Public an Important Factor in Health Work proaching the part. the summer which from a het standpoint is the most critical, but the attitude of the public is an important factor in minimizing the potential dangers of the season. Shanghai residents are rather too prone to depend. entirely on the authorities to prevent summer diseases, whereas, by intelligent cooperation, they can really do a lot to safeguard their own health and that fof their neighbours—and with tittle effort.
because the Health Department patently cannot go everywhere in Shanghai and the outside roads area fo make preventive work 100 per cent. effective that Dr. J. H. Jordan, Commissioner of Health in the Inter= national Settlement, on June 25 sounded a friendly warning about measures to control" malaria, amobie and, bacillary dysentery and other seasonal maladies, Dr. Jordan sailed for Home on long' leave in the s. Empress of Asia on June 27, and would like that everything be done during absence to keep the Settlement and other areas as free from disease as possible.
There are two types of cholera epidemic under which Shanghai may suffer, but at this time it is possible to say that the danger of only one has been passed. the Health Commissioner stated. One must wait about two weeks before one can gain anything like a definite idea about the other form. In the past. few years this city has been remarkably free from cholera altogether.
"The malaria situation does not offer pleasing prospect, as in the last few years there hasbeen a gradual Increase in the frcidence of this disease year by year. It is for this reason that the flying squads of the Health Department are now in the midst of a campaign to spray the humorous breeding-places of the anopheline mosquito. The public can ce-operate by spraying, swatting mosquitos, properly screening their houses, and exercising care on outings that last into the evening. It is pointed out that there is a trond amongst Shanghailanders to move farther west than the Health Depart ment squads can- follow. Therefore they should do son.cthing to protect 'AS regards the danger from dysentery, the public can ce-operate by refusing to buy food and drinks. from unreliable dealers. It is especially necessary every summer, to warn the Chinese population against obtaining cheap summer drinks from hawkers who are not properly licensed and supervised. Hot weather never fails to bring out such hawkers in numbers too large for the authorities to deal with effectively, hence great care should be exercised by the consuming public in buying squashes and other cooled drinks. Foods not properly kept, of course, constitute another danger to health.
During the absence of Dr. Jordan, Dr. E. F, Duck, Deputy Commissioner, will be in charge of the Department.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.