155THE SANITARY STATE OF HONG-KONG.

matter which can be sold as raspberry ice cost about ld. the t

pint. But the chief demand is for "cream ices and these cost t

much more to produce. There must be a little milk thickened <

with arrowroot, and even though an egg or two may be (

occasionally employed too many are required to colour the <

ice economically, and therefore saffron or turmeric is added.But as saffron is about 20 times dearer than turmeric 1

the latter is used when the customers are not over parti- i

.cular. Of course, a little cheap and rotting fruit will greatly"improve" " the "delicacy, and some inexpensive gelatinof suspicious origin will give body and consistency to

the mixture. Altogether there are various economical con-trivances by which the value of the ices can be enhanced,though these are not free from danger to health. Therefore

it would indeed be a great advantage if instead of beingmade in the secrecy of a backyard and in proximity toan overflowing dustbin these widely consumed delicacies"

"

were manufactured on large and well-managed premises,specially arranged for that purpose, where responsiblepersons would have a reputation to maintain which it would

not pay to lose for the sake of effecting some petty economy.It does not suffice to enact laws condemning unwholesome

processes and insanitary surroundings-some thought mustbe given to the creation of opportunities by which the

penny-ice men will be able to observe the new regulations.0---

The Sanitary State of Hong-Kong.WE hear from more than one source that the present

sanitary state of Hong-Kong is most unsatisfactory, and

there is much evidence to show that for many years pastvery little has been done in the way of improving the

state of affairs. On the contrary., in some directions

- changes have taken place for the worse. It seems that as

long ago as the year 1875 the late Dr. AYRFS reported onthe sanitary condition of the colony in a most unfavourable

.sense, but finding that no improvement resulted from hisendeavours in that direction he was led to give up a

hopeless struggle. A few years later, in 1882, Mr. OsBERTCHADWICK made another report, which was in due courseprinted and presented to both Houses of Parliament. Mr.

’CHADWICK recommended amongst other things that 600

cubic feet of air space per head should be provided in allrooms which were sub-divided into cubicles and that the

ground surface of buildings should be covered with

concrete. The latter recommendation was enforced after

the plague epidemic of 1894, but the former recom-

mendation has not even yet been adopted, and the

.amount of air-space insisted upon is at the presenttime only 400 cubic feet per individual. Many other

.alterations were advised by Mr. CHADWICK, but theyhave not been carried out. Some of the most importantof the improvements which lie reconnnended had reference

to the dwellings of the poorer classes-that, for example,the houses should be provided with continuous back alleys,.and that insanitary properties should be purchased and

demolished. Mr. CHADWICK concluded his report with

these words : "I trust that even should the suggestions befound undesirable or impracticable my report will show the

necessity for strong and complete measures of sanitation,and I trust that they will be undertaken for the immediate

benefit of the public health without wait,ing for the necessityto be demonstrated by the irresistible logic of a severe epi-demic." " Twelve years later, on the outbreak of an epidemicof plague, the necessity which existed for the reforms was

abundantly proved.The attention of the inhabitants of Hong-Kong has lately

been strongly directed to a consideration of the conditionsunder which they have long been and still are living. The

presence of bubonic plague has impressed them, and a

series of trenchant articles written by Mr. ALFRED

CuNNlNGHAM has apparently for the moment caused theirchronic apathy to be replaced by a feeling of excitementapproaching panic. The articles have been republished inthe form of a pamphlet 1 which contains, also, a reprint of

leading articles bearing upon the subject which have

appeared in the Hong-Kong Daily -1-Iress and the China Mail,and some letters which have appeared in the former paper.There appears to be no shadow of a doubt that the

drainage of Hong-Kong is inadequate, that there is not

enough water to flush the sewers, and that the soil is

saturated with decomposing faecal matter. A Sanitary Board

exists, but this Board has no administrative functions, andthe recommendations of the Board are sometimes whollyignored. The responsibility for the present state of thingstherefore rests with the Executive Government-that is to

say, with the Colonial Office. Dr. F. W. CLARK, the medicalofficer of health of Hong-Kong, has lately (May 30th,

1901) succeeded in getting the Sanitary Board to pass tworesolutions recommending the Government to make arrange-ments for flushing the sewers. The first resolution was as

follows :-’’ That the board recommend the Government to utilise

all the fresh water which now runs to waste in the trainedand untrained nullahs of the city by building dams andforming tanks for the automatic flushing of the sewers andstorm-water drains."

1 The resolution is so obviously sensible that it seems at

first sight curious that Dr. CLARK should have had any mis, giving as to the effect of such a recommendation passed’ by the Sanitary Board. It is in this connexion that

we go into detail in regard to the matter. Dr. CLARK in

) the course of his speech said that the position of the Board

i recalled the parable of the importunate widow, and the

" resolution was strongly criticised by the president of the

1 Board, the Hon. W. CHATHAM, who presumably represented

r the Government as an official member. The ground of

- opposition of the official nominee was that the nullahs

e were sometimes dry and that water was therefore not always

t available, and that it was especially liable to be deficient

r in quantity when it was most required-that is to say,

during the hot season. But it must be said that Dr. CLARK

t did not propose to rely solely on this source and his

e next resolution (as he pointed out, the necessary

, corollary of the first) was that a supplementary supply of, sea-water should be pumped to make good the deficiency.d The resolution was as follows :-h ’’ That the Government be requested to again consider the

e question of the flushing of the sewers and storm-water drains

1 The Need of Municipal Freedom in Hong-Kong, by " Scrutator,"with articles and correspondence thereon, reprinted from the Hong-Kong Daily Press and China Mail. Hong-Kong: The Daily PressOffice, 14, Des V&oelig;ux-road. 1901.

156 THE PUBLIC HOSPITAL AND THE PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL.

of the city with sea-water pumped from the harbour t(

suitable storage tanks."Both these recommendations were passed and the Board

then discussed a third motion, having regard to storm-wate:drains. Dr. CLARK moved :

" That the Government be requested to consider thE

advisability of trapping all inlets to the storm-water drainsin view of the fact that the ’ report on the latrine anc

urinal accommodation of the city and its connexion with thffouling of the storm-water drains,’ forwarded to the Govern’ment in 1899, showed that the contents of the storm-waterdrains are as foul and in some cases even fouler than th(contents of the sewers."

The fact that such advice on the elements of sanitation has

to be forced on the attention of the Government of Hong-Kong year after year clearly shows the existence of a state of

things which is discreditable to the authority responsible anddangerous to the community.

Mr. CUNNINGHAM’s articles, to which a brief allusion hasalready been made, are vigorously written. They displayin some places a warmth of feeling which it is not necessaryor desirable that we should imitate, but which is doubtlessquite excusable in one compelled to live under such uncom-fortable conditions and suffering daily and hourly from the

neglect of the governing authorities to carry out their obviousduties. It cannot be pleaded that the colony is too poor tobe able to afford to pay the expense necessary to ensure

efficient sanitation. Sir HENRY BLAKE, in his report on thefinancial condition of Hong-Kong, lately pointed out that thecondition of the colony was most flourishing-that its future

promised to be bright and that there was a large excess

of revenue over expenditure." But in almost every respectthe general management of the colony appears to be

open to improvement. The deficiency of the water-supplyhas been mentioned, but in addition to this the inhabitantshave other causes of complaint. The roads are bad, the

town is overcrowded, and the sanitary staff is undermanned."The sanitary staff," says Mr. CUNNINGHAM, " consists of adoctor and about 20 inspectors who are not paid sufficientlywell to induce a man with sanitary training and experienceto accept such a post." A single sanitary officer is certainlynot enough ; it is necessary that he shall occasionally be away

I

on leave, and it is stated that it happened that he was awaylately on the outbreak of an epidemic of plague. The con-

dition of the dwellings of the poor in Hong-Kong forms aconstant source of danger to the whole town. The houses are

greatly overcrowded ; they are ill-lighted and insufficientlyventilated. Vested interests are treated tenderly in Hong-Kong,and Mr. CUNNINGHAM does not darkly hint-he plainly says :" The unofficial representatives in the Legislative Council

are concerned in these vested interests." Such an accusation

cannot be allowed to pass without inquiry. The health of

the people of Hong-Kong depends to a large extent on thesanitation of the place. Cases of plague must in the

ordinary course be occasionally imported. The spread of thedisease in the town will depend largely on its hygienic con-ditions. Overcrowding and insanitary dwellings will havetheir effect in increasing the number of cases and the

mortality. It is said that the overcrowding is actuallyencouraged by the action of the "unofficial representativesof the executive council." Such a statement, publicly made,widely spread and uncontradicted, certainly deserves the

attention of the Colonial Secretary.

o This alleged scandal forms but one part of the subject,Whatever the truth may be about this particular accusation

d we are more concerned to show that there is no doubt thatr the whole question of the sanitation of Hong-Kong requires

a thorough and impartial investigation and prompt actione that the place may be put into a sanitary and a civilisedi, state with the least possible loss of time. Dr. CLARK, thei

medical cfficer of health, has apparently done and is doinge

- the best he can under the most trying conditions. He

r requires support and help. Nothing is more discouraginge to a man whose heart is in his work than a knowledge that

he has not the power to ensure ,that what ought to be doneS shall be done, and done quickly. The persistency of the- importunate widow was not an unfeminine characteristic,f but a Sanitary Board should be invested with some,power1 more immediately effective than importunity.

i

The Public Hospital and thePrivate Individual.

THE voluntary support of charitable institutions ha&

always appealed strongly to the generosity of Englishmen.It is well in accord with the national character that men who

have inherited a great name and great wealth, or who haveamassed large fortunes through commercial enterprise, or,

which is rarer, who have met with exceptional professionalsuccess, should spare a portion of their wealth to some

benevolent institution in which they are interested and

of the excellence of which they are convinced. With

different peoples the expression of philanthropy, as of other

qualities, takes different forms. In Great Britain it is natural

and congruous for such expression to take the form of

unostentatious substantial benefit conferred upon less for-

tunate or suffering fellow-citizens. In ancient Rome the-

victorious and enriched conqueror thought that he could inno way better benefit his fellow-men than by providing some

gigantic spectacle. A day’s amusement seemed the appro-

priate offering due from his aggrandisement to his humblerfellows, and the plaudits of a multitude gratified his earswhen at his personal expense some score of glacliators werebutchered to make a Roman holiday.Even in later days than those of classic Rome the love of

ostentation that is deep-rooted in the nature of many

peoples has led successful men to demonstrate their publicbenevolence by providing some exceptional opportunityfor general festivity and enjoyment. But the sober and

solid Anglo-Saxon character prefers more lasting benefits-to endow a hospital, to provide a free library, or in some wayor other to advance the public good on a large scale appealsto us as a finer and more satisfactory expression of practicalgoodwill towards our fellow-creatures. In this way many a

person, whose name is perhaps unknown except in the smalllimits of his native place, has conferred the truest benefitson successive generations of fellow-townsmen. And of men

who have on a huge scale advanced the public welfare bytremendous efforts of philanthropy and self-sacrifice Great

Britain has provided probably more than any other one

country as yet, though undoubtedly the United States of

America run us close. In every class, in every sect, in

every social arrangement there will be found amongas some name piously remembered for great philan-;hropic exertions. The political and religious freedom of