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520. The Government Motor Travelling Dispensary which has its own first-grade dresser and which carried one or other of the Medical Officers during its peregrinations was on the roads six days a week making bi-weekly or tri-weekly visits to all the roadside villages.
521. In addition, there were at Shing Mun a full-time resident Chinese Medical Officer and three dressers, any of whom was available for an emergency.
522. The Government Dispensary Launch for carrying medical assistance to remote villages in the neighbourhood of the coast and to the boat population had been approved and only waited improvement in the financial position to be placed on the stocks.
523. Dr. K. H. Uttley was Medical Officer in Charge of New Territories throughout the year.
Malarial Survey.
524. A spleen rate survey of the school children of the Territories, which was started in May, was still in progress at the end of the year. Both the M.O. i/c N.T. and the District M.O.s were engaged in this work. It was noted that even in the districts where malaria was reputed to be most prevalent, the spleen rate was low—much lower than had been expected considering the character of the country. The one exception to this was the coastal region between Castle Peak and Tsun Wan, a narrow strip where the hills slope down to the sea. Here, out of 145 school children examined, 105 or 73% had palpable spleens.
525. Though spleen rates were low, those taken near the hills were always higher than those taken in the open plains. Out of 1,816 children examined who lived in close proximity to the hills, 278 or 15.19% had enlarged spleens. Out of 1,191 children examined who lived in the plains, 68 or 5.71% only showed signs of spleenic enlargement.
526. Among 375 children palpated on Cheung Chau Island, 4 or 1% had spleens large enough to be felt.
527. No opposition was experienced in spleen surveys; on the contrary, the people showed considerable interest in the proceeding.