M 98
473. There are fully equipped dispensaries at Un Long, Sham Tseng, Ku Tung, Tai O and Sai Kung.
474. 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.
475. 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.
476. Dr. K. H. Uttley, the Medical Officer in charge of New Territories, was absent on leave from February 3rd to September 30th during which time Dr. J. B. Mackie was in charge.
Malarial Survey.
477. A spleen rate survey of the school children of the New Territories, which was started in May 1933, was still in progress at the end of the year. Both the M.O. i/c. New Territories and the District Medical Officers 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. Altogether 4,679 children were examined of whom 358 or 7.65 per cent had enlarged spleens. The highest rates were 41.4 per cent at Castle Peak; 34.7 per cent at Sai Kung and 11.2 per cent at Shatin.
478. Among 556 children palpated on the Islands of Lan Tau, Cheung Chau, and Ma Wan, 15 or 2.7 per cent had spleens large enough to be felt.
479. No opposition was experienced in spleen surveys, on the contrary the people showed considerable interest in the proceeding.
The Government Travelling Dispensary.
480. The Government Motor Travelling Dispensary was put on the road on the 16th of June 1932. At first it visited all the villages on the road side once or twice a week, later, on representations from the voluntary aid societies, it ceased to call at the villages where they had established centres. The usefulness of this well equipped dispensary was thus considerably curtailed for the societies established centres in all the principal villages easy of access and there remained only the smaller hamlets. A Medical Officer and a dresser accompanied it on its rounds. There was a fixed itinerary and time-table so that the people should know where and when to expect it.