senior members of the Medical Department sit on this committee by invitation and it is gratifying to report that it has achieved some success. It seems that it is slowly being recognized that this disease is curable by modern means and patients discharged and certified by recognized authorities as non-infectious are now being received back into the community and by their relatives with less reluctance than formerly. It can at least be said that the age old prejudice against leprosy is lessening in certain quarters.
Social Hygiene.
50. The rapid development of the work is illustrated by the following table:-
53. The quantitative titration of the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory blood test is now extensively carried out and is of great service both for diagnostic purposes and post. treatment surveillance. A special study of 1,000 such tests has been made and the results published as a special report. Studies were also made of the post treatment results in cases of neuro- syphilis treated by penicillín, which confirmed findings elsewhere. This work is continuing.
54. Penicillin resistance was proved in one case of gonococcus, the first time a resistant strain of gonococcus has been identified in Hong Kong. Penicillin resistance in staphylo- cocci is however now very commonly found, 50% of swab cultures showing resistance.
TABLE 10
Naw Palienta
Totul Attendingen
1930
1951
1932
1953
1954
13,524
156,030
17,934 23.565 37,352 36,652
152,294 149,237 213,091 223,031
61. An analysis of the more important aspects of the work is attached at Appendix 3.
52. In co-operation with the Maternal and Child Health Services the blood of pregnant women is tested for the presence of unsuspected infection and in the 20,748 tests done during the year, 1,560 were found to be positive, giving an unsuspected infection rate amongst tested pregnant women of 8.5%. This service is available to private midwives also and during the year they submitted 5,697 samples for examination of which 319 were found to be positive, giving an infection rate of 6%. Amongst all women attending the ante-natal clinics, the average infection rate is over 6%.
Treatment.
65. For the routine treatment of syphilis procaine penicillin with 2% aluminium monosterate (P.A.M.) is used. Ultra long- acting dipenicillin (Penadur) became available as a one-shot treatment in December, 1954, and has been used to a limited extent where follow-up can be adequate. This drug is of particular value in cases of syphilis with pregnancy who attend in the last few weeks of pregnancy. A clinical trial of aureomyein triple sulfas was made in the treatment of male gonorrhoea. One case of gonococcal ophthalmia in a male adult was treated in Queen Mary Hospital. This disease is now rarely seen in Hong Kong. Sulphonamides are regularly used for the treatment of chancroid and lymphogranuloma venereum.
Follow-up Work.
56. From all sources 2,187 notifications were received. The Social Hygiene Visitors paid a total of 3,437 visits including 845 to defaulters.
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