Many unfounded ramours are reported in the press to be circulating among the ignorant classes in connexion with the recent adoption of measures against the spread of bubonic plague. Children of weak health and sick residents a soon as they are detected by foreign doctors: are now to be sent to the Isolation Hospital, with various anfortanate re-suite, Consequently even people of good health prefer to remain indoors, Chinese boys are afraid to go to school. Another resalt of the preven-tie measures recently inaugurated, which it similarly not without its touch of hamoar is the following prescription published in the press Amixtare of: 4 ox. officials in respect to permit, for the retail sale of opiam. If this is really true, we regard it as altogether inexpicable.
The British Government has out this procedure in Hongkong, and if it can be carried out in Hongkong. it is difficalt to see for what reason it cannot be carried out Nevertheless if it proves possible to carry, out this procedure, with due, severity, it may indeed follow that opium smokers, fioding it inconvenient, will all retire to the Settlement and thas opium, shops o because of the small, profit which scerne, will consequently give up their trade altogether, and the (hinese district will thus become entirely clean and rid of opium. This to be sure will be the kind gift of the Consplar Body."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.