared with 35.8 per cent. in 1898. The percentage of women in our Chinese population is 29.9 per cent. | The lessened liability of the women to con- tract the disease Dr. CLARK attributes either to a smaller proportion of women in the Chinese population since the last Census or to an improvement in the sanitary conditions of the poorer homes. Next month's Census will thrown light on the former question. Among Chinese children under fifteen years of age the percentage has been 25.9
per cent. (273 cases in all), as compared with 24.1 per cent. in 1898. The poportion of children under 15 being only 18 per cent. of the Chinese population, it is apparent, the report continues, that children are more liable to contract the disease than adults. Their case mortality was 96.7, practically the same as the general Chinese case-mortality.
Plague has prevailed throughout the whole year, three.clear weeks in March being the longest period without à case. The bulk of the cases were, as before, in the second quarter. In January-March there were 20 cases, 19 deaths; in April-June 745 cases, 683 deaths; in July-September 304 cases, 309 deaths (the excess of deaths being due, says the report, to some of the 152 cases reported in the last fortnight of the previous quarter not dying until after the commence- ment of the third quarter). In October there were 13 cases and 13 deaths-and, we may add, in November two cases and two deaths. 493 of the total number of cases occurred in the City of Victoria, Health Districts Nos. 2 and 9 maintaining their evil notoriety and claiming 229 cases be- tween them. The figures of the ten dis- tricts were as follows :- Health District 1 2 3 No. of Cases
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
| list may well suggest to the police the loca- lities where special vigilance is needed to stop this practice of getting rid of the dead while suppressing the address of the infected premises. Should the practice continue, in spite of police vigilance, Dr. CLARK con cludes, he sees no other remedy than for the Sanitary Board to decide to cremate all un- claimed bodies so found.
The charts which accompany the report illustrate "Bubonic Fever and General Rat Mortality," "Bubonic Fever and Mean Atmospheric Temperature," and "Bubonic Fever and Rainfall." It has been found that the average rat mor- tality of the City, above ground, is 400 to 500 per week, while during a plague epidemic it rises to as many as 2,000 or more per week. According to the chart the augmented råt mortality begins earlier and lasts longer than the epidemic among human beings. The Government' has con- sequently, on the recommendation of the Board, decided to continue the payment for rats (the bulk of which goes to scaveng- ing coolies who collect the dead rats thrown out by householders or that have died in the streets) after the epidemic, so that any in- crease in the number collected may give an early warning of a recrudescence of the dis- ease. From the second chart it appears that, as in former years, the epidemic abated as soon as the mean atmospheric tempera, ture rose above 80 deg. F. however, does not seem to recrudesce when the temperature again falls below 80 deg. This Dr. CLARK finds difficult to explain, but says that no doubt there many other factors at
in the causation of an epidemic. The third chart 4 5 G 7 S 9 10 deals with the influence of rainfall on the 44 131 0 67 63 30 24 19 98 17 A bad feature of the outbreak has been progress of the disease. In the twentieth, the number of dead bodies found in the falls were followed by declines in the epide- twenty-fourth, and twenty-sixth weeks heavy streets or floating in the Harbour. There mic. Such statistics as these are interesting, were no less than 412 cases so discovered, but of course the number of "factors at or 37.1 per cent. of the total. In 1899, how-work" makes it necessary for them to be ever, the percentage was as high as 40. Dr.
compared with similar statistics from other CLARK says:
These bodies are thrown out
epidemics before theories can be built on them. The report before us is an excellent piece of statistical work, in which all but
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at night by the other occupants of the infected houses, with a view to avoiding the "disinfection of the premises, and it would
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appear to be impossible to put a stop "to the practice without an enormous in- [ crease in the European police force of the Colony. It is this practice by the Chinese that has necessitated such frequent house to house visitations by the officers of the Sanitary Board, and until the better class
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"Chinese can bring such pressure to bear
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upon their poorer neighbours as will result
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of their dead, and concealing the address
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necessary comment on the facts collected is avoided. It deserves to be read with close attention.
THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
SHANGHAI, 8th December, 12.5. a.m.
H.E. Sheng Tajen announces that General Tung Fuhsiang is proceeding to Kansu.
"of the infected premises, I fear that house to house visitation, with its attendant dis- "comforts to the more respectable Chinese
Palace officials report that the Empress residents, must be pressed, or the alter-Dowager is proceeding to Wuchang, while "native of a wholesale vacation of the houses the Emperor himself is going direct to
in infected districts be put in force. This Peking. latter remedy is universally admitted to be the most effective one for dealing with Bubonic Fever, but unfortunately its con- sequences to the property-owner are most disastrous, as it naturally results in a all rental for a period of some three or four months, and it is therefore as much to the interests of
$4
**
result of
the property-owner as to the Colony at large that all cases of this disease should “be at once identified, and isolated." Dr. CLARK appends a list of all places in which dead bodies have been found, showing that twelve have been persons who have found their way to the Canton Wharf, wishing to cross to Chinese territory, but have died on reaching the wharf. 70 bodies were found in the Harbour, and 43 at Yaumati. The
The news comes by telegraph from Ticut- sin that the Kalgau expedition has rather failed to achieve any success, Count York von Wartenburg was killed while fighting during a reverse.
The Shensi famine is increasing. nibalism is prevalent in the province.
Can-
A large part of the business portion of Changsha, Hunan, was burnt on the lat instant.
The Taotai Pao Ho-nien, who was charged with complicity in the Chuchou massacre, absconded, but was captured at Changchou and sent to Hangchow under guard. Sel
The Empress Dowager's designs as Hsipfu [? Hsiangfu] are most uncertain.
BAJE
SHANGHAI, 10th December, 7,48 p.m. Sun Chia-nai, the Emperor's friend, has been appointed to the post of President of the Board of Rites and to the Hanlin Col- lege.
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Wang Wen-shao has been promoted to the Grand Secretariat. Lu Chuan-lin has also been promoted with two other reactionaries.
SHANGHAI, 11th December, 8.16 p.m. Sung Shau, the New Governor of Kiang. sul, was lately Governor of Kiangsi, where thirty-eight Roman Catholic Mission sta- tions were rioted, only three being spared.
A Hsianfu despatch reports that the Em- press Dowager threatens summary ven- geance on whoever suggests returning to Peking, while the Emperor is anxious to
return.
SHANGHAI, December, 12th 7:20 p.m. The peace plenipotentiaries Prince Ching to take for use the Imperial Seal from the and Li Hung-chang have been authorised
Forbidden City.
The Grand Secretary at Hsiangfu tele- graphs to his family here at Shanghai that if the Imperial Court moves it goes first to Taivuanfu.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
Hougkong Legislative Conncil was held in the On Monday, the 10th inst., a meeting of the Council Chamber at the Government Offices, there being present:-
His EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR (Sir HENRY BLAKE, G.C.M.G.)
His EXCELLENCY Major-General GASCOIGNE, C.M.G. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).
Hon. W. MEIGH Goodman, Q.C. (Attorney. General).
Hon. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. R. D. ORMSBY (Director of Public Works).
Hon, F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Captain Superin. tendent of Police).
Hon. BABIL TAYLOR (Acting Harbour Master).
Hon. C. P. Chater, C.M.G. Hon. J. J. Keswick. Hon. Dr. Ho KAI. Hon. J. THURDUBN. Hon. WEI A YUK.
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Acting Clerk of Councils).
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETÁRY laid on the table a report on the epidemic of bubonic plague in Hongkong in the year 1900.
FINANCIAL The COLONIAL Secretary laid on the table' Financial Minutes Nos. 50 to 69 and proposed that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER 50Conded, and the motion was carried.
The COLONIAL. SECRETARY laid on the 'table' the report of the Finance Committee (No. 18) and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the
Taotai Tan Wen-huan, an netive Boxer leader and the ring-leader in the Paotingfu massacres, was sentenced to death by be-motion was carried. heading at Tientsin to-day.
SHANGHAI, 9th December, 7 p.m. Chinese official despatches from Manchu ria report that the Russians at Newchwang are sending a large force to Kinchou to disperse a big gathering of Boxers and disbanded soldiers there.
AN AMENDING BYE-LAW.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY Proposed the amending Bye-law made by the Sanitary Board under sub-section 1 of section, 18 Ordinance No. 24 of 1897 · be approved, amendment being as follows paras ko
The word “new.”, before the words “ drains,” and “drainage” respectively over it occurs in numbers 1, 4, 10, 19, 24, 83, 43, 44 and 45 of the mid bye-laws, and in the
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