802
Dr. ATKINSON said they all agreed to this cleansing, not only from a sanitary point of view, but also as a measure against plague. Last year the cleansing was commenced in November, and lasted till the end of February. During this period 31,-26 floors were cleansed. costing the Government $6,123, as against $8,000 in the previous year. The great difference was accounted for by the fact that the Chinese undertook to do the work them- selves to the Board's satisfaction. The Board supplied soft soap and coolies for hauling away the dirt. A committee was appointed last year to consider any complaints. If the house occupiers did not do the cleansing after receiving due notice, the Board took the matter into its own hands. He expected they would be able to do it at even a less expenditure than last year. They might even save $2,000, thus doing the work at a cost of $4,000. He pro- posed that they approach the Government for the necessary funds, and appoint the same com. mittee as last year: Messrs. Lau Chu Pak, Fung Wa Chun, Dr. Pearse, and E. A. Hewett. Mr. HEWETT seconded. Be thought that tanks should be supplied to the Chinese to dip their verminous bed-boards in. In connection with this cleansing and plague prevention they must not forget what Sir Henry Blake had done; he was the originator of the valuable experiment, getting the Chinese to co-operate.
Dr. Atkinson's proposal was agreed to.
ANTHRAX AT KENNEDY TOWN.
Extracts from a letter by the Colonial Veter- inary Surgeon read as follows:-A bullock was found dead from anthrax in Kennedy Town Cattle depot (on the 6th inst.). The animal came from Hoihow with 26 others. The in contact" animals have been segregated and the shed in which the animal was found washed and disinfected. None of the in contact "animals show signs of illness.
F
A DANGEROUS
DOG.
Dr. Gibson, in a minute, reported that on examination of the blood of a sick dog belonging to Inspector Watson of the Kennedy Cattle Depct he found trypanosoma. The dog had been in Inspector Watson's possession for about 18 months, and had been following him about his quarters and in the Cattle Depot. It had been ailing for a few days, and was brought to him for examination. He could not find any- thing in its symptoms to enable him to offer an opinion as to the cause of its illness until he examined the blood microscopically. He then found the blood, to be swarming with trypanosoma. In order to further make certain he inoculated another dog and a guinea pig with the sick dog's blood. and both of them developed the disease, showing large numbers of parasites in their blood. He made a present of the inoculated guinea pig to Dr. Bell of the Government Civil Hospital, as he was anxious to study its condition. The inoculated dog he was keeping for himself. A bite of that do, or one of its fleas, would most probably be sufficient to cause an infection. Some time ago a buffalo at Hongkong had the same sickness. while the same thing cansed considerable losses to horse and cattle owners at Manila. In horses the condition is known as “* Surra." being well known in India. No horses in Hongkong, though, have been known to have it. Dr. ATKINSON said that this disease had only been known as attacking human beings during the last two years, and then only some three cases had been under observation.
ABOUT - PLAGUE.
་་
A rather large volume about plague, by Dr. William Hunter, was placed on the table. Some of the members thought they should each be supplied with a copy.
THE LIABILITY TO REPAIR DRAINS AND SEWERS.
The following letter was read from Mr. Rumjahn-
I send you herewith a copy of the Sanitary. Record of the 21st September last. On page, 209 under the heading "Legal Proceedings to Prevent Nuisances" it will be observed (inter alia) that in Russell v Shentin (11 L. J. Q. B. 289) it has been held that the occupier and not the owner of premises is prima facie liable to the repair of drains and sewers when a nuisance
occurs.
It will be remembered that in one of the Sub- committee meetings held at the end of last year I advocated the change of our procedure as to
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the abatement of nuisances arising from de- fective and the choking of downpipes and drains by calling upon the occupier or tenant, instead of the owner, to remedy the
same in order that nuisances might be more expeditiously abated and the work of the officers concerned lessened.
Under the present regime, when a downpipe or trap is choked or broken, the inspector by whom the nuisance is discovered leaves a memo- randum addressed to the owner with one of the occupiers, to forthwith abate the nuisance. It is needless to say that the memorandum seldom reaches the owner. The Inspector on his re- visit of the premises the next day or later finds the continuance of the nuisance and reports the case to the Senior Inspector of the District, who, on being satisfied of the existence of the nuisance, notifies the Secretary of the Board, The Secretary directs a search to be made in the Land Office for the name of the owner, whose address is then ascertained, either at the Treasury or the Registrar-General s Office. A notice is then made out calling upon the owner to abate the nuisance within a specified time. Thus days often elapse before a trivial choking of a downpipe or trap can be remedied. It frequently happens that as soon as the nuisance has been abated by the owner, on receipt of the notice, the household refuse, instead of being consigned to a dust box. is swept into the down- pipe or trap. in consequence of which the Inspector on a re-visit finds the downpipe or trap still choked, and a further report is made to the Secretary that the nuisance continues unabated. Prosecution then follows. In many instances, the tenant, in his endeavour to cleanse the downpipe and trap, rams a bamboo into t'em, breaking one of the caps of the pipe or the bottom of the trap. and the same procedure as detailed above takes place. As the occupier or tenant is the author of this nuisance he should be proceeded with, as hell in the case cited.
The advantages to be derived from the adop- tion by the Board of the ruling of this case
are:-
(1). The occupier being the person by whose act default or sufferance the nuisance is created or allowed to continue, if looked upou for abatement, would endeavour to collect the household refuse and deposit it in a dust box (now an ordinary kerosene tin is allowed to be used as a dust box) instead of allowing it to be washed into the downpipe or drain.
(2). In the event of the choking of downpipe or trap the nuisance can be abated by one of the occupiers in the presence of the Inspector by whom the nuisance is discovered in less time than it takes that officer to make out his memorandum or to report the case to his senior, and in the case of leakage or broken condition of the pipe or trap twenty-four hours would be an ample time for the occupier to abate the nuisance, which would otherwise con- tinue to be unabated for days under the present regime.
[October 22, 1904. .
British and forein civilians Chinese land population Chinese boat population
LIMEWASHING.
10.3
18.5
19.5
The I'mewashing for the fortnight ended 11th inst was laid on the table. Some 2,727 houses were limewashed in the Eastern District, and 1,144 in the Central District. From five prosecutions for failing to comply with the regulations fines totalled $44.
RATS.
During the week ended the 17th inst. 362 rats were caught in the City of Victoria, and 270 at Kowloon. Four from each place were found to be plague-infected rats.
SUPREME COURT.
Tuesday, 18th October.
IN CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR SIE Henry S BERKELEY (Chief JusticE.)
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Nehall Singh, an Indian constable, was charged with having attempted to commit a criminal offence on the person of a Chinese | boy.
He pleaded not guilty.
The following jury was empanelled:-Messra L. L. Murphy, F. F. Bovet. H. Hodge, C. Glover. W. Goodfellow, J. Blake and H. T. Richardson.
The Attorney-General, Hoa. E. H. Sharp, K.C. (instructed by Mr. F. B.. fi. Borlay, Crown Solicitor), appeared for the Crown.
After bearing the evidence the jury found the charge proven.
His Lordship passed sentence of two years' imprisonment with hard labour.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST A EUROPEAN.
Thomas Hynes, a young man engaged at Messrs. Butterfield and Swire's Docks at Quarry Bay, was charged with having caused the death of a coolie there on 20th ult.
He pleaded not guilty.
Mr. H. G. Coleroft, barrister-at-law (in. structed by Mr. H. Hursthouse, of Messrs. Dennys and Bowley, solicitors), appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C. (instructed by Mr. H. J. Gedge, of Messrs. Johnson, Stokes and Master, solicitors), was for the defence.
The jury was as follows:-Messrs. R. T. D. Sayle, J. A. Stopani, J. I. Andrews, H. Skot H. T. Richardson, W. M. Anderson, and H. S. Bevan.
From the evidence which was led it appeared that the deceased coolie was working in the dock at Quarry Bay and was walking along a plank reaching from the middle of the excarat- ed dock to a ledge on the side. Defendant was (3). If the wrongdoer is punished a reduc-passing the deceased, and in passing he told him tion in this class of nuisances will result, damage to downpipes and traps will be less frequent, and the work of the Sanitary Department lessened.
I may add that our law relating to the abatement of this class of nuisances (Sect: 29 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance) is on all fours with that of England (See Sect 93 of the Public Health Act 1875); as a matter of act, ours has been copied verbatim from the English text.
Yours faithfully,
(Sd.) AHMET RUMJAHN. Dr. ATKINSON said that this matter was very well looked after at present. When practicable they asked occupiers to abate naisances, but there were cases-such as there being several occupiers on one floor-when it was necessary to come down on the owner.
APPLICATIONS.
Various applications regarding water-closets. licences, etc, were considered and treated on their merits.
ADULTERATED MILK.
As a result of recent examinations, made under the Sale of Food and Drugs Ordinance,” a man was caught selling adulterated milk. No other frauds were discovered.
MORTALITY STATISTICS,
The following statistics are for the week ended 1st inst., death rate per 1,000 per annum :---
i
to "Fai-ti," meaning that he should make haste along the plank. It was alleged also. that in making the coolie make haste the defendant struck the coolie, with the result that when the latter got to the bank of the dock he collapsed and died, death being due to rupture of the spleen.
Dr. Hunter gave evidence showing that rupture of the spleen was the cause of death. The man, it appeared, was removed to hospital in a ricksha; the jolting of the ricksha could not cause rupture of the spleen, but it would be liable to aggravate the rupture after it had been sustained.
T. Grimshaw gave evidence regarding the methods adopted to bring the injured coolie round.
After further evidence being led, the case was adjourned.
Wednesday, 19th October.
IN CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.
BEFORE HIS HONOUR SIR HENRY S. Berkeley (CHIEF JUSTICE)
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST A EUROPEAN. Evidence was further led in the case in which Thomas Hynes, a young man engaged at
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