25th February.
By the promptness of Captain ofers of the P. & O. S. Ballarat, of Dr. Reid and of the Customs authories here, Shanghai has been saved, it is hoped, from a very grave danger, The Ballaarat, which arrived at Woosung on the 20th instant with the English mail, had two almost sudden deaths on board shortly after she arrived. Captain Peters reported the circumstances at once, and Dr. Reid, the Customs Health Officer, went down to Woosung, found that the deaths were suspicious, and took upon himself the responsibility of ordering the steamer at once into quarantine Mr. Tyler, the Acting Harbour-Master, went down the next day with Dr. Jackson, the quarantine station was immediately manned and reopened, and three other cases of suspicions jiiness un board the Bullaarat were sent off to the station. In the meantime, a_microscopic examination by Dr. Stanley, the Municipal Health Officer, had shown that the deaths reported were from bubonic plague. More than this, when a storeroom on the vessel was opened to be disinfected, it was found to be littered with dead rats, The debt that Shanghai owes to the commander of the arar for his prompt disclosure of the conditions existing on board his ship is a very large one. If the Bailaarat had come up in the usual course to the wharf at Shanghai, and some of her infected rats had got ashore, as they undoubtedly would have done, the results we' t almost certainly have been disastrous. the Acting Harbour Master and the Customs Health Officer must share the praise for prompt itude and decision that we have claimed for Captain Peters.
As will be learnt from the Harbour Notification issued this morning, the Chungpaosha sanitary station is now in operation again, and it is rather a pity that it was ever closed. All vessels arriving from Formosa and from southern ports are declared "suspected vessels," and have to be inspected by the Customs Health officer on arrival at Woosung; and it is earn-easily hoped that with these precantions we shall continue to secure the immunity from plague that we have so far been fortunate enough to enjoy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.