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sentiment, but it is high time that common sense prevailed, and the shock would soon be got over. like a dose of nasty medicine, if the Governinent were to pass such an ordinance. "Dumping" is resorted to in various parts of China, we understand, in country places as well as in cities, when extreme poverty demands it, and provided the Government undertook cremation, and returned the 'ashes or bones to such relatives as wanted them, there would be very little religious oufery. At the same time, while it is remembered that a religious scruple is the chief obstacle to cremation in England, it would not be fair to over-ide Chinese sentiment and respect that of the others, were it not that by "dumping" these bodies the poor Chinese who do so have already made sacrifice of their right to expect reverence. Thus to cremate all abandoned bodies as an immediate step would not be unjust, and if it did not check dumping," it would not encourage it. Fortunately the adverse vote of the Sanitary Board dres not prevent the Government from considering the question, and we hope the Legislative Council may see its way to taking this first step towards a reform that will ultimately have to come. There is not so much land to spare on this island that we can afford to waste it on people who have no real use for it. If it is moral and just to prevent poor Chinese from' gambling, it is also moral and just to prevent them from extravagant funeral rites, and here the wealthy of all races, European and Asiatic, have's duty to perform, in setting a wiser example. We shall welcome a decision to cremate these "dumped" corpses, not as a deterrent of that particular evil, but as a step to a general reform that will abolish many evils.
CHINESE METAPHYSICS.
was a
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The
· [ May 4, 1907,
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on April 30th at the Board Room. The Hon.
however, are practically universal and | HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD. suggest themselves as occasion arises. recognition of mortality and concomitant desire for life's prolongation, dreams, the discovery of the Ego, like external pheno- mena, are inevitable intruders universal meditations, and it is ridiculous to suppose that any one nat'ou or гдее bas a patent for originating solutions or hypotheses. What Professor GILES ferred to as the "ancients”. with their
int
re-
wonderful vitality reminding us of the clan Methuseleh, represent part of the universal myth of a
"golden age", the "good old times" of whose existence present-day grumblers are always convinced. All these solutions or hypotheses, European or Asiatic, may he distilled into phials of comfort and hope, meant as mental anti. dotes to the ever present poisons of dissatisfaction and fost, The Asiatic idea of immortality seems to be a more rational one thau that of some Europe in critics of metempsychosis; OF ht least more satisfying to the intellect. It is easier to conceive the image of a circle than of an endless line. CRU Har, however, exists to prove that even here the Chinese win! differs little from those others, for he considers it absurd to imply that there is a fixed amount of vital force in the Universe, or that nature cannot produce as well As transmutate. The idea of millions of immortal souls being constantly born is less thinkab'e, however, for we have to go backwards only a little way to find one end of immortality, which is absurd. The Chinese intellect, however, enjoying such gymnastics to the full limit, was elastic enough to stand the strain, and encouraged by the super wise CONFUCIUS, it does not take such speculations too seriously. They are merely holiday tasks, after all, or mental constitu- tionals. With the question whether the conscious Ego survives and remembers and perceives, CONFUCIUS cunningly fenced.
nfter
not
"If I say that the dad are conscious I feel that filial sons and dutiful grandsons will neglect the living in order to do honour to the conscious, then I fear that unfilial sons and dead; and if I say that the dead are andatiful grandsons will leave their parents' corpses without burial. My son, if you would know whether the dead are conscious or not it will be enough to find out when you gɔ among them yourself."
During the discussion Mr. IVAN CHEN of the Chinese Legation quoted the Sage to prove that he had not abandoned the belief in spirits. Confucius always refused to talk of supernatural phenomena, telling one disciple that our duty was to living men, why should we inquire about our duty to dead men? But from such statements we should not (argued Mr. IVAN CHEN) be led to think that CONFUCIUS had given up belief in the existence of p- rits, because he said in another instance, "When you are offering sacrifices to the spirits of your deceased ancestors you must if the spirit verə behave yourselves as present." We do not see that that proves the wise old man was supers itious; it can be held to show that he believed in the good (to the living) of acts of worship
(Daily Press, 3rd May.) If the Chica Society never has a less interesting monthly meeting than that held towards the end of March, its members will have reason to be glad of its formation. A paper by Professor GILES of Cambridge, on some psy chic philosophies or metapliysi. cal concepts enunciated by Chinese thinkers of the past, was read and followed by an
The interesting debate.
latter characteristic bout of sinologues, but with less acrimony than sometimes intrudes when the pen, instead of the tongue, is the weapon. Most of those taking part would not be surprised to find that Chinese thinkers had long ago groped as far into the unknown as any of our European classics or standards, but elsewhere we note that the announcement gave rise to a disposition to patronizingly pat the wisdom of the East on the back, so to speak, for its intel- ligent anticipation of European cleverness. Dr. ARTHUR SMITH's reputation notwith- standing, the Chinese intellect has been anything but turbid, and it is frequently productive of humility when the westeru speculator discovers how very much further than his own leaders the Oriental bas with transcendental gymnastics. For subt lety and sanity unseparated, it is not easy to beat the Chinese metaphysicians. They The members of the 8. V. C.-Officers,
il a nebular hypothesis of their own while N. C. O's, and men of all branches of the *urope' was still satisfied with the creative -gave a complimentary dinne to Mr. H. feat of an anthropomorphic conjurer, and Keswick, Chairman of the Municipal Council we are disappointed to find that Professor and late Commander of the infantry Battalion GILES considered it necessary to guess that departare from Shanghai. Os April 20th the Shanghai Volunteer Corpe, on the are of his the idea of soul transmigration must have Corps to the strength of about 15. "fell in" at been imported. The more we learn of other the Palace Hotel, determined to give Mr. peoples' folklore and beliefs, the more Keswick a hearty send off. The Commandant, we are led to conclude that the human mind Lieut.-Colonel W. M. Watson, presided over the is limited to a certain set of ideas, which, | festivities.
gone
orps
Dr. J. M. Atkinson (presiden') presided, and there were als› present Hon. Mr. W. Chatha Offer of Health), Hon. Mr. A. W. Brewin (Vice-President), Dr. F. Clark (Medical
Registrar General;, Ho». Mr. F. J. Badeley (Ciptain-Sup-rintendent of Police), Mr. H. Humphreys, Mr. Lau Cha Pak, Mr. Fang Wa choo, and Mr. G. A. Woodoock (secretary).
THE CHINESE AND CREMATION,
The COLONIAL. SECRETARY wrote as follows relative to the number of dead bodies found cast away in the Colony :—I am directed to subunit to you the enclosed retaru showing the number of dead bid es found cast away in the Colony by the police during the first three months of the current year. Daring that period there has practically been a total absence of plague or other infectious disease. It cinnot therefore be alleged that these bodies have been cast out to escape disinfection of premises. During the last few years the Government has misde every effort to put a stop to the whol- sale damping of dead bodies by the Chinese population. The latest measures in this behalf have been to allow the, Tong Ws hospital to open branch offices where the follow- ing facilities are given for d-aling with sick and dead: Licentiates of the Chinese College of Me dicine are on duty at each office to certify as to the nature of the diseases and to give free medi- cal service, and to issue burial certificates in case of death when asked for. Clerks are also on duty to explain Sanitary regulations, to a'tand at the removal of patients suffering from nfections diseas, and to be present at the Ambulan. disenfection of infected premises. ces and dead boxes are provided and sick persons sad corpses are removed by the coolies of the office-the coolies living in the Manitary Department quarters and being under the supervision (as regards their observance of sanitary precautions) of the inspector in charge. Infants are received at each office, a reward of $1 being given to the person bringing the infant. The living are sent to the convent, the for remoring cises of ningue from the Colony. dead to the mortuary. Arrangements are made Finally, the Tang Wa hospital has been permitted to open district pingue hospitals for the receptio and treatment of cases of plague.
s these elaborate measure appear to fail ią checking the disgraeful abandument of dead inquire whether the Sanitary Board has any boding in the street and elsewhere, I am to suggestions to offer for the mitigation of the
evil.
I
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH : There ·· seems to be only one o‘her course left, and that is to oremste ull bodies found in the streets, don't believe that anything also would stop the I would allow 24 dumping of dead bodies. hours clear, after the body is found, for it to ba claimed by relations, and if not claimed after that interval of time, then the boly should be
cremated.
Mr. LẪU CHO-PAK`S minule on this subject has already been published.
Mr. OOPER minated-The Hon. Coloniál Secretary says that licentiates of the Chinese College of Mediome issue burial oɔrtiñostes where asked for, whereas Mr. Lan Chu-pat says these licentia es bave no power to pass the dead for barial unless the decessed had ben
attended by one of them before death. Which is correct?
Mr. FUNG WA-CHUN-At present lican- tistes of the Chinese College of Medicia's are only authorised to issue burial certifi cates for patients they have attended, but I think they ought to he empowered to issne certificates for all esses, as their opinion is certainly better than that of the inspectors, With regard to the Tour Wa branch offices, there are now only six, which are quite inadequate to meet the requirements, and in my opinion these will have to be at least doubled. The
present branch offices are supported by private the Governm... should vote a saw which would subscriptions from the Chinese, and I think defray half the expenses for maintaining the pr-sont branch offices and the extra m«n_re- quired. It has been arranged by the Hon. Registrar General, with the committee of the branch offices, to engage a lecturer to explain
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