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It is here important to note that Glasgow is the only city in the United Kingdom where plague has appeared and where it has retained its hold.
MALARIA.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Insanitary Properties Ordinance of 1899, which workmen, thus offering an inducement to the was passed on November 28th of that year, and Chinese to reside in these suburbs. which required inten alia, the provision of open
! "The density of population of the City of spaces in the rear of many existing domestic Victoria as a whole, that is to say, including buildings. A large number of old buildings all the outlying vacant lands and the villages throughout the Colony have now been provided in No. 1 Health District, the Public Gardens with these backyards, and although they rarely in No. 3 Health District, and all the unoccupied exceed the legal minimum of 50 square feet in hill-side below the upper limit of the City ares, yet some improvement is already per- Health Districts (ie about 45 | feet above bigh- ceptible in the lighting and ventilation of the water mark) is 126 persons per acre. In 1898 back part of many of these dwellings. All the average density of population in the ad- new domestic buildings must now be pro- ministrative County of London was 60 persons vided with back lanes, or backyards, varying per acre, whil in Glasgow it was 61, in from 6 feet to 14 feet in width, in accordance Liverpool 50, and in Edinburgh 47 persona per with the depth of the house, and as plans of no acre -Glasgow being the most densely crowded less than 1,319 new buildings have been sent of the thirty-six large towns of the United in during the year, it will be seen that Kingdom." this provision will gradually have a marked effect upon the general sanitary condition of the Colony. The Sanitary Board are now engaged upon an earnest attempt to secure a reduction in the present excessive height of buildings, for the provisions of the present law in this respect are calculated to stultify, to a great extent, the benefit which should accrue from these open spaces in the rear of buildings. For more than fifty years past, many of the larger cities of Great Brit in have prohibited the erection of buildings of a greater height than the width of the streets on which they front, while in this Colony domestic buildings can still be erected, under certain conditions. to height of 46 feet in lanes of only 14 feet in width, and in streets of just over 20 feet in width buildings can be erected of a height of 45 feet and can have balconies on either side of such street projecting over the footways and reducing the width of such street which is open to the sky to 11 or 12 feet only. Many old houses which were originally designed as two- story buildings have recently been raised to three and four-story buildings under this present law, and the sooner therefore the law is amended in this respect, the better will it be for the general sanitary condition of the Colony.
"The question of the resumption of insanitary or obstructive buildings is one which must shortly receive the serious attention of the Government, as there are many private lanes in the city which have been converted into insanitary courts by the erection of dwellings at both ends of the lane, leaving a passage way only below the first floor. Such obstruc- tive buildings should be resumed and demolished, and this can now be readily done under the Crown Lands Resumption Ordinance of 1900, while legislation is needed to prohibit the further erection of such obstructive buildings.
"Several additional latrines were in process of erection at the latter end of the year, but there is still the same urgent need for urinals, especially in the City of Victoria. This need has been pointed out by me since 1897, and it is, I believe, one of the principal causes of the offensive smells which arise from many of the street gullies and the drains, as, in the absence of suitable conveniences, the coolies have no option but to make use of these receptacles for the purpose."
C POPULATION.
"The population of the Colony at the census taken in January, 1897, was 248,880, while at the census taken in January, 1901, it was 283,955, exclusive of the army and navy.
1
Writing on this, Dr. Clark states:-
"In a recent Report to the Royal Society, Drs. Stephens and Christophers, who are work- ing at this subject in Lagos, say that 'to stamp out native malaria is at present chimerical, and every effort should rather be turned to the pro- tection of Europeans,' and I certainly think that the same principle holds good in this Colony. The Colony has recently acquired a very extensive addition to its territory, and every effort should be made to secure and maintain an extensive European reservation in this new territory, before the land becomes too raluable for the Government to be able to resume from the native holders. This reservation should be surrounded by a zone of neutral ground, at least a quarter of a mile wide, on which neither European nor native dwellings should allowed, but which should be utilised by the Government for the cultivation of trees or laid out in part as a recreation ground. There is no objection to a small number of personal serv..nts residing within the reservation area, but in no case should any native families be allowed, as it is the native children, and especially those under the age of ten years, who are the principal source of infection in Malaria." The Italian Government has voted large sums for dealing with and combating malari. What a poor nation can accomplish a rich one-might surely attempt.
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The question of the Medical Inspection of all Vessels immediately on their entering the Harbour is still in abeyance, pending the appointment of an officer who shall devote the whole of his time to this duty. There can be no question that such a provision would protect the Colony from importation of many cases of infectious disease, which are now nnrecognised, until after landing, or even escape detection altogether." But the Government is satisfied to jog along with a system which was only moderately successful when the town to be dealt with was a third of its present dimen- sions and the Health Officer spent his whole working day on the harbour.
Such is the report of the Medical Officer of Health, and no stronger confirmation could be given of the existence of evils which have been pointed out in the previous articles and corres- pondence.
REMEDI 8.
The Hongkong Daily Press has suggested "The city of Victoria is divided into ten that a public meeting of ratepayers should be Health Districts, with an inspector of nuisances convened “to consider the best means for mak- in charge of each district; there are also five ing representations to the Secretary of State first-class inspectors for the city, each of whom for the Colonies in favour of the establishment has the general supervision of two districts and of a Municipal Council for the City of Victoria." has in addition certain special duties such as also be held for
I am of opinion that the meeting should
an additional the disinfection of infected premises, the pro- which should take precedence of the request purpose secution of offenders, the up-keep of the dust for a Municipal Council. This is, that the boats, dust-carts, etc., and the control of the Chinese cemeteries."
Ratepayers should ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies to appoint a Special Com. "Nos. 5 and 6 Health Districts, which are missioner with full powers to inquire thoroughly situated in the centre of the city, show acute into the sanitation of the Colony. The Com surface crowding while Districts 9, 4, 3, and 7 missioner should be a strong and a capable mau, are almost as densely crowded. Owing to the who would not hesitate to call "a spade a spade." conformation of the island, the only possible That should form the first resolution of the remedy for this acute congestion is the pro- meeting, and the second should be a request vision of more ready means of access to the for. the appointment of a Municipal Council outlying districts of the city, and it is to be to take over the sanitary control of the Colony, hoped that the Government will see their way, the waterworks, roads and public works in at no distant date, to provide, or to encourage a defined radius. This Council should supersede the provision of tramways to East Point and the present Sanitary Board, and possess larger the Shaukiwan Road with nominal fares for and more comprehensive powers and be
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(June 3, 1901. its own executive, both in finance and general municipal administration. The Legislative Council, as in other Crown Colonies, would keep a check on any possible extravagancy, ut, at the same time, the Legislative Connoil should be enlarged and more representative of the community than it is at present. The Municipal Council would be of little use if it did not possess adequate power to deal fully with anitary and Public Health matters, supervision of baildings, roads, etc., and possess, as in Singapore, its own engineering, sanitary and medical staffs.
the proposal of a Municipal Council, because Many Ratepayers at present look askance at
of the immense power the Chinese, would possess if every ratepayer, irrespective of nationality, were entitled to vote." Othe face of it, it would seem that the Chinese votes would swamp out the European, and the result would be either a Council com- posed of Chinese or of Europeans who for certain
electorate. personal motives might influence the Chinese ·
The same conditions prevail, in Singapore as in Hongkong in the matter of races, and it may dissipate any fears of the above to learn that the Chinese representation there is re tricted to two members. The Chinese also might ouly be allowed to rote in the election of their own representatives.
Should the suggestion for a Municipal Council, even after the successful example of Singapore, not be considered advisable, then a request should be made that the Sanitary Board be remodelled and reimpowered on the lines of a Municipal Commission.
SCRUTATOR.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD......
BEACONSFIELD ARCADE TO BE CLOSED.
A special meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Saturday, the 24th ult, to consider the advisability of closing the premises known as Beaconsfield Arcade during the prevalence of the present epidemic of bubonic plague in the city. The President (Hon. W. Chatham, Acting Director of Public Works) occupied the chair, and the other members present were Dr. Bell (Principal Civil Medical Officer), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Lt.-Col. Hughes, R.A.M.C., Mr. E. Osborne, Mr. Fang Wa Chuen, Mr. Chan A Fook, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, the stand- ing orders were suspended.
The following report by Dr. CLARK, which had been circulated, was submitted:-
*
I have the honour to report that another European case of bubonic plague has occurred in Beaconsfield Arcade to-day; this makes a total of five Europeans and three Chinese casOS from this block of buildings, and I beg to re- commend that the Board should consider the advisability of closing these premises as unfit for human habitation during the prevalence of the present epidemic. I am inclined to think that the large quantity_of_grain and other foodstuffs stored on the Parade Gronnd must have attracted a large number of rats to the neighbourhood, and that these rats have infected the buildings in the immediate vicinity, A number of dead rats have been recently found in the City Hall, but I have no informa- tion as to whether any have been found at Murray Barracks. I attach the necessary cortificate. I recommend that a special meet- ing of the Board should be called for noon to-morrow to consider this question."
The following minutes were appended Lt.Col. Hughes-I recommend that Beacons. thoroughly disinfected, and kept closed until the field Arcade be evacuated without delay, subsidence of the epidemic.
Dr. Bell-I agree with the M.O.H.
The PRESIDENT said that Dr. Clark, in con- sequence of the recurrence of cases of plague in Beaconsfield Arcade, had certified that the houses there wore unfit for human habitation, and had recommended that they be closed without delay, and kept closed.
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Health will tell us exactly the number of cases? Dr BELL-Perhaps the Medical Officer of
The PRESIDENT—There is a total of five
European and three Chinese cases from that block of buildings
Mr. OSBORNE Does that mean, sir, that the premises will not be open at any hour ?
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