246
ferred. The presence of anopheles is no source
of injury to the cattle, sheep and pig depot, The Director of Public Worksrperiment.
since their inmates are only there for short periods previous to being slaughtered, nor to the rope-works whose employees are probably entirely, or chiefly, there during the day only, so that meanwhile the only inhabited house re- quiring consideration is that of a caretaker of the cattle, depot. Should further building be projected, this whole subject would require consideration, but in the meantime it seems to me that the inmates of the caretaker's house might be efficiently protected by a combination of the following inexpensive measures.
(a) The use of kerosene in the pools. In the vicinity of the house I recommend the weekly application of it to all pools in which Inspector Watson, who is able to recognise the larve of anopheles, finds any larve all through the next few months, to reduce their numbers as much as possible before the seasons come around again when breeding goes on more rapidly. This should be done in the stream from the cattle-depot to the well known spot above the junction with the stream. "B and should include the lower part of the latter. The total amount of the kerosene required would not be great, as only the pools and places where green ooze exists would need to be done. About one teaspoonful of kerosene to the square yard of the water service is sufficient, an amount that will not injure the water for drinking purposes at the cattle-depot,
(b) The protection of doors, windows, and verandahs of the houses by wire-ganze, a mea- sure that in the hands of various Italian malar. iologista, especially Celli, has proved entirely satisfactory in some of the worst malarious parts of the Italian railway lines. I shall be glad to point out to the Director of Public Works what I think might be done in this respect and I would suggest that the Govern- ment shall get ont from England a quantity of iron wire-gauze with a mesh not exceeding ⚫ne-twentieth of an inch in diameter for use
not only at the houses in question, but for other isolated houses occupied by police and others in malarion's localities where more radical measures for dealing with anopheles may not be justified by existing means. If ordered now it could be to hand before the next malaria season.
(c) Medicinal prophylaxis. For this par. ticular family I would recommend the use of enquinine which is more easily given to chil- dren, less severe in its general effects, and quite as effective as quinine itself in its anti-malarial
action.
9. The site of the new police station will probably prove healthy without any special protective measures, on account of its high location, and its free exposure to wind all round. Should experience prove otherwise, similar pro- phylactic methods to those just described "can be employed.
10. After the severe cold at the beginning of the present week, the larvae were much less abundant where I had previously found them swarming, but were still to found in consider. ab numbers. I fortunately had some under observation in a glass jar in my verandah, when the temperature fell so suddenly. They be came sluggish and torpid, and most of them I believed dead, but to-day in the suns-rays they have become quite lively again. It is probable therefore that the diminution of larve in the streams at the present time is more apparent than real, since they are most easily recognised in ordinary circumstances by their very charac. teristic movements when disturbed.
11, In conclusion I take this opportunity of urging active efforts for the destruction of the larve of mosquitoes, not only in Kennedytown, but all over the Colony, at the present season when new generations are not being developed or at least only comparatively slowly, and when therefore such efforts will be much more effec- tive than during the actual fever season.
Dr. Hartigan minuted :- I should like to add that some three months ago, and again lately, certain curative measures were adopted at Quarry Bay and also at the Metropole Hotel. Yesterday I inspected these pools and found them quite free from anopheles larvæ with the exception of two small pools, one of which I had overlooked, while the other lying out of the cam had not been nected by the petroleum poured in higher up. This shows how slight Parelessness or inattention may nullify what
stream
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
would otherwise be a a successful
mistaken in supposing the anopheles have since spread over. large pools formerly free of them. They always existed in these places. Dr. Thomson's report only emphasises the necessity of skilled supervi sion and continuous action in dealing with anopheles pools.
Celli, the Italian malaria authority, has pointed out the facts noticed by Dr. Thomson, viz., The breeding in green ooze and in the bottom of narrow canals and trained nullahs when almost dry, and has pointed out how these conditions can be most succes fully over- come. We are only at the beginning of our knowledge as regards the prophylaxis of mala- ria, and it is, to say the least, disappointing to find the president of the Sanitary. Board stating the mosquitoes is hopeless, when the experimeat ex cathedra that this method of combatting
has been but half carried ont, is only in existence a month, and when no attempt has been made either in the first place to free the nnllah from larve, or to prevent their reproduction pending the complete wash out of the nullah during Dr. Thomson's strong recommendation uring the rainy season, and this too, notwithstanding active efforts for the destruction of the larvae of mosquitoes all over the colony-when there- fore such efforts will be much more effective than during the actual fever seasîn.
Mr. OSBORNE said-In connection with this report I think it is due to the committee who reported upon the proposed site of the Tung Wah Infectious Diseases Hospital and Thomson fully corroborates the Committee's especially Dr. Hartigan, to point out that Dr.
statements concerning the unhealthy surround-
ings of the site, and effectually disposes of the denial of these statements made by yourself and Thomson says:-"To the S.W. of the now the late Director of Public Works. Dr. disused silk-works there is a marshy piece of round used as a cress-garden, and here too I found the larvae abundant. (b) Close behind the site of the proposed Tung Wah Hospital Infectious Diseases branch there is elevated marshy ground similarly harbouring larvae in abundance. (c) The neighbourhood of the proposed Chinese Infectious Diseases Hospital will need to be thoronghly drained before that building is occupied or it will certainly prove Ormsby ant myself arose partly from a mis. unhealthy. It is true that the denial of Mr. understanding as to the precise spot Dr. Hartigan referred to, but in reading between difficult to avoid the suspicion that advantage he lines of your Report to Government it is
discredit Dr. Hartigan's statements, and it is was taken of this loophole to quibble over and
11
deprived the Colony of his valuable s-rvices on this Board. I beg to propose that Government medations, and especially those referring to the be asked to give effect to Dr. Thomson's recom. Infectious Diseases Hospital.
the accumulation of such incidents that has
The CHAIRMAN said that in connection with
March 23, 1901.
The CHAIRMAN-No; I simply said the work is being done.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUEN said he would second. Dr. Thomson's report was practically the same in substance as the report of the sub-committee.
The motion was carried.
ROAD SCAVENGING AT KOWLOON. The SECRETARY read a letter from the Col- onial Secretary enclosing the following report of the Deputy Superintendent of Police on the scavenging of the roads in Kowloon :--
44
'During the past three weeks I have been frequently at various hours of the day over all the roads and streets at Yaumati, Tsimshatsui, and Hunghom, and once to Taikoktsui and Fuk Tsun Heung. The sidewalks in all the main streets are always very fairly clean and remark- ably free from obstruction. Ones only in the seen some fokis taking a meal at a small table sidewalk of Reclamation Street, Yaumati, have
in the sidewalk, and that was at a time when there was practically no traffic there, and once I saw a basket of orange peel put out to dry. Itinerant. cobblers, tinkers, and seamstresses squat hore and there on the sidewalks, and occasionally one sees a shopman sitting on a stool a few inches outside his door, but the obstructions. are not such as to prevent the scavenging. contractor doing his work or to materially inconvenience passengers. Firewood, tubs, &c, are sometimes to be seen temporarily on the side- walks, but in every case I saw they were on the where no one walks. The above remarks apply extreme outer edge between the verandah pillars, only to the main streets. The case of some of the short cross streets is different. Some of these, particularly Second Street and Hi Hung. Lane, Yanmati, have their sidewalks (if such
they can be called, where no one ever does or would walk) monopolised by hawkers, but the streets are not obstructed and there is not much traffic in them. In the main streets hawkers do not squat on the sidewalks but over the sido channels and into the streets. As them generally clean in Yaumati, not so good regards the state of these channels found in Hunghom, bad in Taikoktsui, and worse in Fuk Tsun Heung. A good deal of rubbish ac... cumulates inevitably round the hawkers' stalls, but the hawkers sweep it up at intervals (I have seen them doing it), and I have generally noticed that the side channels near the hawkers' stalls: were cleaner than elsewhere, rather than dirtier. Parts of some streets are obstructed by building operations are in progress. I don't know where materials and debris, but only where building Major Brown's handy latrines are, and I did not see any such places on the sidewalk.".
Dr. Hartigan minuted:-"I entirely agree description of obstruction on sidewalks. As with Major Brown's and Inspector Brett's
to obstruction of drains, ten days ago I saw the dried black stinking sewage.“ Hungbom sewer being emptied with a scoop of
The report was laid on the table without
comment.
THE NEW WESTERN MARKET,
The SECRETARY read the following letter from the Government on the subject of the
new Western Market:--
44
With reference to your letter No. 27 of the 7th February, I am directed to acquaint you, Afor the information of the Board, that it is the intention of Government on the completion of the new market on the site opposite the present Harbour Office, and on the completion of the new Harbour Office, which buildings will be proceeded with simultaneously, to convert the existing Harbour Office into a market, which, with the new market continued, will afford. about 210 stalls as against 149 in the existing Western Market.
this matter, he would like to point out that the recommendations were being carried out. He supposed the matter would be reported to the Sanitary Board in due course. The Govern- ment were taking stops in the matter. special man had been toll off from the Public Works Department. He must take exception to Mr. Osborne's remarks about the report on the site. He (Dr. Bell) thought, and would think till his dying day, that the description of the site by Dr. Hartigan was wrong. With regard to the charge of quibbling, that also he denied. Their words were recorded, and if he said a site was healthy and it was proved to be unhealthy there was nothing to prevent the clerk at the Colonial Office turning it up, and that made him very careful. Some defects he contended were found out and mentioned, and he instanced the water-cress bed. He refrained from mak- ing any remarks. at last meeting, when Dr. Hartigan made his speech, because there was an element of warmth in the whole matter, and if he had spoken he might have regretted it afterwards. In conclusion, Dr. Bell said he still held that the Infectious Hospital, when finished with big walls, etc, would be as healthy as the Kennedytown Infectious Hospital was at present.
Mr. Fung WA CHUEN-Do you second Mr. Osborne's motion ?
'No change in the existing Western Market can be made until the above works are .com.
pleted and if it is then found that still more market accommodation is required in this part of the city, the question as to what portion of the old market site should be reserved will be. referred to the Sanitary Board for its con- sideration. The large area to be reclaimed in front of the Central Market containing 22,400 square feet in at present considered as reserved for a new fish market.
AN IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL QUESTION.
The following minute by Dr. Clark, con- cerning the question of the height of buildings in relation to the width of the streets on which they front, was read
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