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vinegar 6, pepper 25, jam 7 and tinned milk 28. Prosecutions were undertaken in 6 cases where the samples failed to satisfy the local requirements.
Under section 82 of the Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 56 tins of condensed milk and 8 cases of sardines were seized and destroyed by order of the Head of the Sanitary Department.
1. Deficiency Diseases. The only information available regarding deficiency diseases is furnished by the returns of the Government Hospitals and Chinese Hospitals—and the death returns. The Hospitals deal with only a small proportion of the sick and the truth as regards the incidence of disease among the masses cannot be deduced from their returns. The death returns are also misleading in that the majority of cases were not treated by competent physicians prior to death, and the Medical Officer examining the body and forming a diagnosis had no history to assist him in coming to a conclusion as to the cause of death.
2. Beri beri.---Despite the fact that the staple food of the masses is polished rice, beri beri is not epidemic—and the deaths from this disease formed only 4.57 per cent of the total deaths. The death rate as far as it can be ascertained was 0.62 per mille population. The total number of deaths recorded during the year was 665. The total number of cases treated in the Government Hospitals was 29 only.
3. Rickets. Only four cases were treated in the Government Hospitals. Most Chinese infants are breast fed until they are at least a year old. Rickets is seldom mentioned as a cause of infant death.
4. Pellagra.—No cases were treated in the Government Hospitals.
5. Scurvy.—Only two cases were treated in the Government Hospital.
1. Markets. The markets come under the Sanitary Department. The Central and Western Markets are supervised by a Special Overseer who is responsible to the Veterinary Surgeon; the other markets supervised by the District Sanitary Inspectors.
1. Slaughter Houses.—Slaughter Houses and Animal Depots are controlled by the Sanitary Department. There is a Government depot at Kennedy Town (Hong Kong) for the reception of all cattle, sheep, swine and goats brought into the Colony for slaughter. The Government Slaughter Houses are situated at Kennedy Town (Hong Kong) and at Ma Tau Kok (Kowloon). There are Government controlled slaughter houses at Aberdeen and Sai Wan Ho.