The Commissioner of Castoms sends us the report on the working of the Sanitary Station for the year 1910. Daring the twelve months 171 vessels were inspected and 29,986 persons were examined. Of the vessels inspected two were placed in quarantine, the cause' in one case being amall-pox and in the other a case of suspected plague. The. report states, in regard to junk inspection, that a contionous watch was kept at the Woosang Light House and all te boarded and examined on srrivel. Daring the year 1,186 jucks were examined. No a pects, coffins with corpses, rags or other prohibited les were found. Reference is made to the marked diminution in plague at all neighbouring ports where the disease is endemic and to the fact that for the first time since the epidemic of 1894. Hongkong has escaped being declared infected. The report continues:—"The local outbreak in Hongkew in October was fortunately prevented from spreading by the energetic action of the Manicipal Health Officer before being hindered by th of the rats of Sha such outbreaks time to time especially during the warmer weather, whea rate and their fleas breed, and at the approach of cold weather, when the rats with their fleas come into the houses for warmth. In the north of China the conditions are modified daring the cold weather by the universal use of the Long, or heated sleeping place, which forms a barbour for fleas and other vermin and affords free access to the many sleepers at night, so that plague is more likely to assume epidemic proportions daring the winter there. That the disease in Mancharia has assumed the rapidly fatal pneamonio type may possibly be explained by the supposition that the plague baculas has become more virulent by passage throoxh the marmot than through the rat, as corn improves when grown in virgin
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.