complications. Meetings were held with the Herbalists Guilds to seek their co-operation towards the abolition of this form of traditional medication.
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTE OF PATHOLOGY
271. For over fifty years the pathology services of the Medical and Health Department have been conducted from premises in Caine Lane on Hong Kong Island. In July 1960, the Government Institute of Pathology moved into modern and more commodious premises in the Jockey Club Clinic, Sai Ying Pun, retaining part of the old building for the purpose of vaccine production only.
272. The Government Institute of Pathology provides clinical pathology and public health laboratory services and branches are maintained in the Kowloon. Castle Peak and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals; at the Queen Mary Hospital, all routine clinical pathology, excluding medico-legal work, is carried out by the University Department of Pathology.
273. All branches of public health bacteriology and of clinical pathology are provided at the Government Institute including a newly- established chemical pathology division; the work undertaken has in- creased by 12.4% compared to 1959. At Appendix 15 is a summary of the examinations carried out at the Institute and its branches during 1960.
274. In the field of haematology. 2.942 members of the Auxiliary Medical Services were blood-grouped during the year by staff of the Institute. Incidental to this very necessary measure a picture of the A.B.O. distribution amongst southern Chinese was obtained. Results are shown in Table 36.
TABLE 36
BLOOD GROUPS IN AUXILIARY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Virus Laboratory
275. A small Virus Laboratory, established in conjunction with the Department of Pathology in the University of Hong Kong, started work in May 1960. Apart from the surveys on poliomyelitis described in paragraphs 85 to 87 of this report, the laboratory has carried out virus diagnostic work, mainly in the field of influenza and entero- viruses, and has prepared its own stock of neutralising sera.
276. Primary monkey kidney cell tissue is employed chiefly for the cultivation and identification of viruses, but Hela cell cultures and amnion cell cultures are also used.
Hospital Mortuaries
277. In May 1960, the supervision of the two public mortuaries was transferred to the Principal Forensic Pathologist. However, medico- legal autopsies on patients dying in the Queen Mary or Kowloon Hospitals are performed by medical officers on the staff of the Govern- ment Institute of Pathology.
Examinations of Rodents
278. Technicians from the Institute of Pathology continue to examine, as an anti-plague measure, all specimens sent to the public mortuaries by the Pest Control Section of the Urban Services Depart- ment. These examinations which are performed in an unit attached to these mortuaries are detailed in Table 37.
TABLE 37
▪
EXAMINATIONS OF RODENTS 1960
Number of rats examined Number dissected and examined microscopically Number subjected to complete bacteriological examination Number found infected
324,376
123,093
120 Nil
Chinese
Non-Chinese
Blood Group
Percentage
Total
Total Frequency
O
1,140
40.16
51
A
781
27.60
39
Percentage Frequency 48.57 37.15
Vaccine Production
B
699
24.62
10
9.52
AB
217
7.62
5
4.76
Total
2,837
100.00
105
100.00
279. The Government Institute of Pathology prepares a number of vaccines which are used by the Medical and Health Department or distributed free to registered medical practitioners as a public health measure. The amounts prepared and issued during 1960 are listed in Table 38.
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