27
enormous traffic of the port. The absence of a properly situated and well
equipped quarantine station is unfortunate as the present station at Lai-chi-kok
is not in a position to supply the deficiency.
One of the most important problems in connexion with the possible spread of
yellow fever to the colony is whether stegomyia fasciata does or does not occur there.
Measures with a view to diminish potential and actual breeding places of mos-
quitoes have been carried on more or less continuously since about 1900, but the
only systematic attempt to ascertain what kinds of mosquitoes are present was
made by Dr. Thomson as long ago as 1901. He arranged that adult mosquitoes
should be collected in the police stations throughout the colony and from the
examination of about 32,000 specimens received from those places classified the
mosquitoes of the colony as belonging to some 15 species among which were
three anophelines, namely, maculatus, simensis, and minimus, and one stegomyia,
namely, scutellaris. His paper contains no description of a mosquito with the
characteristic markings of fasciata. During my visit I spent as much time as
possible in searching favourable parts of the city for larvae of that species, but
owing to the unusual coldness of the season it was exceedingly difficult to find
mosquitoes of any kind, and the only larvae that I obtained were those of
anopheles maculatus, desvoidea obturbans and stegomyia scutellaris. The
problem of the presence or absence of fasciata, therefore, was still unsettled, but
before I left official arrangements were made for a thorough enquiry into the mos-
quitoes of the colony and a matter of such great interest and importance cannot
much longer remain in doubt.
The island of Singapore is only four days journey from Hong Kong. It lies
scarcely more than one degree north of the Equator and climatic and other
conditions in it are all the year round favourable to the prevalence of yellow
fever in epidemic form. The mean temperature is about 80° F. and the average
annual rainfall about 90 inches. There is no marked distinction between the
climate at different seasons of the year. Extensive areas of the country are
covered with virgin jungle, forests and mangrove swamps, and even within the
municipal limits of the city of Singapore much cf the land is low-lying and holds
numerous ponds and streamlets which are suitable breeding places for mosquitoes.
There are about 27,000 houses in the city and the population numbers about
360,000 of whom nearly 195,000 are Chinese, 28,000 Malays and 25,000 Indian.
Every year between 100,000 and 200,000 immigrants, mostly agricultural
labourers, arrive from China.
Conditions throughout the city are very favourable to mosquito life and both
stegomyia fasciata and scutellaris, as well as several species of culicines and
anophelines, are exceedingly abundant. Although the city is provided with a
municipal water-supply the practice of storing water in cisterns, barrels and jars
has not been abandoned and stegomyia mosquitoes also find favourable breeding
places in the numerous tins, jars, bottles, earthenware vessels, &c., with which
the ground in the vicinity of dwellings is strewn.
The authorities at Singapore are fully alive to the possibility of infection
with yellow fever, but so far as I could learn it is not generally believed that the
trade of the port will be materially influenced or increased as a result of the
opening of the Panama Canal, and I understood from the Port Health Officer that
unless Hong Kong became infected it would not be considered necessary to take
special measures of protection. The port already has a large and well-equipped
quarantine station (suitable for both Europeans and natives) situated on an
island which is free from mosquitoes, and there are also complete arrangements
for fumigating ships by means of the Clayton apparatus. The quarantine regula-
tions, which are strictly applied, are reproduced in the appendices to this
report.
S. P. JAMES, Major, I.M.S.
474DE— 325—17-3-13—GCBP Simla