Health > Collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the National Government of the Republic of China

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(b) Some form of quarantine station for the hospitalisation of patients and the
observation of contacts, with a disinfecting plant for treatment of infected goods;
(c) Fumigation apparatus.
But all of these essentials are, unfortunately, not provided at the larger ports. At
Shanghai, for instance, there is provision for boarding vessels, but the sanitary station
is so located that access is difficult by water and impracticable by land.
There are no facilities for treating patients and no plant that could be used for
disinfection of goods on even a moderate scale. Laboratory facilities to aid in diagnosis
or in controlling observation or surveillance are non-existent.
It is only when we come to the North that we find, at Newchwang, a quarantine
station with hospital, laboratory, disinfection block and accommodation block for contacts,
which, though difficult of access by water and inconveniently situated for isolation pur¬
poses, does provide the minimum equipment necessary to deal with a ship infected with
quarantinable disease. This establishment is part of the organisation of the North Man¬
churian Plague Prevention Service.
At Antung, also, there is a quarantine station directly controlled by a board, over
which the mayor presides and whose other members are the Superintendent of Customs
and the Commissioner of Customs, who acts as secretary and treasurer. Here there is
a small hospital of twelve beds, a laboratory, disinfection block and accommodation foi
thirty-five contacts.
Fumigation Equipment.
At Shanghai, there is a plant for the generation of carbon monoxide, a machine for
generating sulphur dioxide and a supply of posts for sulphur fumigation. At other
ports little fumigation is carried out, and, when it is done, it is by means of sulphur
generated in pots. Consequently, the equipment in these ports consists of a few pots
only.
So far as the larger ports are concerned, therefore, the present quarantine services do
not do more than provide a medical service for the inspection of vessels, without any
bacteriological facilities to aid in forming a correct diagnosis and without suitable facilities
for handling an infected or suspected ship unless we are prepared to admit that efficient
quarantine can in all cases be performed on board.
C. Finance. *
The financial responsibility for the existing services is borne by the Customs depart¬
ment or by the municipality, or by a combination of the two.
In Shanghai, the Customs department, the Shanghai municipal council and the
French municipal council contribute to the upkeep of the service. In Canton, on the other
hand, the whole cost of the service is borne by the municipality.
D. Value of Existing Services.
The value of the existing quarantine services is difficult to assess fairly.
In Shanghai, it is claimed that, in spite of the obvious incompleteness of the service
provided, it does perform a useful function in the prevention of introduced disease.
* For fuller details see Report by the Medical Director in document C.i 18.M.38.1930.III.