During the latter part of the year Shanghai found itself faced with a Rew influx of unvaccinated refugees and the disease became epidemic to serious degree. A large number the cases were persons who had only }been resident in Shanghai for a short ime, "having arrived during the summer months when vaccination is not performed. A not inconsiderable number were "non-residents who Were brought in suffering from the disease from areas both near and far. Vaccination efforts were redoubled to the extent that during the last six months an average of three thousand persons were done daily, and It. hoped that next year's report" will reveal the results of this effort. have not produced reasonably. satis-
The. yencrai pollution of creeks combined with tne springing up of hhuuments and other buildings without proper "water" supply naturally Fendered the prevention of ailment. ary diseases extremely dificult, the almost "continuous epidemies during the year have had to be coun ered by inereused sanitary precau-Hons, unfortunately with a diminished experienced stall" due to resignations.
Inoculation against cholera was practised to the full as far as far as a voluntary system and the resources of the Department would. permit, and the fact that 702,615 inoculations were performed (which gute was brought Up by tree issues to practitioners, etc., to about 1,000,000)" is regarded as very sulisfactory, though it cannot compare with that of our neighbours, the French Municipality, who how-fever were perhaps. ina. stronger position in regard to enforcing the The question ay to whether these inoculations affected the severity of the epidemic is one which Is still very obscure and would require a statistical survey, which in present circumstances is not feasible.
This Department is, however, of the opinion that inoculation should be accompanied by sanitary measures, particularly in Yolation to the water supply. It is. also felt that, when resources are available, it is desirable experiments with Typbus Prevalent During the early part of the year, typhus Was present in epidemic form, Efforts were made to. limit this disease by a system of delousing and bathing. " Results" were. moderately satisfactory, but the apparatus at the Council's: disposal was insullleient to undertake the worl on a sulficienthy vast scale, In certain rlelshaw Nomis, Fefugee camps, ete, a total of 8480 persons and 02.852 articles were dealt with and though this total is snvall, must in the first place be noted that complete delousing was practised the available steam disinfectors could not cope with any more work. However, "the "epidemic wat doubtedly favourably influenced these measures which proved. more satisfactory. than "the partial dolous ing of a greater number of persons.
A further sanitary step undertaken was the removal" and. subsequent cremation of coffins buried in. une suitable locations. The number of Coins thus removed, with. the sistance of the Shinghal Public Benevolent Cemetery, was 100,000 and "cremations totalled—$0,000. id Needless to state many of the coffins Femoved contained the remains of those who had died during the previous year and. had not been properly buried owing. to the emergency conditions. A' clean-up campalun in regard to war casualties Was also instituted, and an area of celght square miles cleared of corpses in the country areas near the Western Tu the Veterinary Division, considerable trouble was experienced in maintaining the hygienic. treatment of milk in refugee dairies without proper buildings. On the whole a high standard was maintained in spite of the dificult circumstances.
As a result of the emergency, work ori certain lines was greatly expanded throwing a heavy strain on the Division, since staff expansion did: not follow ihe increased work undertaken, Import of Pigx Controtted particular this Division con-buted largely 10 the maintenance of the food supply of the town by its exertions in connection with the importation of pigs. An interruption of this trafic in a foodstuff essential the Chinese population might have had serious results. 'The close super vision given to the transportation facilities reduced the mortality transit amongst these animals by ov' 70 per cent. and diminished the ico of several brutalities, but fortunately it did not have any effect on the conditions in the supply areas ired miles away. regard 10 the exnys under proper Conditions also occupied a great dear of time.
Inthe Eh nical Laboratory development of the canned" food trade and the lard export trade created a considerable amount additional work. It is clear" that steps must be taken for the proper control of the manufacturing, houses concerned.
Duties in the Pathological Labora tory this year have been exceedingly A careful selection of the contacts to be deloused undoubtedly made this measure "more effective than might have been expected and in many stances, the disease was stamped out completely. in. large camps and of the poorer classe us are necessary to produces immunity, it was. cone sidered that, under a voluntary aystem and with the staff available, inoculation campaign would not be successful, Hence it was not attempted.
The efforts during past years vaccinate the entire population against smallpox had the satisfactory result that during the first part of the year it was. relatively absent, though it was acti Hongkong, cholera vaccine." Few laboratories of the same size without government support are expected to produce a comparable amount of vaccine and at the same time carry out numerous may be noted, also, that the laboratory "played its part in. the distribution of milk to refugees, thus in all probability. preventing the further spread of deficiency diseases in the town.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.