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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 19th inst. in the Board Room. The President (Dr. Atkinson. Principal Civil Medical Officer), occupied the chair, and there were present Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Hon. W. Chatham (Acting Director of Public Works), Mr. F. J. Badeley (Acting Captain Superintendent of Folice), Mr. A: Brewin (Registrar-General). Mr. Lau Chu Pak, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
APPOINTMENT TO A COMMITTE *.
The first business was the appointment of a member of the Quarterly Inspection Committee, vice the Hon. F. H. May, on leave.
Mr. CHATHAM-I move that the President be appointed a member of this Committee, if he will consent to undertake the duties.
PRESIDENT-I am quite willing to act on the Committee.
The motion was carried.
TEMPORARY BATH-HOUSES.
Correspondence relative to the temporary bath-houses was laid on the table.
Dr. Clark minuted--" These bath-houses were erected as a temporary measure to assist in abating the epidemic of plague. As it is impossible to guard against theft of fuel and misuse, unless an European is placed in charge of each, I sugge t that they be dispensed with for the present. The buildings may be allowed to stand, but I hardly think the Colony is get- ting any return now for the expenditure of $5,000 and $6,000 a month. I hope that before the next outbreak of plague we shall have two or three permanant bath-houses in the city."
In a minute, the President agreed with Dr. Clark's views, and expressed the opinion that some of the bath-houses are undoubtedly a nuisance. He drew attention to a letter from
Mr. Yeung Hin Pong, the owner of houses at 49 to 61, Third Street, who stated that his tenants were complaining against a bath-house erected opposite their dwellings, and asked when the Government intended to remove it.
PRESIDENT These papers- deal with the temporary bath-houses erected for the purpose of abating the plague. There are no minutes, but the Medical Officer of Health suggests that per-
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manent bath-houses would be better. I think the
papers might be returned to the Government, with a minute to that effect.
Mr. CHATHAM-I may say that sanction has already been obtained for the erection of one permanent bath-house in the neighbourhood of No. 2 Police Station, Wanchai district, but so far that is the only place for which a site has been selected. That is really the great difficulty in the way of making the necessary provision to find sites for these houses. It is a very desirable thing that we should abolish theso temporary bath-houses and erect permanent ones, because the temporary ones in many cases are a distinct source of danger. They had to be provided, though, and hud to be put somewhere, so they were put in the street. But they are only matsheds and liable to catch fire at any time, and may become a source of danger to a neighbourhood. I think there is little doubt the Government will be glad to sanction expenditure on these permanart "bath-houses, if other sites were available.
PRESIDENT-These temporary bath houses certainly did some good, but now that the epidemic of plague is over I quite agree with the remarks of the D.P.W. regarding them. I
move that the Board recommend the Government to do away with these temporary bath-houses and to erect as soon as possible one or more perma- nant bath-houses.
Mr. CHATHAM-I second that. The motion was carried.
LIGHTING OF CENTRAL MARKET.
Correspondence was laid on the table relative to the use of lamps in the Central Market.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
in Conncil:-~-
additional bye-law was made by the Governor Market Bye-laws.-31. All oil lamps need in the stalls of the Central Market shall be of a pattern to be approved by the Inspector of Markets, and such lamps shall never be used without a proper chimney or globe.”
Dr. Clark minuted: I would suggest the followingStallholders who require addi- tional light in their stalls sball only use electric lamps or smokeless oil lamps of a pattern to be approved by the Inspector of Markets.'
Other minutes were- Mr. Lau Cha Pak: Medical Officer of Health."
Mr. Chatham :-"The rule proposed by the M.O.H. covers the point.“
་ ་
I agree with the
Mr. Badeley **Ingres with M.O.H.“ PRESIDENT-I suggest that the recommen- dation of the Medical Officer of Health be forwarded to the Government.
(September 23, 1901.
the premises, one at least of caught on which was suffering from undoubted plague; and after inspection of the premises and of the stock I considered it necessary to destroy the rice. I instructed the man to send in a statement of the value of the rice, and I also had it all weighed by Inspector Reidie. The claim comes to 844, and I recommend that the man be paid that amount in the compensation for the loss."
The minute was forwarded to H. E. the Governor, who approved the rec: mmendation.
ERECTION OF SHED FOR HAWKERS Correspondence was laid on the table con. cerning the erection of a shed for hawkers in front of Marine Lot 116 and Albany Street.
Mr. Brewin minuted :---“ How many hawkers are to be accommodated, and what are they to be allowed to sell ?
Dr. Clark minuted :--" All the hawkers from Stone Nullah Lane and that neighbourhood are Mr. CHATHAM seconded, and the motion was to be diverted to this area. They will sell catables (including vegetables, fruit, coager, and cooked food).'
A SENSIBLE INNOVATION,
carried. PRESENT METHOD OF DEALING WITH PLAGUE.
Under the heading. Method of Dealing THE CONVEYANCE OF DEAD BODIES. with Outbreaks of Bubonic Fever (Plague)," H.E. the Governor has approved a suggestion Dr. Clark has drawn up a statement showing by Dr. Clark that six small covered-in hand. the means at present adopted by the authorities carts should be procured from home in which in combating the disease. These are treated, to convey dead-boxes through the streets, each of under six heads-Votification, Detection of cart to be capable of holding two dead-boxes. the Sick. Removal of the Sick and Deid, Treatment of the Sick, Disinfection of Pe. miser. Burial of the Dead, and General Sanitary Precautions. Under the last-named it says:-A reward of 3 cents per head has been offered for every rat brought to an officer of the Board, and over 50,000 rats have by this means been collected and destroyed during the first half of the current year.
Dr. Clark minuted :-"This statement has been drawn up by me and approved by a com- mittee consisting of Mr. May, Mr. Osborne, and myself. A copy should be sent to each member of the Board and one copy circulated, so that it can he adopted formally at the next meeting of the Board. When this has been done, copies might be sent to the Government and one copy to each of the local medical practitioners."
PRESIDENT-With reference to these papers, which deal with the present methed of combat- ing plague. the question will arise for our serious consideration, when plague again appears iu epi- demic form. whether it might not be necessary for us to recommend the segregation of those who live in infected houses. It has been done before in Hougkong-in 1895 and in 1896, if my memory serves me right. Of course, when the number of cases increase to any extent segregation would becomo im- . practicable.
But the outbreak might bo limited if means be taken to check it at its onset, as in 1895. In that year some cases wero segregated in junks off Stonecutters Island, and amongst those SO some cases of plague occurred within ten days of segregation. This method. I may say, is followed in every other place where plague has appeared, e.g. in Australia, England, Egypt, Japan, &c., with the exception of India, where I think #ey have now given it up. The question is one that we will
have to consider later on.
The papers were laid on the table.
APPOINTMENT OF SANITARY INSPECTOR.
The appointment of Inspector Farrell as a third-class Inspector of Nuisances was intimat- ed. Inspector Farrell was formerly a sapper in the Royal Engineers, and for the past three months has been acting as a temporary inspector.
PUBLIC LATRINES.
The Government has approved the erection of three public latrines-one near No. 3, Police Station (forty seats), another to the west of Kowlon City road (fifty seat ), and a third at the corner of Fourth and Kennedy Streets, Yaumati (fifty seats).
Dr. Clarke minuted :·
These sites must be advertised in the Gazette, as this has not yet
been done."
Mr. CHATHAM-I think the Government should be reminded of that.
On 14th June, the Board appointed a com- mittee to decide and report upon the best artificial way of lighting the Central Market. The report of the committee was submitted at COMPENSATION FOR DESTROYED RICE. a meeting held on 25th July, when it was In a minute to the Board, dated 30th resolved: "That the report of the committee be August, Dr. Clark wrote:-"I have the hon- adopted, and that stallholders in the Central our to report that a case of plague occurred Market be allowed to use good oil lamps, to be at 106, Des Voeux Road West on the 27th approved by the Inspector of Markets.”
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On the 10th inst., Dr. Atkinson wrote to the Colonial Secretary recommending that two four-wheeled horse ambulances be obtained from England at as early a date as possible, so that they might be in readiness for a possible out. break of plague next year. He proposed to reserve one for Europeans and the other for Chiness. Many cases on the lower levels could be transferred by this means more comfortably and expeditiously than by the present method in vogue. He also suggested that the ambu- lances to similar to those now in use in the London Hospital, which have rubber tyres and room for an attendant. II.E. the Governor has approved the suggestion, and the order has been despatched to the Crown Agents.
PRESIDENT-With reference to those four- wheeled horse-ambulances, my reason in wishing that they might be obtained from England is that they will provide a more comfortable and speedier mode of transit for patients suffering from plague (more especially of Europeans) in the lower levels. I do not know how the am- bulances will stand the roads we have in Hong. kong, but they have answered very well in London.
EMPLOYMENT OF RAT-CATCHERS.
Some time ago the Government approved tho appointment of four Chinese rat-catchers at a salary of $5 a month and 3 cents for overy rat caught. On the 11th inst. the Secretary of the Board forwarded to Government a return com. piled by Dr. Clark showing that the number of rats caught in the City of Victoria during the month of August was 1,291, at a total cost of $38.73.
Commenting on the return, the President minuted: I agree with Mr. Osborne that many more rat catchers are required, but I would not go quite so far as tɔ say that 50 are neces- sary. Taking the number of rats caught this year in August, and comparing it with the same month last year, four rat-catchers are not sufficient. The figures are:-Rats caught and paid for.- August, 1900, 4,549; Angust, 1901, 1,291. If we are to depend upon rat- catchers, at least 12 are required. A better plan, I think, would be to resume payment of two cents."
The following minutes were attached
Mr. Brewin :-* Resume payment per head for one month as an experiment, and keep on the rat-catchers in the meantime."
Dr. Clark :-" The rats brought in by the rat- catchers are all caught. Those paid for last year were mostly dead ones found in the streets by the scavengers. These latter are still being | removed with the household refuse, so that to resume payment for them merely means paying for the statistics, and at the same time it en- courages these men to carry the rats about with them, and this is most undesirable.”
The President:-" The object is to obtain as .' many rats as possible. I suggest that the old inst. The premises are used as a rice-pound-method of payment per head be resumed. In August last year 4,549 were killed, whereas this year there are only 1,291 accounted for."
This resolution was forwarded to the Governing shop, and a certain quantity of rice ment on 28th July, and later, the following was stocked in the shop. Nine rats were
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