CONDITIONS IN SHANGHAI, The Health Officer's Report for Jan-ary, published in this week's Monicipal Gazette" contains on important statement on the plague, which might had by all residents, Although Dr. Stanley finds it " difficult to consider the subject in s usefal way in its bearing on the health of this Settlement," he has compiled an interesting account of the progress of plague in Mancbaria, aod venteres on certain opinions that are likely to reassure the Shanghai public. Thos be writes s the plague bacilli soon destroyed outside the living body, there little likelihood of the fars from the fected marmots carrying the dise Shanghai, neither is there any appreciable danger of plague being carried by the mail. The quarantine measures should be adequate against the introduction by ships of beman cases of plague from the North, bat are lacking regarding the importation of plague-infected rats." It may be supposed that this latter clause was written before the new regelations for shipping were approved by the Conference which met on Monday, and that the additional measures to cope with the introduction of plague-infected rats will meet Dr. Stanley's objections to the existing regalations. At the same time it will be noticed that official optimism is accompanied by an urgent appeal to deal with the rat danger. The only way of ensuring permanent freedom from plague in Shanghai," writes the Health Officer, "is to exclude rate from dwellings by building them out," and be calls upon house property awaers to carry out the sanitary requirements, having for their object the exclusion of rats from native dwellings. The subject is one that may well engage the attention of the Standing Committee for plague measures, and it will be hoped that no permit will be issued for new builds unless the specifications comply with rat-proofing requirements,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.