*
February 15, 1902] between different parts of the world through ; the development of steam navigation, the construction of railways and telegraph cables, have brought all countries into much closer relations than was possible in former times. Thus the nations of the world are enabled to profit by the lessons to ba learnt from each other in the art of Government, in methods of education, in the administration of justice, and in the application of the public wealth to the advantage of the whole people. If under the enlightened rule of Your Majesty the barriers which in the past have hindered the free and mutually advantageous intercourse of China with the rest of the world are completely removed, and her domestic institutions are wisely regulated, it is certain that this country, advancing along the path of progress, will attain a height of prosperity unknown in the past. I am also charged to, assure Your Majesty of the sincere friendship of my Angus: Sovereign, and of His Majesty's most earnest wishes for the welfare and happiness of Your Majesty.
The Emperor's reply was delivered by Prince Ching, as follows:-
It affords us deep satisfaction to receive from Your Excellency the letter of credence of His Majesty the King and we are profoundly grateful for His Majesty's sincere expressions of friendship and earnest hopes for our prosper- ity. We trust that His Majesty the King is well. Your Excell ncy in the conduct of the affairs of your mission at our Court is certain to act with justice and impartiality and mindful of the friendship so happily existing between Great Britain and China, we shall not fail to maintain with Your Excellency relations and the greatest courtesy. We wish a long life and happiness and a glorious re'gu to His Majosty the King.
PREVENTION OF PLAGUE.
MEMORANDOM FOR HOUSEHOLDERS-PRECAU-
TIONS NECESSARY AGAINST PLAGUE
The following notice, issued by authority, over the signature of Dr. Francis Clark, Aledical Officer of Health, is being circulated in the Colony: -
PLAGUE IS NOT SO INFECTIOUS AS SMALL- POX OR SCARLET FÈVER.
Plagne is not a highly infectious disease in the sense that small-pox, scarlet fever. and spotted typhus are. There is no infection in the air of a clean and well-lighted room in which a plague patient is lying, nor is there the slightest danger to the persons who unrse- or move the patient, as long as they are care- ful 'to wash and disinfect their hands, and to disinfect the discharges of the patient and the cups and spoons and other utensils.
THE CAUSES AND MODES OF INFECTION OF PLAGUE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. done the case should be reported to the office of the Sanitary Board or to the nearest Police Station. The earlier a patient is treated the better is the chance of rocovery. Persons who have been in contact with the plague patient can be immediately protected by being inocu- 'ated with Yersin's serum, but the protection only lasts for about 10 days and should be fol- lewed at that interval by an inoculation of Haff. kine's Prophylactic which protects for the full period of an epidemic.
BATS AND MIGE SUFFER FROM AND SPREAD
THE INFECTION.
Rats and mice are very susceptible to plague, They become infected by eating contaminated food, or by passing oror infected clothing or places. They spread the plague among them. selves and convey the infection to healthy houses. Filth associated with darkness and dampness is peculiarly favourable to the growth of the microbe, whereas cleanliness, sunlight, air, and dryness are its most deadly enemies, and destroy it almost at once. Old, dilapidated, dark, in- sanitary, and overcrowded houses are the favon- rite haunts of the microbe, and all houses, premises, and localities infested with rats are particularly dangerous. Rats and house vermin often carry the infection from dirty into clean houses.
PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN EVERY
HOUSEHOLD.
1. All rats and mice should be destroyed. Householders should therefore set traps and place rat poison where rats are most generally seen. Rals caught in traps should have carbo- lic acid thrown on them, and the traps should then be taken up, and placed in a pail cautain- ing carbolic acid and water. Dead rats should have boiling water or carbolic acid or other disinfectant thrown on them and should not be handled. The finding of dead rats in any pre- mises should be reported to the Medical Officer of Health, who will have them removed. Where there is any available open space they may be covered up with tar and burnt. Strong crude carbolic acid should be poured down any rat-ruus discovered, and the holes stopped up with broken glass. Buildings infested with rats should be reported to the Medical Officer of Health, who will send rat-catchers with the necessary appliances.
2. No discarded food should be allowed to lie about in kitchens or yards, as such accump. 'lations will attract rats and mice, but should be kept in a covered basket, into which a small quantity of a solution of crude carbolic acid or chloride of lime should be sprinkled every day; The refuse is removed by the Sanitary Board daily. Any irregularity in this respect should be reported to the Board.
3. Ceilings, wooden skirting-boards, and lath and plaster partitions afford great facilities for rat-rubs, and it is strongly recommended that these should, wherever possible, be dispensed with in offices and dwellings on the lower levels and the exposed beams or joists lime-washed or painted. Skirtings should be of cement.
4. The yard and surface drains, traps, ¿o., should be flushed daily with a bucket of clean water into which a small quantity of some pre- paration of carbolic acid has been added.
5. All gratings to drain inlets sould be securely fastened and broken gratings should be replaced without delay. Broken drains should also be repaired at once. The interior of all out-houses and cellars should be lime washed, the lime-wash having added to it carbolic acid in the proportion of at least one pint to each bucketful.
The disease is caused by a small vegetable micro-organism, which is so minute in size that it would take over 60 millions to cover a square inch of surface. The microbe has the power of multiplying in the body, and iù so doing secretes a poison which produces the symptoms of plague. It leaves the body in millions by all the exeretions except the per- spiration, and accordingly unless care is taken, the clothes, bedding, utensils, and, in uncleanly houses, the floors, furniture, and fittings become; contaminated.
If the dust from the floor gets raised into the air healthy persons may breathe in the infection. The most common modes of infection are by inoculation through abrasions in the skin, by the handling of infected artioles, by bites from infected vermin, such as 6. The rooms of the house cupboards, recesses fleas, bugs, lice, &o. 'The nose, mouth, and storerooms, cellars, water-closets, and bath ⚫ eyes may also become the gates of entrance of rooms and the coolies' quarters should be regu
the microbe by infected articles being touched.larly inspected and be kept scrupulously clean, and then the infected hands or fingers being and some preparation of carbolic acid should be brought unconsciously in contact with the used in the water for washing the floors of delicate mucous membrane of the mouth, nose; these places. or eyes.
SYMPTOM‹ OF PLAQUE.
Persons attacked with plagne usually suffer from high fever, dizziness, and a painful swelling in the groin, arm-pit, or neck. If there is high fever without a painful swelling in any of these parts the sick person may have a cough with spitting of blood-stained phlegm accompanied by great weakness and soon followed by delirium.
OCCURESCE OF PLAGUE IN A HOUSE.
If a case of plague ocours in a house a doctor should be sent for at once, or if this cannot be
7. All bedding, mats, cushions, and clothes should be exposed daily to the sun and thor oughly aired. Carpets and matting should be wiped over with a cloth damped in water con- taining a small quanity of carbolic acid.
8. The windows and shutters in every room should be kept open for the best part of the day, so as not to exclude the air and light. The more a room is exposed to free currents of air and to sunlight, the less chance is there of it retaining infection.
9. In washing the hands, it is well to use
117
carbolic seid soap, or to add some other dis- infectant to the water.
10. It is advisable to take a bath daily. If this is impossible, the body should be sponged over frequently, and a bath taken as often as possible.
11. Clothes which cannot be washed at home should immediately they come from the washer. msn be spread out and exposed to the sun. Any clothes or dresses concerning which there is the slightest suspicion should be similarly dealt with.
12. People living in infected houses or dis- tricts are strongly advised to get inoculated with Haffkine's Prophylactic; this will be done at the Government Civil Bospital and the Sanitary Board office from 9. a.m. to 10 a.m., or by any Private Practitioner.
CHINESE NEW YEAR.
On the 7th inst. being the Chinese New Year's Eve, there were the customary festivities Cracker-firing played an important part among among the native population of the Colony.
these, the police, as usual, having withdrawn the restrictions temporarily. As in former years, tle Fair in Bonham Strand and adjoining thoroughfares presented B scene of great animation, and was well patronised by Euro- peans on the hunt for bargains. Business was suspended in the city, and was not resumed until Tuesday. The Supreme Court sat in Summary Jurisdiction; in several cases ad- journment was made on account of the holidays The Police reported a comparative absence of
crime.
On the 8th and 9th inst. there were the usual rejoicings among the Chinese in celebration of the New Year. The work of clearing the streets of the debris left by the cracker-firing had been pretty well completed by the Juth inst., and the Chinese portion of the city had begun to wear its normal aspect The crowds who thronged the Fair were orderly and good-humoured, but some an- noyance was caused by the throwing of bombs to the danger of setting fire to ladies' dressES. It is almost impossible to lay hands on the offenders, on account of the denseness of the crowds; surely common sense might suggest to them that the practice is harmful and mischievous. Early on Saturday morning a West River steamer caught fire at the Canton wharf in the Harbour and was burned; the fire is supposed to have been the result of cracker-firing. Work was resumed generally
on the 11th inst.
FIRES.
Two outbreaks of fire were reported on the 11th by the police. One occurred on the 10th inst. in premises situated at 19, Chinese Street, the ground floor of which was used as a fruit store. It was in this part of the building-a three-story one-that the fire originated, and all three floors were gutted. The total damage does not exceed $1,000, and, in the case of the ground floor, is covered by an insurance claim for $2.000 on the London and Lancashire In- surance Company. The other two floors were not insured.
The second fire broke out in a dwelling-house at 37, Abordeen Street, at 9 a m. on the 11th
inst. The premises were old and were go sandwiched between other and newer buildings as to make it no easy task for the firemen to prevent the flames from spreading. Happily they were successful, only the corner verandahs of the adjoining houses being singed; the house where the firo originated, however, was completely gutted. The damage amounts to $1,45), and is not covered by insurance. In neither case is the origin of the outbreak known, but it is suspected to be due to cracker-firing.
At 9 p.m. on the 11th inst. a coolie bath-house near Wanchai (No. 2) Police Station was burned to the ground. The Fire Brigade turned out, but their services were not required. This makes the sixth fire since the beginning of the present month
It is announced in Brussels that Fr. Rene Sheridan, deputy public prosecutor in the Congo Free State, has been appointed Legal' Adviser to the Government of Siam,
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