156
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Established principles of treatment have been maintained.
Considering the amount of penicillin given, this sub- department has been most fortunate in not recording to date any fatal reaction to penicillin; this is not, unfortunately, true of the general medical clinics.
The trivalent penicillin (Triplopen) is replacing the much • favoured P.A.M. (procain penicillin with 2% aluminum monostearate) as it is water soluble and the volume of the injection is less.
As a result of a rise in the incidence of untoward reactions to penicillin injections noted in private practice in Hong Kong (and elsewhere), and a slight rise in the incidence of penicillin resistant gonococci, the policy of giving prophy- lactic injections of penicillin to prostitutes has been greatly curtailed in the Social Hygiene Clinics. The results of this action are being closely watched, but to date there has not been any appreciable rise in the incidence of new male infections.
A small series of 26 cases of chancroid in men has been treated with aureomycin triple sulfas and apparently cured after the oral administration of an average of 15 tablets.
Leprosy. Increased work in this field was undertaken, and additional staff for two new out-patient clinics and field work was provided during 1957. The appointment of an Almoner to the Social Hygiene Sub-department for duty mainly in the leprosy clinics constituted a great advance. She provides advice and assistance to patients before their transfer to, and on their return from, Hay Ling Chau Leprosarium. She assists many patients to find suitable work or to obtain hawkers' licences. There are now 37 cured leper patients working in Government departments though it remains difficult to place cured lepers in commercial organizations.
A total of 31,204 attendances at Government leprosy out- patient clinics was recorded in the year. 981 new cases of