This book tells the fascinating story of the development of medical and sanitation services in Hong Kong during the first century of British rule and how changing political values and directions of the colonial administration and the socio-economic status of the Hong Kong affected the policies of development in these areas. It also recounts how the bubonic plague of 1894 changed the government’s laissez-faire attitude towards sanitation and public health and began sanitary reforms and developed public health infrastructure. ~~~~~~~~~~~ This book is not just a chronological history of the medical and health system of Hong Kong between 1842 and 1941. It also gives a critical and dispassionate analysis of the different cultural, social, and political factors which prompted the government and the public to consider change and implement reforms with far reaching effects. It also teaches us that racial discrimination, social inequity, and mutual distrust are always obstacles to social progress including healthcare. —Rosie T. T. Young, The University of Hong Kong