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SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
for the Board to say whether they approve of Canton tiles in good condition. Then we shall know where we are. Certainly I do not approve
of them.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-I move that the M.O.H. be asked to submit a report on the The REGISTRAR-GENERAL seconded, and the
on Feb. 15th at the Board Room. Mr. R. O. Hutcheson presided, and there were present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, C.M.G., (Vice President) Colonel Bedford, Hon. Mr. Irving, Mr. A. Shel-matter. ton Hooper, Dr. G. H. L. Fitzwilliams, of Dr. Pearse (Medical Officer of Health) Dr. McFar-motion was agreed to. lane (Assistant Medical Officer of Health) and Mr. A. Gibson (Secretary.)
JOSS STICKS IN THE CEMETERY.
The Head of the Sanitary Department wrote the following minute with regard to the burn- ing of joss sticks in the Colonial Cemetery during Japanese burials: "The burning of joss sticks is part of the ceremony in Japanese burials. At the Colonial Cemetery Japanese are buried in a part of the cemetery which is more or less separate from the rest. 1 do not see that the burning of joss sticks during the ceremony in that part of the cemetery can be reasonably objected to, and would recommend that the inspector be instructed that it is not necessary to take action to stop joss sticks during a Japanese burial.".
Mr. SHELTON HOOPER minuted-I cannot agree with the proposal. The byelaws against same were fully discussed by the Board and approved by the Legislative Council.
Mr. HOOPER moved that the application be refused on the ground set out in his minute.
The VICE-IRESIDENT seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
FERRETS AS RAT. DESTROYERS.
A long letter was received from the Medical Officer of Health for Capetown in reply to a communication from the Board relative to the use of ferrets as agents for destroying rats. He pointed out that it was a common experience în Capetown to put a ferret down in a rat hole in one house and have it appear in another some distance away. The ferrets frequently came across nests of young rats on the carcases of rats that had died from plague and gorged themselves so that they were unable to get back through the hole and while in this state were often lost or were set upon and killed by adult rats. Apart from this the ferrets proved to be exceedingly susceptible to plague and a very large percentage of the animals employed died from plague soon after they were used. In conclusion he remarked that in Capetown when an outbreak of plague occurred they depended to a large extent upon bird lime for catching rats and gave some notes regarding its use. The ordinary bird lime proved of very little use but the best Japanese bird lime gave excellent results.
FLOOR SPACES.
A minute was received from the Medical Officer of Health enquiring whether the new byelaws re floor surfaces of bakehonses, dairies and laundries are to be enforced in places already licensed or only in the cases of applica
tion for new licences
Mr. HOOPER minuted--Enforce the byelaws. Mr. HOOPER said he certainly thought they should enforce the byelaws. It was important having regard to bakehouses, dairies and laundries, that the Board should enforce the law. He really did not think there was any necessity for a resolution.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-I agree with Mr. Hooper that it should be an instruction to the Medical Officer of Health to apply the byelaw without exception to premises.
Colonel BEDFORD-Has the Medical Officer of Health any special reason for bringing for- ward the question?
The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-Only that I discovered one or two relicensed bake- houses that have not strictly complied with the byelaws.
The PRESIDENT remarked that some of the floors were good, being tiled with Canton tiles.
Mr. HOOPER asked if it did not comply with the law if the floor was impervious. Supposing there was a floor of ashphalt, it would not require
to be made with cement?
APPLICATION FOR EXHUMATION.
An application was received for exhumation and a permit for re-burial in the new Colonial Cemetery.
Mr. HOOPER minuted-This matter had better stand over until we know from the law officers who has the power to grant permits for exhumation. At any rate I am strongly against allowing our cemetery to be used for reinter- ment of bodies from Chinese cemeteries.
Mr. LAU CHU PAK-Can bodies from ceme. teries other than Chinese be reinterred in this cemetery?
Mr. HOOPER-Have we got the opinion of the Law Officer of the Crown?
The PRESIDENT-No opinion has yet come. Mr. HOOPER-I think the application should stand over pending that.
Members agreed.
D
THE DESTRUCTION OF RATS.
The minute of the acting Head of the Sanitary Department with regard to the destruction of rats was as follows:-For the destruction of rats which may be considered the most important of the measures against plague, the following methods have been employed during the last six months:
1. (1). The Chinese have been encouraged to keep cats,
(2). Rat bins have been erected in Victoria and Kowloon in convenient places and the Chinese have been exhorted to do their utmost to destroy rats and put them in the bins.
(3). Traps have been issued to the Chinese through the Chinese dispensaries. Bird lime boards, traps and poisons are given out to Europeans on application.
(4). Poisoning on an extensive scale was carried out during the first week of January.
2. I attach a table of figures showing the monthly total of rats collected for the six months from August to January for the last six years. In August 1903 the system of giving rewards was abolished and a system of rat catchers was afterwards established. The figures show, I think, that the present system is successful in Victoria, but that it is not successful in Kowloon. The returns for the last six weeks have been small. There are 250 rat bins and not more than twenty rats are collected, per day.
3. I attach a minute from the Medical Officer of Health and one from the Assistant Medical Officer of Health, Kowloon, with regard to poison. Poisoning was carried out by the inspectors in shops on the ground floors, and by the various street committees acting under the dispensaries in family houses. Great assis- tance was given by the Chinese committee in- explaining to the people the use of the poison and any difficulties which were experienced. Every precaution was taken to make the people be careful. As to its use there were one or two results
accidents reported. No serious
occurred. The actual are known to have number of rats collected does not show ኹ very great increase but both the Medical Officer of Health and the Assistant Medical
are convinced of Officer of Health
its utility, and both recommend that a regular system of poisoning be resorted to. The reason for this is that though the Chinese have answered readily in the way of keeping cats they will not themselves continue to take active steps in the way of setting traps, and though the keeping of cats is an excellent measure, it is hardly in itself sufficient.
4 If the Board approves of a regular system of rat poisoning I would recommend ths follow. ing procedure:
are
the inspectors shall (a.) Every Friday serve notices on all the houses which The VICE-PRESIDENT said it was in the discretion of the Board to approve of the material. going to be visited during general cleans- With him he The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH said he ing the following week. would like to be clear on the matter. Canton | shall take around poison and bait any shop
where the owner tiles were certainly not impervious.
is willing that this shall Mr. HOOPER said it seemed to be a matter in be done. When he comes round again for which the M.O.H. should exercise his discretion.general cleansing in three or four days time, the poison will be collected. In this The MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-It is all
[February 20, 1909.
way a regular system of poisoning can be in- troduced which can be carefully watched and supervised. Experiments are being made to colour the poison green, a colour which means poison to the Chinese mind and which will, if successful, lessen the danger arising from its use. (b) Kowloon. In Kowloon it will be possible, with hardly any interference with house clean- sing or other work, to bait the ground floors of the whole area once a month. The baiting will take about four afternoons, and a further four afternoons will be devoted to taking up the poison. The system, of course, depends on the willing. ness of the Chinese to receive the poison, but I don't think they will raise objections. I do not consider it advisable to bait private houses, where supervision is not easy, and where difficul- ties are more likely to arise. But the Assistant Medical Officer of Health at Kowloon suggests that bird lime boards might be issued in private houses when notices are served for house cleans- ing, where people are willing to receive them, and taken up again at the general cleansing by the inspector. This procedure might be tried as an experiment in Kowloon where further steps against rats are seen to be necessary and where the people as a whole are more easily dealt with.
The MEDICAL OFFICER. OF HEALTH minuted-A comparison of the rats caught in the first three weeks of the month with those for the first three weeks in December, shows that 1168 more rats were taken and examined for plague since the general distribution of poison in Victoria. I think it very advisable to continue the laying down of poison, especially before the plague season is upon us. I think, also, that it will suffice now to lay poison on ground floors only, as if we can keep down the number of sewer rats about shops, etc, we shall be weakening one link in the plague chain from the sewer rat to the house rat, and from the I do not wish to have to cease latter to man. the general cleansing for several days at a time to lay the poison, a thing which must be done if we agree to a general baiting of the city, say every month, but we might bait on a given day in each week all the houses which are to be cleansed in the following week. In this way we should bait about 1,000 shops every week. In addition, we might issue poison
the Dispensaries, so that all who wish to lay it down for themselves, say in family houses, could apply to the dispensaries for it.
The ASSISTANT MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH-I am having arrangements made as regards Samshuipo, Kowloontsai and Hokunkok, and will let you know suitable afternoons as early as possible. Some day early next week will suit. Speaking for Kowloon only, I see no necessity to give up the general cleansing in order to poison. The poisoning can be done in the afternoon, and we will be able to get over ground floors in about four days. I am entirely against combining poisoning with the general cleansing.
I
Some people who object to the poisoning might quite easily object to the cleansing if it was associated with it. can see no good enough reason to resign the satisfactory progress of the general cleans- ing of Kowloon for the sake of rat poisoning which can be done at other times. I should be inclined to let the rat poisoning cause comment, as there would be more care taken about it and less risk of poisoning. Besides, if you put a rat bait down on a wet floor as it would be after general cleaning, it swells up and becomes bad. I should think that more copper salt could be got to colour the poison green, but it would be quicker and more satsfactory to ask the Government analyst.
Hon. Mr. HEWETT-I think effect should be given to the minute of the Head of the Sanitary Department. Especial attention should be given to Kowloon side where the plague has already started this year.
Mr. LAU CHU PAK---The reasonable sugges- tions contained in the minute of the Head of the Sanitary Department should be acted upon.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Chinese com- mittees would work with the Board and help them.
Mr. HOOPER-There are three villages at Kowloon, Is Hokunkok one of the villages where plague was so rife last year that the Beard closed the houses?
The PRESIDENT-Yes, that is the place. Mr. HOOPER-Is it occupied now?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.