—No one visiting Shanghai for the first time could fail to be struck by the order and regularity of the streets, and especially by their excellent construction. The community owe heavy debt of gratitude to the late Mr. Clark, for the legacy he has left, them in the shape of roads which may safely defy comparison with those of any foreign city in the world. But while this very excellenceisof great importance in a sanitary point of view by preventing the accumulation of filth which "often esca notice in the muddy streets of old Shanghai and by rendering it impossible for water to Jodge on the surface of the roads, its effect on the low-lying native dwellings unprotected by side walks, in various parts of the settlement, demands a moment's attention. While the afreets have been raised, these houses have practically been lowered. While the curved surface necessary to prevent lodgment of water has been given to the road way, the land underneath the houses referred to, receives the surface drainage. The native inhabitants are quite careless about this, but the retention of constantly wetted earth in a situation where it can never become thoroughly dry, exercises 'a very baneful influence on the general health of the community. Mr. Yates has recently given the valuable results of his observations with regard to the excavations under native this street but for nuisances of all houses, which are made receptaclesnot only for
kinds. Ican do little more than endeavour to enforce what he has said. Every pit of this kind may at any moment prove a nest of disease fatal not only to those in the immediate neighbourhood, but to the entire community. The native houses themselves, built, many of them, on the original paddy fields, aren't only thus placed over receptacles for drainage, but are also made to receive a large share of the surface water upon their wooden floors. T need not enlarge on the probable effects to Health arising from living in the midst of a continual vapour bath of this description. It is one of those conditions to which I alluded in my introductory remarks, as abating health eyen though it may not actually cause disease. No time should Lo lost in filling up the exeavations existing under houses, and in constructing cement or stone floors either to replace the wooden floors now used or to form a second flooring beneath them. Where, in the Englis and Hongque settlements, roads have not constructed, the same state of things exists, as inay be remarked on a large scale in the back parte of both settlements.
CONDITION OF THE BACK PARTS OF THE SETruzMusts:—Here there is a vast area of land considerably below high water mark, and surrounded by artificially raised roads and embankments which effectually prevent accumulations of water from running of whenever either an exceptionally high tide or long continued rain fills up the saucer-like surface. Here filth and rubbish of all kinds are deposited by the natives in the vicinity, and thus in addition to the extensive area of ation: eat aenp Grate remains eve allowed to. purify until di mand and stagnant ions of or-juted and spread by the next inundation. The Jand in the middle of the old Race Course affords an excellent example. There as everywhere else about ghai, water can neither run off nor run through. "It awaits evaporation, it fills the air with watery vapour, and until all the difficulties in the way of the water every one who, during hot weather coming works scheme shall have been removed. All on subsequent to rain, is obliged to traverse that is required is a supply of water, no matter the old Race Course itself or the roads that in-whether pure or impure, a reservoir at a certain ter sect it. My business is not with the moderate height communicating with the main comfort ing to such a state of thi although that too claims consideration. T wou! semers, and s pumping engine to keep the re servoir full. venture to say that no sanitary remind the Council that remittent and inter measure of such great importance could be mittens fevers are the constant curse of Shang-carried out at a less expense. A very small hai, and that the extensive steaming surfaces reservoir would suffice, for it is to be remember-on the old Race Course in the English ed that the water is not to remain in it, it is settlement, and on the inland side only to pass through it for the sake of the yin Hongque, are the sources height. By simple arrangements, the whole whence most, if not all, the seeds of those pressure of the water might be brought to bear diseases as they affect the residents, are upon one sewer, or upon one set of sewers, derived. There would seem to be no insuperarunning East and West or North and South, able difficulties in the way of draining these or it could be distributed over the entire areas, and of thus hastening the process of eva-system. Atany rate, by its means the main poration, But the only efficient remedy lies sewers would constantly be kept. clear at a far in raising them as quickly as possible above Jess expense than is now involved in periodical-high water mark, in sloping them towards tidal ly opening and cleansing them by hand. creeks, and meanwhile in exercising such su-Pending the adoption of some really efficient prevision over them as will prevent their being system of cleansing the sewers, I see it made receptacles for decaying organic reposed to open the sluices ''at low water' fuse. as to allow the water by which they Cosprrioy oF THE SEWERS:—From a sanitary have been filled at a high'state of the ti point of view, the sewers are of the very high-run off, washing a est importance, yet here the nature of the view of the fact that the whole water ply ground renders it almost impossible to estab li of Shanghai is drawn from the river, nothin, rate, the worl a the sewers has to be supple-satisfactory system of sewerage. At any could be wor The sluices should be opened on a falling tide, but closed some time before sented ly periodical openings and cleansi to filth that accumulate in a few months. These remove the enormous quantities of rating low water. Otherwise, the contents of the sewers will be mingled with the rising tide and thus find their way into the reservoirs of rapid accumulations render it most necessary water used for domestic purposes that their emanations should be carried alan, Here I would reiterate what I have already the course of the sewers, and not be permit said, when referring to the foreshore—that in either to atom the upper air in the etrets, all cases the utmost care should be taken to to regurgitate into houses through private secure the opening of the river outlets of the drains. The inefficient cleansing of sewers sewers below low water mark. has a very remarkable influence upon the pro-Vaccixariox:—In a report such as this it duction and propagation of zymotic diseases. would be out of place to attempt any demou-To such an extent is this true, that a continuous stration of the benefits of vaccination. Every and heavy rain-fall has been known to check an epidemic by washing onbtimorwers(Pezkes) person entitled to express an opinion on the Subject testifies that, since vaccination baw as no worse than might be expected under the Accepting the existing state of the sewers become general amongst civilised communities, small pox has become infrequent, less mortal circumstances, it remains to enquire in what endless truly epidemic. And further, within way that state may be remedied. Suspecting the same period the death rates from other that the accumulations of filth must pollute diseases, and particularly from scrofulous di-the ar ofthe stent, I have, during the past scases, have diminished. The aim of vaccination writh a saturated solution of cvtate of lead, few weeks, exposed st of wr moisten is ultimately to stamp out small pox, while on the otherbandinoculation obviously perpetuates to the action of whatever gases might be found it. Yet actually, within the foreign limits the escaping from the gully holes in the Foochow Kisogse Roads. Tselected these roads for, practice of inoculation is sedulously pursued, And the demand for the'services of inoculators as the sewers beneath them have recently been thoroughly cleansed and even reconstructed, in so great a certain seasons ofthe year, that alarge number come to Shanghai from Soo-whatever poisonous gases were found escaping chow and the other large cities li the neigh from them would é fortiori be found escaping Dourhood. Thus this most fatal and repulse fromthesewers in other parts of the settlement. of all diseases is constantly maintained within In all cases, the paper was rapidly blackened, the foreign limits—is actually brought to the showing the generation and escape of at least doors of the foreign residents. Strange to say, one necessarily deleterious gas—Sulphuretted Hydrogen. This escape of sewer gas might be the native authorities Keep up a vaccinating
openings of the drains. Traps likewise should prevented, by fitting water rape to the street station inthe city, and pay parents a. small Venus for every child successfully vaccinate Vaccination is by this means encouraged, but placed at the junction of house drains with inoculation is not prohibited. However, I the main sewer, and the residents should be have no h i g positively that of their private drains with water valves.
yuited or requested to fit the upper outlets it is the duty of the governing body to issue regulations forbidding the practice of inoculacaution, disinfectants should befrecly, ocd nad Where noisome gasesescapein spite of every pretion, to appoint a place and time for free ination, to pay some small sum to qi fortunately the most reliable substances, such natives who should, under proper supes as lime and coarse Carbolic Ack, are extreme perform the duty at the vaccinating stations ly cheap. The latter the great ad-Tantage of perfect solubility, so that while it and report the number of successful cases. It may be said that if the Council were to intro-would remain a very considerable time in the duce a by-law making inoculation a misdesewers in consequence of the slowness of the mean our, there would be difficulties in the way current through them, it would finally be all of discovering offenders and in securing their washed away, It would be well worth the Punishment, The latter is a purely imaginary while of the Municipal Council to import a objection, which will disappear so soon as large quantity of the coarse st description of Gatbohe Acid for public use. The residents the Land Regulations and accompanying bylaws, shall el the formal sanction of the also could purchase it of the Council at a much lower rate than a, could otherwise obtain Chinese authorities. As to the former, even it, and it might, and I trust wil, be in process rote but one case brought to light every year that case would have a deterrent effect, whereas of time brought into general use' in Shanghai, at present no influence whatsoever is' brought for the purpose of disinfecting and de-odorizing to bear upon this most pernicious practice. private drains, house closets and such like.
But these means are, after all, merely pallia-Reports py Navive Pouice:—The native tive, and the only true remedial measure is the By the. Municipal Council ce lie, in their capacity of ae efficient tushing of the sewers, thereby preventing the accumulations whence noxious ex-Board of Health, should be instructed to re-halations arise, and thus destroying the evil port to the best of their ability upon at its very root. I need not here recapitulate A.—Cases of fevers or other contagious or the plans that have been proposed or adopted. infections diseases occurring any where within It is obvious to every one that they have pro-the English or American Settlement. daced no, good result. Were, the, proposed The object of this is obvious:—namely to water works established, the cleansing of the secure the separation of the infected persons, sewers would soon be an accomplished fact, to prevent the of disease, and to ensure but it is to be hoped that the residents will not Proper disinfection after small pox &c,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.