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536. With regard to Tuberculosis the population is mostly engaged in agriculture or fishing. The people as a whole live an open air life and Tuberculosis cases are not common.
537. Though made applicable to the New Territories in 1911 the Registration of Births and Deaths Ordinance was not enforced until 1932 and it was not until 1935 that death registration became sufficiently universal to warrant death rates being calculated. Assuming that all deaths were registered in that year the death rates for the different districts were as follows:
Police District Western Medical District Deaths Death rate per mille population Tsun Wan 214 39.96 (29.09 if Shing Mun Dan population included) Ping Shan 298 23.54 Au Tau 385 29.87 Lok Ma Chau 83 29.88 Tai O (Lantau Island) 172 23.22 if boat population included Cheung Chau Island 285 22.75 Police District Eastern Medical District Deaths Death rate per mille population Sha Tau Kok 236 26.40 Sheung Shui 186 18.22 Taipo 242 19.08 Shatin 108 24.85 Saikung 175 23.07538. Taking everything into consideration there is no evidence that the population of the New Territories is an unhealthy one.
The Medical Department's Organisation during 1936.
539. Under the scheme for medical expansion the New Territories were divided into Western and Eastern districts with headquarters respectively at Un Long and Taipo. Each district is in charge of a Chinese Medical Officer who is responsible to the Medical Officer of the New Territories.