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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRÉSS AND
the College of Medicine for Chinese. He once again thanked everyone for what had been said regarding himself, and his only regret was that he felt he in no way deserved it. (Lond applause.)
SO
[April 21, 1902.
prevent the inbabitants suffering annually from plague, it is impossible to pull down the whole of that portion of the town inhabited by the Chinese And reconstruct it or any considerable part of it, though there are districts that must be treated in this way. Under these circum- stances it is important to concentrate every effort as regards plague prevention on the chief modes by which it spreads, and on organisation for its prevention.
His Excellency for being present and taking such an active part in the pro- ceedings, thereby showing his sympathy with the Chinese College of Medicine. With regard to the kind sentiments which bad been expressed and also embodied in the address, Dr. Ho KAI-I rise with great pleasure to he could only say that coals of fire had been propose a vote of thanks to His Excellency, hesped on his head, because, as far as the insti- who has been so kind to all of us as to come tution was concerned, any prosperity that had here to-day and preside over us, thus showing, attended it was not due to him, but to the staff, as has been remarked, his sympathy with the past and present, of doctors and students. institution with which we all have the honour The proximity of Hongkong to the Chinese Therefore, when he said that coals of fire had of being associated. (Loud applause.)
coast and the very intimate intercourse between been heaped on his head, he meant that he was His EXCELLENCY ---Gentlemen. I beg to thank the districts of Canton, the West River and being given credit and praise for that which he you with my whole heart for having so kindly | Hongkong, together with the fact that the had not done. That credit and that praise must received the mention of my nam It was prevalence of the disease in the towns and be awarded to the lecturers and professors who В very great pleasure, believe mainvillages of Southern China is not notified, had attended at the College and laboured with fact, I consider it & great honour- renders the problem of preventing the importa out the least hope of reward, actuated solely to bave been asked to come and preside here It tion of the disease specially difficult. He would and simply by a desire to further the interests gives me another opportunity of expressing the suggest, if it can be arranged with the Foreign of the profession of which they were such dis- great sense of obligation I feel I am under to Office, that the Melical Officers of the Con- tinguished ornaments. To them, continued the Mr. Lockhart for the a' le and loyal co-operationsulates in different parts, or the Consul himself, speaker, thanks was chiefly due for having en- with which he has worked with me during the might submit a weekly bulletin as to the couraged and carried on the College of Medicinetime-I grant you, a very short time- have infected towns or villages in his district in over a period of fifteen years. Dealing with the had the high honour of administering the Go Southern China. Arrangements might also be career of the College since its formation in vernment. Up to the time of my coming to possible with some of the leading medical 1887 by Dr. Manson, when, curiously enough, that high office. I had only known Mr missionaries for a similar bulletin, and it might said Mr. Stewart Lockhart, His Excel- Lockhart in pleasant, social intercourse, but be possible, with the concurrence of Sir Robert lency's predecessor in office, Major-General since I have worked with him I have recognised Hart and the Chinese anthorities, for a weekly Cameron, who then also occupied the the loyal desire he has not only to do his duty bulletin on this subject to be sent by the position of Major-General Gascoigne to-day, by his immediate chief. but to do his duty Medical Officers of the Customs or by the Com- that of the Officer Administering the Goy thoroughly in the interests of the Colony.missioners of Customs of the different districts. ernment of this Colony, occupied the chair, and I therefore would venture to take the These would at least assist in giving the Gov- he said that the institution had had its opportunity of thanking him for bis loyal ernment timely information of infected villages struggles, as bad been anticipated. Chief of co-operation with me in my work. As regards and towns. There are at least four months in these was the want of a local habitation, but myself the longer I have the honour of the year, from the middle of January to the one gentlemen kindly came forward and under: administering the Government of the Colony. middle of April, which are dangerous. and for even longer, special took to provide a building if a sufficient every day do I feel more and more how theso four months, or endowment could be found. Unfortunately, grateful I am for the opportunity of being precautions might readily be adopted, particu- however, no endowment was forthcoming, placed in that high position. I learn every larly if it is known what villages in Southern but the College was not discouraged, and day new things connected with the civil China are infected. carried on its good work. Now, the Govern- administration of the Colony, things which are Medical inspection of the steamers loses ment had at last recognised the value of of daily increasing interest to me, and among much of its valu. because the voyage by In the that work, and in this year's Estimates was then this College of Medicine, which I say it steamer is so short in its duration. inserted a sum which would give a slight in all bumility-I knew very little of before 1 Colony of Hongkong surveillance would be honorarium to those engaged in the had the bonour of administering the Govern- useless bocause of the very large numbers prosecution of that work. It must not ment.
now I know very little about all entering, because of the Chinaman having more be supposed that this honorariun was any- these things, and it is a great privileg thau ono name, of the probability of the wrong thing like a meet reward for such services, but to me to assist at anything in connection address being given and the impossibility of it was an indication that the Government with which my knowledge is not ex-maintaining an effective watch over the ac- recognised and appreciated the labours of the tensive as I could wish it to be. I therefore cumulating unmbers. A modified system of institution. Besides granting this sum in the simply say that every time I am asked to take inspection should, however, be introduced during Estimates, the Government had also undertaken the chair at such meetings as this, I always the first months of the year. Ships and junks to establish a dispensary in the western part of welcome the opportunity, because it gives me a coming from the Chinese coast, more parti- the city, in charge of which would be placed great opportunity of learning something of the cularly those coming from districts in which one of the diplomates of the College of working of the Colony. (Lond applause.) plague is known to exist even in the slightest Medicine for Chin se. This, everybo y would This concluded the proceedings,
degree, should be boarded by boarding officers agree, was a step in the right direction,
previous to their admission to the harbour to especially in view of the known antipathy PROFESSOR SIMPSON'S REPORT ascertain if there is sickness of any kind on of the Chinese.. to Western treatment.
board, and if there is the slightest suspicion of Continuing, he expressed the hope that the
sickness, whether supposed to be infections or College would have a brilliant future. It had
{not, and there is no medical man on board, the had and was still having many difficulties
ship or junk should be visited by one of the to face, not the least of which, as had
Medical Officers assigned to the port for that already been said, was the want of a local
purpose. Such Medical Officers aud in fact all habitation. The institution was filling a very
the Health Officers should be part of the great want in the Colony, and it would be
Sanitary Department and should report direct remembered that during a discussion some time
to the Medical Officer of Health. He was ago in the Sanitary Board, it was mentioned that
informed by the Harbour Master that three or it would be an excellent thing if graduates of
four boarding officers would be sufficient for the purpose. Perso ally, he was further of the College could be obtained to instruct the native community in sanitary matters. There
opinion that the Canton steamers-native and was not a sufficient number of students at present
European-should, during the first six months for that purpose, but it was probable that in the
of the year, carry at their companies' own future they would be greatly useful in helping In the older part of the town, there is a expense a medical man who might be a Chinese the Government in the direction indicated. As greater population per
acre than in any graduate, educated at the Hongkong College of matters stood at present, students who had
town in the East he is acquainted with. | Medicine for Chinese, to examine the Chinese qualified in the College were immediately ein- In No. 5 District, for instance, there is over passengers on ronte au raport to the boarding. ployed by the Straits Settlements Government 840 persons per acre, which is more than three officers. Special measures should also be taken to the Colonial Secretary of which Mr. Stewart times the worst and most crowded area of for the systematic destruction of rats on in-com- Lockhart said he had written asking if his Govern- Calcutta. The endemicity of plague in Hug-ing steamers and junks from the Chinese coast, ment would be disposed to join in a scheme with kong as distinguished from re-infection, is kept from infected ports, and which go to the wharves the Government of this Colony to establish a up mainly by infected rats in the godowns and or into the docks. As regards the thousands College in which the lecturers would be as at stores and in these dark and insanitary places. of emigrants brought into the town from present-volunteers willing to give their The insanitary conditions of the older streets the districts of Pakhoi, Hoihow, Canton, services without hope of reward. No answer and buildings is a legacy of the past.
Amoy, Swatow and the Chinese coast generally had yet been received from the Straits Settle-
With reference to the water-supply and to be despatched to Singapore and elsewhere, ments, but he trusted that it would be a
sewerage, it was his opinion that the sowers the protection of this Colony does not appear to He would favourable one, because it would considerably and small covered storm-water channels should have come into the arrangements. lessen the difficulty of establishing a proper not be dependent on the ordinary water-supply advise that emigration be regulated as it is College, as the Straits Settlements would then for flushing. It might, however, be said at once elsewhere, and with this in view, arrangements join with this Government in sharing the ex- that neither the scarcity of water nor the system, should be made that the emigrant-houses are penses of the institution. After thanking of the drainage has anything to do with the known, registered and kept under special con- Dr. Kwan King Leung and Mr. Ho Ko plague epidemics. He had only one suggestiontrol; that they are inspected daily, that their Tsun for their eulogistic references to himself, to make with regard to the water-works and Mr. Stewart Lockhart addressed the students that was that after filtration of the water at in words of adrice and encouragement, and the Albany filter-beds it should be received into said he trusted that in the future they would use covered reservoirs. As to the measures which every effort to maintain the high reputation of are feasible and which should be taken to
ON PLAGUE.
Professor Simpson's second memorandum on plague in Hongkong was submitted to the Legislative Council on the 10th inst. One of the circumstances, he says. that tend to keep up the recurrence of plague, is its intimate in tercourse with infected areas; another is that Hongkong is a great emporinm, with hongs and godowns filled with stores and infested with rats susceptible to the disease, a third is the poor, class of people of which the greater part of Hongkong consists: aud a fourth is the conditions under which a large proportion of this class live.
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sanitary condition as regards cleanliness, super- ficial area, cubic space, sunlight and ventilation,“ are thoroughly looked after, that a proper regis- ter of the names of the inmates is kept by the emigrant-house keeper, and that the state of
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