Week by week, in the Municipal Minutes, returns of deaths among the Chinese population of the Settlement are published, and sometimes those who read them must wonder how the figures are arrived at. It can readily be understood that the Health Officer has no little difficulty in chronicling the mortality, and its can see, among th 8 no system of compulsory ation of deaths can be pnt into In the first place " large proof the population still relies upon native doctors and native methods in the second place the Health Officer is faced by the natural Chinese to post mo The system adopted for compiling the returns is by no means perfect, though it is perhaps the best that can be used in the circumstances. The Settlement is divided into a number of districts, for each of which a Sanitary Inspector is res-possible, Exch district is again subdivided, and placed under the snpervision of Assistant Inspectors. The lat ter have a staff of Chinese foremen and eir direction, whose duties include the reporting of any deaths that ithin the comparatively small areas assigned to them. As the Chie nese usually announce the death of an inmate of a house by exhibiting the customary signs of mourning, the fore they patrol their districts rely, have little difficalty in ascering when a death has occurred. then reported to one of the foreign inspectors, most of whom have a good working knowledge of the colloquial. The house is visited by him, and inquiries are made as to the nature of the ailment from which the deceased suffered. ff there is any reason to suspect that death was due to an infectious complaint disinfection proceeds. Moveable articles, which will not be injured thereby, are carted away and disinfected by steam, and the floor, walls and ceiling of the room are spray. ed with oyllin,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.