112
Section 13 provides that, subject to the Section which follows, the arrangements pro- vided for in this Article are to come into force on 1st January, 1904, by which date all lekin barriers are to be removed, and the officials employed in the collection of taxes and dues prohibited by the Treaty removed from their posts.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Section 14 states that the condition on which the Chinese Government enters into the present engagement is that all the Powers entitled to the favoured nation treatment enter into the same engagements as Great Britain with regard to the obligation imposed by this article on His Britannic Majesty's Government, On the other hand the conditions on which His Majesty's Government enter into the present | engagements are:-
(1) That all Powers who now, or may here- after become entitled to most favoured nation treatment in China enter into the same engage- ments and
(2) That their assent is neither directly or indirectly made dependent on the granting by China of any political concession, or of any exclusive commercial concession.
Section 15 provides that the date of this article becoming effective may be postponed should the Powers entitled to most favoured nation treatment in China have failed to agree to enter into the engagements undertaken by Great Britain by 1st January, 1904. And section 16 provides for the promulgation of an Impérial Edict, published in due form on yellow paper, setting forth the abolition of all lekin taxation, lekin-barriers and all descriptions of internal taxation on goods, except as provided for in this Article. The edict shall also state that the Provincial Higli Officials are respon- sible that any official disregarding the letter or spirit of its injunction shall be severely punished and removed from his post.
THE HEALTH OF HONGKONG IN 1901.
This is the fourth year in succession that | this disease has been epidemic in the Colony. More Europeans were attacked last year than is generally the case, the number being 30, although in 1898, 26 were attacked. Most of them were living on the Queen's Road level and were bence more evident to the European community. Many of these cases were associated with the finding of rats in the dwellings of those attacked, but whether there rats were themselves the subject of plagne was not ascertained. During the first six months of 1901, 48,000 rats were destroyed. As is usually the case, a large number of the Chinese were found lying in the streets or boats in the harbour, in 1902 [this seems to be an error for 1901. Ed. D.P.] 308 such cases occurred. These, to a great extent, account for the annual recurrence of this disease, as of necessity the houses from which they come are not disinfected. As long as this deposition of dead bodies in the streets occurs, so long I will plague continue in our midst. To try
to
extent to prevent the yearly onset of the disease, in 1902 in the winter months a systematic cleansing and disinfection of every Chinese house in the City was instituted. This was commenced in November and continued during following four months, the magnitude of the operations undertaken will be understood when I state that over 8,000 Chinese houses were thus dealt with in Hong- kong, and in addition to this the Chinese houses in Kowloon were cleansed and disinfected.
some
cases as
Enteric Fever.-There were 75 compared with 85 in the previous year. More Europeans were, however, attacked by the disease than in the previous year, the number being 47 as compared with 34 in 1900. Twenty-two of these cases were, however, imported.
Malarial Fevers. Extensive operations have been undertaken during the year in the way of removal of undergrowth, training of nullabs and draining of stagnant pools of water with the object of diminishing the number of mesquitoes. As far as we can judge by statis- tics these appear to have been successful, the total number of deaths amongst the Chinese
The medical report of Dr. J. M. At inson, Principal Civil Medical Officer, on the health and sauitary condition of Hongkong in 1901, is
from ma.arial fever being returned as 541 in published in the Gazette. We make the follow-1901, as compared with 887 in 1900. ing extracts:--
POPULATION,
The estimated population of the Colony for 1901 was 300,660. There were 1.088 births and 7,082 deaths, of the latter 1,562 were from plague. The birth-rate was 3.6 per 1,00 as against 3.3 per 1,000 in 190. The death rate was 23.5 per 1,000 as compared with 23.9 in 1900. Excluding the deaths from plague the death-rate would have been 19.03 per 1,000. The following figures will show the comparison of the death-rate in the Chinese and non-Chinese during the past two years:-
190),
1901. Non-Chinese, ...20.4 per 1000 21.5 per 1,000 Chinese,
.24.1
23.77 PREVALENCE OF S CK E-8 IN DIFFERENT
SEASON, ETC.
Ji +1
11
Small-pox. This disease was much more prevalent than in 1990, 91 cases being notified doring the year as against 27 in 1900; most of these cases occurred in the early part of the year, 42 being reported in March and 28 in April.
cases
Pero
Cholera.-Seventeen
imported from Singapore ou board the s.s. Cheung Chew in the month of February.
Plague. This disease was again gidemic durin g the year.
In all 1.651 cases of plague were notified, with 1,562 deaths. The follow- ing table gives the number of cases reported in each mouth of the years 1980 and 1901 ; —
1900. 1901.
January, February,
March,
7
14
5
April,...
94
10
May,
326
701
June,
325
151
July, ...
209
109
August,
80
September,
16
27 14
October,
12
November,...
December,...
1,087
1,651
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[Angust_11, 1902.
VACCINATIONS.
The following vaccinations were performed during the year--Government Civil Hospital, 644; Victoria Goal, 2,880; Alice Memorial Hospital, 771; Tang Wah, 1,952 (Victoria 1,826, Aberdeen 46, Stanley 24, Shaukiwan 25, Hung- hom 7, Yaumati 24); total 6,247.
1
MARCUS ISLAND,
The Japanese cruiser Kasaki, as we have already stated, left Yokosuka on the 23rd ult. for Marcus Island, carrying Mr. Ishii, & Secretary in the Foreign Office. It appears, according to Japanese papers, that in conse- quence of the telegram relating to the grant of a title to Marcus Island by the United States to Captain Rosehill, and of an expedition having been organised to proceed from the States to the island, the Japanese Government has made certain representations to the United States Ministr in Tokyo. A report having been received that the United States expedition, which was temporarily stopped at San Francisco, has now left America, Mr. Ishii has been ordered to the island to explain the situation to the members of that expedition in order to avert any misunderstanding between the two coun- tries. It is expected that the Kasaki will arrive before the U.S. expedition can reach the spot.
The above is news published by Japanese papers, the Kobe Chronicle remarks, and appears somewhat remarkable. It seems barely credible that the U.S. expedition should have been allowed to start while the Japanese and American Governments were engaged in discussing the question. Probably the truth is that the Japanese cruiser has been sent to Marcus Island in order to avert any possible misunderstanding arising from the arrival at the island of any isolated members of the
American expeditition who may be on the way, not that the expedition has actually started.
The Asahi bas an interesting article on Marcus Island. It was discovered, according to the Asahi, by an American vessel in 181, and
cuntries as a possession of Spain. [This is not since then has appeared on the maps of all quite correct, as the Century Dictionary chart gives it as a possession of the United
Beri-beri.-There were 377 deaths from beri States. It was afterwards abandoned, and beri as compared with 361 in 1890.
RK LAIVE MORTALITY IN DIFFERENT
SEASONS.
The months of May and June were the most fatal, excluding plague and small-pox, October, September, and D. cember were the most fatal months.
GENERAL SANITARY CONDITION.
up to recently has been uninhabited. Marcus Island is situated in 24 degrees 14 min. S. North latitude, and 154 degrees East longitude, being thus within the Japanese boundary specified in the declaration relating to the boundary of the dominions of Japan and Spain, signed on behalf of the two countries after the Jupan-China War. In 1897 the Japanese Government formally annexed the island to The presence of plague in au epidemic form Tokyo-fu, placing it under the jurisdiction of for the fourth year in succession shows that the Government of the Bonin Islands, and more radical, measures must be taken to published the fact in the Official Gazette the improve the sanitary state of the Colony. same year. Prior to this, in December 1896, one With this object in view a cleansing and Mizutani Shinroku, living in Tsakiji, Tokyo, V. ya, e to the South Seas, was disinfection of all the Chinese houses in Victoria while on a and Kowloon was commenced in November and driven by a gale on the island, and on returaing was systematically carried through during the home izutani applied to the Government for Government also the lease of the islands. A lease of ten years was four following mouths, decided to abtain from England the services of accordingly granted to him in December, 1897. two experts in sanitation. Professor Simpson, Marcus Island is some 660 nautical miles south- M.D., F.R.C.P., and Mr. Osbert Chadwick, east of the Bonin Islands, to the south of Torijinia (Bird Islaud) and the name of M.I.C.E., C.M.G.. were appointed to advise as
Minami Torijima (South Bird Island) is given to to what further steps should be taken to im- prove the sanitary condition of the Colony-it. It is 14 cho (a little less than a mile) from cho, a little over a During the year the varions existing Public North to South, and Health Ordinances
consolidated in mile, from East to West having an area of Ordinance No. 13 of 1901, Ordinance No. 30 1,867,905 tsubo. The island consists of coral of 1901 was passed with a view to limiting the reef covered with sand and is almost entirely erection of new buildings to a greater height level, the highest part rising to no greater than one and a half times the width of the elevation than sixty feet. Shrubs and trees grow street on which they front unless the building thick y upon it and the temperature is mid, at present occupying such site exceeds that rauging from 60 deg. to 90 deg. Fahrenheit. height, in which case the new building may be Freeb water is scarce, but the supply of fuel and regetables is plentiful. Communication with carried up as high as the existing one so long as the scale contained in Ordinance No. 15 of 1894 Japu is mad three times a year-in February, June, and October-by the schooner Motoya is not exceeded. It also provides that no exist ing Luilding which does not at present exceed Maru, The principal produce is aho birds and in height one and a half times the width of neguro fish, the annual catch of these being valued it about 15,000 yen and requiring the the street on which it fronts shall be so raised as to exceed that limit of height. It is labour of about sixty coolies, who are usually evident that resumption of insanitary buildings hired from the Bonin and Hachijo Islands; the season during which the birds are caught being aud of areas will be necessary before there can be much improvement in many of the crowded from October to January. When Mizutani parts of the Colony. More public latrines and first landed on the island, it was uninhabited“-
and covered by birds; to-day the permanent ariLals are also needed.
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