M 34
Diphtheria:
117. Diphtheria is endemic in Hong Kong. Towards the end of the year it assumed epidemic proportions, 87 cases being reported during the last ten days in December. The disease was wide-spread throughout the Colony and was much more prominent among the well-to-do classes and attacked persons of all ages with the exception of young infants. The fighting services were almost completely free with the exception of married officers and warrant officers living in private quarters.
118. The distribution of cases coincided with the distribution of milk supply of a certain dairy. The staff employed were examined and eight carriers of Klebs-Loeffler Bacillus were discovered out of a total of 146.
119. Examination of the employees in other dairies in the Colony did not reveal the presence of any carriers.
120. The authorities of the dairy concerned took prompt action to pasteurise at 165°F all milk distributed by them and the epidemic quickly subsided.
121. During the year altogether 231 cases were notified, the number for 1930 being 95. There were 57 deaths.
Helminthic Disease.
122. The hospital returns show 59 cases of ankylostomiasis, two cases of cestodes, and 23 cases of ascaris infection. These figures are of no value in gauging the prevalence of helminthic diseases for they only represent the cases which were treated for worms alone. It is estimated that 75 per cent of adult Chinese harbour ascaris. It is probable that a considerable number have trematodes. Out of 252 adult bodies examined in the Kowloon Mortuary 28 or 11.11 per cent had livers containing clonorchis sinensis.
VITAL STATISTICS.
123. The registration of births and deaths is compulsory in the Colony but there is no registration in the New Territories. Births are registered at the Central Office in Victoria, at the Chinese Public Dispensaries and at the Police Stations at Aberdeen and Stanley. Deaths are registered at the Central Office, at the Kowloon Disinfecting Station and at a number of Police Stations.
124. Death registration being a necessary preliminary to a permit to bury, it may be taken for granted that practically all deaths are registered. Bodies found dumped or abandoned in the streets, and they are not a few, are taken to the Public Mortuary where they are examined by the Medical Officer in charge who fills out the necessary certificates and forwards them to the Coroner,