Research.
124. Several exhibits were examined in connexion with cases of ichthyotoxism and ichthyosarcotoxism after ingestion of the deadly "Kaj Po Yue" or "blowfish". The nature of the poison has not been elucidated, nor have chemical tests for it yet been devised. Research into this pressing problem is overdue, and it may be that with the alleviation of the present staff shortage, this work will eventually be undertaken at the Government Laboratory. A considerable amount of agricultural analytic work was done in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In particular, the spray residue contents of vegetables treated with certain organic phosphorus insecticides were determined.
125. Aspects of the work of the qualified staff not generally publicized are the frequent appearances in Court as expert witnesses on behalf of the Crown, the ever increasing number of consultations with the Department of Commerce and Industry in connexion with
with the Importation Exportaton (Specified Articles) Regulations, the regular examination of ships to establish their freedom from explosive vapours, and the visiting of scenes of crimes for the purpose of selecting relevant samples,
Special Ancillary Services.
126. Under this hending are listed those para-medical services without which it would be impossible to run a medical service: the medico-social or almoner service; the pharmaceuti- cal or dispensing service; those special forms of treatment, physiotherapy and occupational therapy; the essential stores and supplies service, which also attends to the maintenance and repair of all the medical equipment and installations; the blood bank and the Auxiliary Medical Service.
The Medico-social Service.
127. This is a most important service that seldom receives adequate notice. Too often the hospital almoner is regarded as a kind of financial detective to make sure no one gets away with paying less for their medical treatment than they can afford. In addition to this duty the function of this group of specially
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trained workers is to ascertain what social problems face a patient such as poverty, inadequate privacy, lack of relatives capable of helping, domestic duties etc., which prevent a patient from carrying out medical instructions properly or which add to his or her burden and often produce disease and nervous breakdown. There has been continued development in this service during the year. The number of patients seen at hospitals and clinics has increased, and the almoners have extended their efforts to understand the social factors of the illness and to take steps to remedy them. The work of the almoners with the tuberculosis service is so closely linked with that of the other staff in the service that their activities are reported in paragraph 50,
128. The special arrangements made possible in the past year by the ready co-operation of the Commissioner for Resettle- ment and his staff, and of the Housing Society, have enabled a number of selected cases to be rehoused, thus discharging from hospital some seriously incapacitated patients who might otherwise never have left the ward, and giving to others the living conditions which their particular condition demands and in which breakdown of health should not occur. The serious nature of many of the accident cases received through the casualty departments makes the plauning of their rehabilitation a lengthy matter, often involving prolonged negotiations over the financial compensation on which they and their families must depend for maintenance or re-establishment.
129. More use has been made in the past year of free foods. both as a
means of meeting nutritional deficiencies, and as assistance for a patient or his family in a short period of in- capacity and consequent loss of income. This has been made possible by the gift parcels donated by the United States of America as well as milk powder from the United Nations Inter- national Children's Emergency Fund.
The Pharmaceuticol Service.
130. This service, under the direction of the Chief Pharmacist, is responsible for the purchase of bulk supplies of
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