96
HONGKONG SANITARÝ BOARD.
A mesting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 6th inst., in the Board Chamber. Present: -Dr, J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Hon. A. W. Brewin. Re- gistrar-General (Vice-President); Hon. W. Chatham, Director of Public Works; Mr F. J. Badeley, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police; Lient. Col. Hughes, R.A.M.C., Mr. E. Osborne, and Mr. G. A. Woodoook (secretary).
GAMBLING AND PLAGUE.
Correspondence was laid on the table relative to the prohibition of gambling with a view to the influx of coolies from China at the Race Meeting.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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brought some of this-and when the bacterio. logist arrives in a fortnight's time he is going to ask him to make as much as possible and spread it all over the town.
CATS AND BATS.
February 1», 1902.
with such progress in this Colony. The amount of space available for offices is very small indeed, and it is contracted in the narrow limits of the Reclamation for the Naval Yard. If the business offices of this Colony are to be en- The following letter from the Colonial Secre¦couraged, a convenient place must be got for If Chiubse It has been suggested very large blocks of buildings, tary was submitted:- that it might be a good thing if the Chinese houses were going up in place of these offices, were encouraged to keep cats, with a view to I believe that without any sanction of this the destruction of rats. Please bring the mat. Board they would be erected to a height, of ter before the Board and report."
something like 62 feet, which is not very much less than the height proposed for these build- ings. What is more, the Board bas laid down as a general rule that the height of buildings should not exc-ed one-and-a-half times the width of the street. These buildings do not exceed that height, and, I think that, taking all these circumstances into consideration, would be quite justified in granting the appli- cation. Therefore I beg to move that the plans be approved.
The PRESIDENT- The only objection to that is that cats also contract the disease. I saw from a report of a Commission in India that cats also contract the disease, so I do not know whether, knowing that, we should be justified in increasing the number of cats.
Mr. O DORNE-I don't think it is much use our taking the matter up. We have quite as much as we can do to get the Chinese to fall in with other sanitary arrangements, and I don't think, anyway, that we can encourage them to keep cats if they don't want to keep them or pay for them.
In answer to a letter asking whether any
Mr. OSBORNE-There would be a great action was to be taken this year with regard to the prohibition of gambling, with a view to this danger, it appears to me, from plague being influx of coolies from China, the Hon. Colonial contracted by the cats from the rats.
Hon. W. CHATHAM-Most peoplo dislike rats Secretary wrote asking the Acting Captain
therefore Superintendent of Police what he would recom-intensely while many are fond of cats; meud. Mr. Badeley_replied:-"I think it the contact would be closer with á cat that would be well to carry ont the same measures as happened to be infected than with a rat. in the last two years. I don't know whether they tend much to prevent plague but they are sound ou general grounds." This recommendation received the assent of H E. the Acting Governor, The following letter was accordingly addressed to the Secretary of the Hongkong Jockey Club by the Colonial Fecretary :-" I directed to inform you that with a view to checking the evils resulting from the serious overcrowding of the Chinese quarters of this city during the annual Race Meeting. His Excellency the Officer Administering the Gov- ernment has decided to entirely prohibit, as in the past two years, all gambling on the Race- course or its ap, roaches during the meeting. This prohibition does not of course extend to the Pari-Mn uel. The Police will have orders to see that his Excellency's instructions are fully carried out,"
DEST&CT ON OF EATS.
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Correspondence wes submitted with reference to the results of experiments with the Danysz method for the destruction of rats, It included the following letter to the Colo-
Office Downing nial
Street, from the Local Government Board, Whitehall Street :- "I an directed by the Local Government Board to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Lucas's letter of the 29th ult., and to state for the in. formation of Mr. Secretary Chamberlain that the Danysz method of destroying rats has re- ceived practical trial in a number of places since the date of. Dr. Thomson's report, a copy of which was sent to the Colonial Office on the 1st October, 19 0. At Hongkong, Sydney, and the port of London, for example, experiments have been made but not so far with great success. The Medical Cfficer for Hongkong in a recent despatch states that he is "not inclined to recommend its adoption by the Gorernment on any extensive scale." The Chief Medical; Officer to the Government of New South Wales states in an official report that the mothol was tried at Sydney "withoat any useful rosults being obtained." The_late Medical Officer of Health for the 1 ort of London in his report for the hai-year ended 30th June Inst states that the method was tried in the Vi: orin and Surrey Commercial Docks but n results have beeu observable, and to this extent the experiment was unsatisfactory
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The Director of Public Works minuted :- "The use of this specific was, I think. reçoш- mended by Prof. Simpson in his r. cent report. but the results obtaine here and elsewhere do not give hope of its object being attained
The PRESIDENT-With reference to the remarks of the Director of l'ubi: Works, Professor Simpson's experiences in South Africa have, I think, been otherwise. He says that there they found it very useful indeed, and were able to trace the disease in different districts of the town from the rats that were infected.
Mr. OSBORNE--The matter is referred to the 'Chamber of Commerce, is it not?
The PRESIDENT-No; that is another ques- tion ;the question of 202 gas. It is hardly a specific. It is merely infecting the rats with another infections disease. I think it would be worth trying; we want to try every way we can to get along.
Mr. OSBORNE What is it proposed to do! The PRESIDENT-The idea is to cultivat: some of this bacillus-Professor Simpson La
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The PRESIDENT-I more we reply that seeing cats contract the disease the Board does not think it would be advisable to encourage cats.
This was agreed to.
CLEANSING OPERATIONS.
The PRESIDENT, in the absence of Dr CLARK, mored: That the Board define that portion of the City of Victoria, east of Tank Lane and Cleverly Street, and west of Glenealy, Wyndham Street and Pedder Street, as districts within which officers of the Board shall make a house- to-house visitation for the purpose of cleansing and disinfecting the premises contained therein, in accordance with Bye-law No. 1 of the Bye laws governing the prevention of epidemic, endemic or contagious disease made under Section 13 of Ordinance 13 of 1901." He con- tioned-This is necessitated by the fact that the cleansing operations have reached this district, and it is required that the Board should define it.
Mr. OSBORNE seconded, and the motion was carried.
HIGH BUILDINGS.
The following letter from Messrs. Leigh and We beg to apply on Orange was submitted :- ̈ ̈ behalf of the Hongkong Land Investment and Agency Co.. Ld., for permission to erec block of offices on North portion of Praya Extension of M L. 7. 2c, of a height of 2 feet to eares also, to erect block of offices on North portion of Praya Extension of M.L 2. A and B. of a Det til plans of the height of 78 feet to eaves. above buildings have hoon sent to the Public Works Department.”
The Medical Officer of Health- minuted:—
!“ I do not think that these buildings should be higher than the immediately adjacent ones. The Director of Public Works reported that the heights of the buildings on Marine Los 12 and 103 were ng follows:-North block-grund level to highest part of building. 115 feet; ground level to enres, 76 feat. South block- ground level to highest part. 133 feet; gronnd level to eaves, 88 feet
having froutage the
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Hon. W. CHATHAM-I beg to second that, and I think the remarks' which Mr. Osborne hrs made will commend themselves to all members of the Board. As he has stated, the conditions are quite different from those pre- vailing in the case of tenement houses, and I can see no objection to granting the application in this malter.
After the PRESIDENT had read Dr. Clark's minate on the subject. it was unaminonsly decided to grant the application.
DRAINAGE.
Correspondence was submitted relative to the drainage of houses Nos. 271. 273. and 275, Des Voeux Road West. and Nos. 14, 15, and 16, Praya West.
Mrs. Leung Chung Chai, owner of No. 269, had been ordered to remove the obstruction which had been placed in the manhole in the yard of No. 269 and which caused the blockage of drains leading from the yards of Nos. 271, 273, and 275. Her agent, Mr. J. F. Reece, wrote stating
that the obstruction bad been removed but that his client was not satisfied with the existing state of affairs. She complained that all the drains of the adjacent honses, Nos. 271, 273, and 275, Des Voeux Road West, and Nos. 14, 15, and 16, Praya West, flowed through the backyard between her two houses, Nos, 16), Des Voeux Road and No. 13, Praya West, and under the ground floor of the 1 tter house into the public sewer in front; and she stated that the drains of the houses were constantly being blocked by the rubbish and garbage from the adjacent premises, and that constant nuisances were thus being cansed, not through the fault of her tenants but through the fault of the tenants of the adjacent houses. Her tenants, however, suffered from these nuisances, and she herself had to pay the cost of abating them without being able to recover any contributions from the owners of the adjacent houses. She submitted that the present system of drainage is def. ctive and in. sanitary, and suggested that the Board should require the owners of the adjacent houses to connect their drains directly with the public sewer instead of "sending their filth" into her premises. Mr. Reece asked that the attention of the Board be called at once to the matter, so that the drains, which are at present in a defec- tive and insanitary condition, might be put in proper order.
Mr. E Osborne minuted-" She should bare- taken this iuto consideration when she became possessed of the property. Blocks of Chinese houses are frequently sold piecemeal and the purchaser of the house where the drainaga concentrates knows what to expect."
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The Director of Public Works minutel:- The remedy for what is complained of is to be found in opening out back-lanes. If owners make no effort to do this, they must put up with the inconveniences arising out of their own inaction."
Mr. 0: I bag to more that this ap- plication be granted. I see the Medical Officer of Health has a minute to the effect that he does not approve of it, but I think it possible that he would reconsider that if he wore here, and the other members of the Board would do These are not Chinese teneufeut the same. houses, but solid blocks going up on the Reclamation, Paya ou Que side and Chater Road at
The matter having been submitted to the tho back They will be occupied solely
and us offices,
will le sleeping Surveyor, the following letter was received thero at night. Consequently the various from him :-"The scheme is one that was de precaution which are taken as regards over-signed by Messrs. Leigh and Orange in 1896 and crowded and insanitary properties would not apply to this. There are in the surrounding districts buildings of greater height than these which it is proposed to put up now; therefore there is a precedent for allowing this. Apart from that, I think it would be very desirable that the Sanitary Board should not interfere
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was approved of by the Board. ~ Hundreds of other Chinese houses in this Colony ara drained in this manner, and so long as the drains are not misused by the tenants they work satisfactorily. This is the first complaint we have received of these drains not working well, and unless stronger evidence is produced Í
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