Plague, Sars, and the Story of Medicine in Hong Kong
compiled by the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society
Hong Kong University Press, HK$250
We all know - the medical profession better than most - that some tasks are best performed by a specialist. Indeed, some distinguished members of the medical profession have assisted or contributed to this book, compiled by the Hong Kong Museum of Medical Sciences Society. But the historical content, and editing, could have been better. The introduction indicates that team members are conscious of some failings.
Nevertheless, it's readable and interesting, with the story of the Sars outbreak of 2002-2003; changing attitudes towards family planning, mental illness and blood donation; a history of several Hong Kong hospitals; and its account of the work of missionaries, government and private bodies. The initial Chinese resistance to western methods of dealing with the plague epidemic, which lasted from 1894 to 1923, is contrasted with Chinese acceptance of smallpox vaccination, another western innovation.
There's a fascinating account of the 1961 cholera epidemic, when 1.5 million Hong Kong people - then about half the population - were inoculated in less than two weeks. But readers should seek further, particularly to confirm or extend any historical statements. There are many more published (not to mention unpublished) sources that could have been tapped.