458
་་
"H" Company.-Lance Corporal T. Cragg, 5921, Lance-Corporal A. Smith, 5268, Lance Corporal 0. Barnes, 5965, Private W. Bingley, 6142, Private M. Bysaters, 5536, Lance-Corporal J. Freer. 6339. Privates C. Hornby, 5823, J. Hudson, 5720. R. Pitt, 5734, B. Reynolds, 6350, F. Sainsbury. 5183. F. Simpson, 5964. A. Spencer. 6268, W. Vickers, 5667, A. Wilkins, 6349, H. Wilson.
6598.
After the presentation of medals the men were paraded on the Parade Ground and then returned to Barracks.
SIR HENRY BLAKE AND MR. IRELAND,
The following letter appears in the Times of May 19th-
TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TIME-.' SIR,I have no desire to prolong the con- troversy with your Special Correspondent, Mr. Alleyne Ireland, on the past shortcomings of the Government of Hongkong, nor would I offer any reply to his letter appearing in The Times of April 2, were it not that in a leading article in The Times of April 7 it was assumed that
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE TREATMENT OF PLAGUE.
A HIGHEB PERCENTAGE OF
RECOVERIES.
Dr. Koch in his report for 1903 as medical officer in charge of the Infectious Diseases Hospital makes the following remarks on the subject of plague cases :—
treatment. of whom 248 were males and 53 There were 301 cases of plague admitted for females, the former being 82.4 per cent.. the latter 17.6 per cent, and the proportion of males to females being about 6 to 1. Of the admissions 139 males and 37 females died, and there were discharged cured 109 males and 16 females. The recoveries
among the males amounted to 44 per cent., and among the females to 30 per cent., roughly, three males recovering as compared with two females. Of the deaths 56 per cent. were among the men, and 70 per cent. among the women. The Europeans numbered 27. and there were two deaths, giving a mortality of 7.4 per cent. Three Portuguese were admitted, of whom two died. equalling 66.6 per cent. Of 216 Chinese, 156 died, making a percentage of 72.2, and of other giving a percentage of 28.2. Thus it will be races 55 cases were admitted, of whom 16 died, noted that the better fed European, brought up and who is presumably more stalwart and of a more robust physical development, has the greater chance of recovery than a patient of any of the other races. In treatment the great- of carbolic acid. est success has been obtained by the free usə
[June 18, 1904.
Sundays, when church belle ring, one's eyes are gladdened by several scores, mothers and daughters, bat usually one may walk or ride occasional tourist or the omnipresent Chinese. blocks without seeing any women but the
Almost all the domestic life of the city is on the terraces of the Pea, and removed from
of women guests, and men, men, men, are every- sight. The hotels have only a small percentage
do not bring their wives with them. They where. The fact is that as a rule British colonists
come to the outports of their nation, young, apprenticed, and without marital ties. As they grow older and accumulate means, they now and again return to their homes and b ing out the sweethearts of their youth. But for years they the ennobling influence of good women does live in a society, most of the time in which not enter. Not that iu Hongkong there are not as fair and charming women as anywhere, but they are few comparatively, and the average mau does not meet them ofteo.
He looks to his club, his sports, and the dissipations of night for relaxation from his work. There is not wanting this same lack apparent in Hongkong, and it strikes a chill to in Manila, but it is a dozen times more
the Manilan who is compelled by hard fate to
Mr. Ireland s last letter disposed of the facts and living amid more healthy surroundings, / larry in the former city.
should be used, and in order to be efficacious The very purest preparation it should be given in large doses--12 grains or and to counteract the depressions, the free more every two hours. As an aid to treatment,
Returning to Manila, the citizen who has adopted these islands as his home, feels his spirits bound at the sight of the Luneta, the women in carriages, the children on the grass; the chatter of his own kind is music to his soul. He does not feel so much an alien in a strange
one
land as in China. The streets are brighter, the clubs more companionable; and realises that Manila, though far from the centre of the social world, is nearer to comfort and contentment than any other of the ports
special works of sanitation, while the annual / exhibition of stimulants such as strychnine, of the Far East in which the white man has osst
given by me in answer to the statements in his first.
Mr. Ireland based his strictures upon two statements, first-that "though a serious outbreak of plague took place in 1894 it was not until 1901 that the Government took the matter thoroughly in hand." Immediately after the outbreak in 1894 a large congested area of the city was cleared, at an expense of $818,000, and from that time to the date of my letter, which appeared in The Times of Norem ber 10, the Government had spent $1,987. 0 ', cost of the sanitary staff, that in 1893 stood at $59,000, has increased in this year's estimates to $580,000. Year by year continuous efforts were made to control the annually recuring epidemic, and it was in consequence of the failure of every measure that could be devised that I applied for aud obtained the services of Professor Simpson and Mr. Osbert Chadwick. The second statement was that suggestions made by Mr. Osbert Chadwick in 1882 as to water supply were only carried out in part, and after an interval of 20 years he was called upon to make another report upon the water supply of the colony.
That report, dated April 10, 1902, had evidently escaped Mr. Ireland's attention when he wrote his special article on Hongkong. During the 20 years the population had increased from 160,000 to 290,000, Mr. Chad- wick recapitulates his recommendations made in 1882, which were adopted by Mr. Cooper, the then director of public works. In paragraph
55 he writes:-
"The conclusion which I have arrived at may be summarized as follows:-(a) The works recommended by Mr. Cooper as urgently required have been carried out with good results."
Since the date of Mr. Chadwick's first report $2,350,000 have been spent on waterworks, and the Kowloon reservoir, now approaching completion, will cost $600,000 more. Un recom- mendations embodied in Mr. Chadwick's last report still further heavy expenditure has been approved.
With these facts, taken from official sources, I am content to leave the question as to weight of evidence to which the writer of your leading article of April 7 alludes in the last paragraph.
1 am, Sir, your obedient servant,
HENRY A BLAKE.
Colombo, April 26.
The news of the death of Mr. Charles William Gordon, of Messrs. Ramsay & Co., Hankow, the N.-C. Daily News says, will be received with profound regret in Shanghai, as well as in Hankow, where he had resided for over twenty years, and where he was universally liked and respected. He married within the last two years or so a sister of Lady Cameron, of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, with whom very deep sympathy will be felt. He was a nephew
of one of the first residents in Hankow. Mr. William G. Gordon, and Hankow will remember for a long time the genial and popular "Charlie" Gordon. He died at Kuling on the 28th ult. at the age of 54.
digitalis, and alcohol is called for. It would seem. moreover, that the better results obtained this year-the higher percentage of recoveries- positive diagnosis of plague which has been are to be attributed to the earlier and more
rendered possible by Dr. Bell's adaptation of Ross's method of examination of the blood.
Dr. Bell in his report as Superintendent of the plague were admitted with 5 deaths. The bulk Government Civil Hospital says:-78 cases of
of the cases were, of course, transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital. As soon as the bolic acid (20 minims for a dose) made up, and epidemic started we had a stock mixture of car-
all cases were put on. this as soon as they came in-if the blood showed no malaria and the Symptoms pointed to plague so that no time was lost in starting the treatment. In view of the favourable report issued by Dr. Thom. son, I would like to point out that, though I suggested this treatment to you, the real credit belongs to Dr. A. Wiglesworth, of Liverpool. for introducing this drug in such large doses
HONGKONG V. MANILA.
[FROM THE MANILA CABLENEWS."] Whoever has dwelt long enough in Manila to know this city and who visits Hongkong, cannot but contrast the two places. There are few feelings so depressing as that which steals over the Manilaa condemned to endure a week or more off the Kowloon shore, after a few days have exhausted the curious sights, and the shops have satisfied one's wants. It is an Oriental nostalgia which becomes more and more acute at each visit to the moist and foggy hill, which has been so wonderfully couverted into a vast warehouse by British energy and thrift.
for
Hongkong is unfortunately situated anything but business. Its strongest advocate can claim nothing for it except its advantageous nearness to the beehive of southern China, and its fituess for fortifying impregnably against a sea-attacking foe. That the British have done their very best with the natural possibilities of the island of Hongkong cannot be denied, and that they have conquered marvellously the heights above Victoria city is evideat to the casual viewer.
But somehow or other Hongkong lacks more than does any other large colony in the Orient the spirit of home which makes cities endurable for any length of time, and which is peculiarly conspicuous in Manila. Ona sees only a hand- ful of ladies on the streets of Victoria, the cap- ital and only city of Hongkong island. On
his lot.
WATER RETURN.
LEVEL AND STORAGE OF WATER IN RESER- VOIRS ON THE 18T JUNE.
Tytam
LEVEL.
1903.
1904.
Below overflow Below overflow, 24 ft. 0 in. 59 ft. 0 in. 6 ft. 5 in. 30 ft. 0 in. Wongneicheong 41 ft. 8 in. 29 ft. 10 in.
STORAGE GALLONS.
Pokfulam.........
1903. 211,90,000
Tytam Pokfulam......... 52,000,000 Wongneicheong 460,000
Total 264,360,000
1904. 59,3·0,000 8,200,000
4,460,000
71,560,000
CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN THE CITY OF VICTORIA AND HILL DISTRICT DURING THE MONTH of May.
1903.
1904.
Consumption 111,848,000 76,931,000 gallons Estimat ed popu.
lation
Consumption per
218,800
223,700
11.1 gallons
head per day 16.4
Intermittent supply to 5th May, 1903. Intermittent supply during the month of May, 1904. CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN KOWLOON PEN- INSULA DURING THE Month of MaY.
1903.
1904. Consumption 14,438,000 12,984,000 gallons Estimated popu-
lation
61,950 Consumption per
head per day 7.5
6.1 gallons The Government Analyst reports that the water is of excellent quality.
67,800
P. N. H. JONES,
Water Authority.
There has been a serious shooting case on the 5.8. Heathburn, now in harbour. The victim was a Chinese quartermaster who is now at the Government Civil Hospital in a precarious con- dition. Norwegian, is now in custody. The affair, it is The carpenter of the steamer, & alleged, took place in the middle of the night. the Chinaman receiving wounds in the chest and arm. The trouble stated to have arisen over some Japanese women who are said to have been stowed away on the ship.
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