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DONALD C. BOWIE
Great problems arose from dysentery. During hostilities that part of the Island's water supply that came from the mainland was cut off about 18 December 1941. Enemy shelling and bombing fractured many water mains and sewers on the Island; the civil health service was affected; the Japanese brought in many horses; and human bodies were still being picked up in the hills as late as March 1942. Canadian troops were herded into a camp at North Point which had been constructed originally to house refugees from mainland China. This lacked all equipment and myriads of flies made life a misery both there and in camps in Kowloon. Conditions were near ideal for the outbreak of dysentery and this soon appeared. I was never allowed to visit North Point camp, but I learned from patients admitted to Bowen Road from there that there were huge sick parades, that large numbers of men were very ill indeed and that many died.
Some patients with dysentery came to us from Kowloon but most were admitted from North Point. A number, of which I have no record, had been admitted before I took over but this number was swelled substantially in August and succeeding months. The table which follows illustrates very clearly the rise in the deficiency diseases when infections were superimposed upon undernourishment.
Admissions — Infectious and Deficiency Diseases August-December 1942
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Diphtheria 18 59 Dysentery 37 91 16 3 7 Deficiency Diseases 17 21 58 66 50The infecting agent in the cases of dysentery was rarely identified for our laboratory, though well equipped, had no bacteriologist. When patients were treated early control was soon achieved by the use of sulpha drugs which we had in our own stock in the hospital, and these same drugs proved to be very efficient also in more chronic cases which had not yet produced too serious general effects. I must here express my personal deep admiration for the
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