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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
found to be suffering from leprosy, but for one reason or another fear that they may have contracted the disease. This is an interesting reflexion on the changing attitude toward the disease which the hope of relief and cure has brought about, overcoming the former horror and desire to conceal the very possibility of having it. In an attempt to prevent the in- fection of infants, all children born to lepers or in contact with any known leper, are vaccinated with B.C.G. vaccine.
A special committee has been organized to deal with the rehabilitation of cured lepers. Suitable employment has been found for several. These discharged lepers are kept under routine check at the clinics to detect any evidence of possible relapse, but to date no such relapse has been detected.
Venereal Disease
The most significant feature of the current year has been the marked reduction in the incidence of new cases of primary and secondary syphilis, and of cases of early congenital syphilis, consequent on the introduction of routine blood- testing during pregnancy. No baby showing signs of congenital syphilis has been born to any mother who received treatment during pregnancy as a result of the disease being detected at an ante-natal examination.
There was no drop in the incidence of acute gonorrhoea, but the complications of this disease are now most infrequently seen. In complete contrast to what has been reported in the United Kingdom and in America, no rise in the incidence of non-gonococcal urethritis has been noted.
Trial has been made of the use of ultra-long-acting penicillins in the treatment of primary syphilis, particularly in pregnancy. It has been found most difficult to secure adequate post-treatment follow-up, because of the tendency of a great many patients to give false addresses and fail to return. An investigation was carried out on the effectiveness of aureomycin and triple sulphonamides administered orally in male patients suffering from acute gonorrhoea. A cure rate of 91.3% was obtained.
Births and Deaths
Following the trend of the last few years the birth-rate continued to rise to a still higher level, whilst the death rate dropped. There were 203 fewer deaths from all causes than