M 150
The total for the year 1928 was made up as follows (all Chinese):-
(a) Congenital and Conceptional Syphilis 161
(b) Acquired-Tertiary syphilis 24
(c) Undefined 90
Total.... 275
Again, the infants are the heaviest sufferers and, if we could include the Stillbirths and products of Abortion, the number would be much higher. There is no doubt that all the Venereal diseases are very prevalent in the Colony, but as primary causes of illness or death, they are often missed outside Hospital practice. Their danger lies not in the mortality rate but in the chronic disability to which they give rise and the infection of others.
Although specific remedies are now known and prevention is a fairly simple matter, the very nature of these diseases makes them one of the most difficult of Public Health problems. The first step towards a solution is to clear the field of prejudice and false sentiment, and make way for the fact that these diseases are not so much the result of deliberate sin (the libertine and prostitute know all about them) as of ignorance or chance.
A small Venereal disease clinic, for males, is now established and, in spite of its limited scope and means, is dealing with about 60 cases a week. It urgently demands considerable extension. Since I took charge, I have made, elsewhere, a detailed report of its organisation and work done in 1928.*
(10) Other diseases.
A few other diseases give fairly large death returns but are of less Public Health interest than those on which comments have already been made.
It is sufficient to mention here that the following number of deaths were recorded in 1928 for these diseases, respectively:-
(a) Heart disease (chiefly Endocarditis) 286
(b) Kidney disease (mostly Nephritis) 283
(c) Brain diseases—
Meningitis (non-tubercular)
Apoplexy 215
* "Report on V. D. Clinic, Hong Kong, 1928" (H. A. Fawcett),
150
M 150
The total for the year 1928 was made up as follows (all
Chinese):-
(a) Congenital and Conceptional Syphilis
(b) Acquired-Tertiary syphilis
(c)
Undefined
Total....
161
24
90
275
Again, the infants are the heaviest sufferers and, if we could include the Stillbirths and products of Abortion, the number would be much higher. There is no doubt that all the Venereal diseases are very prevalent in the Colony, but as primary causes of illness or death, they are often missed outside Hospital practice Their danger lies not in the mortality rate but in the chronic disability to which they give rise and the infection of others.
Although specific remedies are now known and prevention is a fairly simple matter, the very nature of these diseases makes them one of the most difficult of Public Health problems. The first step towards a solution is to clear the field of pre- judice and false sentiment, and make way for the fact that these diseases are not so much the result of deliberate sin (the libertine and prostitute know all about them) as of ignorance or chance.
A small Venereal disease clinic, for males, is now establish- ed and, in spite of its limited scope and means, is dealing with about 60 cases a week. It urgently demands considerable extension. Since I took charge, I have made, elsewhere, a detailed report of its organisation and work done in 1928.*
(10) Other diseases.
A few other diseases give fairly large death returns but are of less Public Health interest than those on which com- inents have already been made.
It is sufficient to mention here that the following number of deaths were recorded in 1928 for these diseases, respectively
(a) Heart disease (chiefly Endocarditis). (b) Kidney disease (mostly Nephritis)
(c) Brain diseases—
Meningitis (non-tubercular)
Apoplexy
*"Report on V. D. Clinic, Hong Kong, 1928" (H. A. Fawcett),
286
283
215
150
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