CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis, essentially a disease associated with overcrowding and bad housing, prevailed again in the Colony in 1939. Some 488 cases were discovered, being five more than in the previous year; of these, 214 (223 in 1938) died, representing a case mortality of 44 per centum (46 in 1938). Most of those affected were children or young persons under fifteen years of age. Supplies of sulphanilamide were obtained in sufficient quantities and the best results were obtained by the use of this drug in combination with anti-meningoccal serum prepared in the Government Bacteriological Institute.
OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
(a) Dysentery and typhoid fever.
With a deterioration in housing conditions, resulting from the refugee element, and in the general sanitary state of the urban area, owing to the fact that many of the refugees came from areas where communal hygiene was of a very low standard, it is understandable that dysentery and typhoid fever assumed somewhat serious proportions,
During 1939, some 1,451 cases of dysentery and 446 deaths were reported, as compared with 1,071 cases and 340 deaths in the preceding year. Typhoid fever accounted for 857 cases (539 in 1938) and 385 deaths (187 in 1938).
Representations were made to Government by the medical authorities in the summer of 1939 urging the need for more scavengers, additional refuse lorries, the daily washing of the streets in the worst districts of the town and for a complete reorganisation of the highly unsatisfactory method of collection and disposal of nightsoil from the bulk of the habitations in the urban area which depended upon a single bucket system.
Government approved the immediate engagement of 200 labourers and the purchase of five additional refuse lorries. Directions were also given to the Urban Council to appoint a select committee to advise on the question of nightsoil collection and disposal. This committee had not reported its findings by the end of 1939.
Pasteurisation of all milk sold to the public was introduced on the 1st April, 1939, and no doubt will exercise a very beneficial effect on the incidence of these diseases.
(b) Diphtheria.
A somewhat alarming increase in the incidence of diphtheria was noted during the year.
A total of 402 cases were reported, of which 142 ended fatally, comparing with 319 cases and 147 deaths in 1938. No actual source of infection, other than by carriers, could be traced.
(c) Leprosy.
A number of lepers were discovered amongst the refugees who sought safety in this Colony in 1939. These were accommodated temporarily in the Kennedy Town Leper Settlement (which is due for early demolition or very extensive repairs) until arrangements could be made for their transfer to Chinese territory.
By arrangement with the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in charge of St. Joseph's Leper Asylum at Sheklung in Kwangtung, 100 leper patients were transferred from Hong Kong in 1939. Some of them walked back, finding Hong Kong more exciting than life on an island in the Sheklung river.
Before the fall of Swatow in June, 1939, arrangements were also made for forty lepers to be admitted to the Swatow Municipal Leper Settlement on the island of Ching Wei. Unfortunately, this settlement was later bombed and destroyed and the majority of the survivors walked back overland to the leper settlement at Kennedy Town, taking twenty days on the journey.
5
CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS.
Cerebro-spinal meningitis, essentially a disease associated with overcrowding and bad housing, prevailed again in the Colony in 1939. Some 488 cases were discovered, being five more than in the previous year; of these, 214 (223 in 1938) died, representing a case mortality of 44 per centum (46 in 1938). Most of those affected were children or young persons under fifteen years of age. Supplies of sulphanilamide were obtained in sufficient quantities and the best results were obtained by the use of this drug in combination with anti-meningoccal serum prepared in the Government Bacteriological Institute.
OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
(a) Dysentery and typhoid fever.
With a deterioration in housing conditions, resulting from the refugee element, and in the general sanitary state of the urban area, owing to the fact that many of the refugees came from areas where communal hygiene was of a very low standard, it is understandable that dysentery and typhoid fever assumed somewhat serious proportions,
During 1939, some 1,451 cases of dysentery and 446 deaths were reported, as compared with 1,071 cases and 340 deaths in the preceding year. Typhoid fever accounted for 857 cases (539 in 1938) and 385 deaths (187 in 1938).
Representations were made to Government by the medical authorities in the summer of 1939 urging the need for more scavengers, additional refuse lorries, the daily washing of the streets in the worst districts of the town and for a complete reorganisation of the highly unsatisfactory method of collection and disposal of nightsoil from the bulk of the habitations in the urban area which depended upon a single bucket system.
Government approved the immediate engagement of 200 labourers and the purchase of five additional refuse lorries. Directions were also given to the Urban Council to appoint a select committee to advise on the question of nightsoil collection and disposal. This committee had not reported its findings by the end of
1939.
Pasteurisation of all milk sold to the public was introduced on the 1st April, 1939, and no doubt will exercise a very beneficial effect on the incidence of these diseases.
(b) Diphtheria.
A somewhat alarming increase in the incidence of diphtheria was noted during the year.
A total of 402 cases were reported, of which 142 ended fatally, comparing with 319 cases and 147 deaths in 1938. No actual source of infection, other than by carriers, could be traced.
(c) Leprosy.
A number of lepers were discovered amongst the refugees who sought safety in this Colony in 1939. These were accommodated temporarily in the Kennedy Town Leper Settlement (which is due for early demolition or very extensive repairs) until arrangements could be made for their transfer to Chinese territory.
By arrangement with the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in charge of St. Joseph's Leper Asylum at Sheklung in Kwangtung, 100 leper patients were trans- ferred from Hong Kong in 1939. Some of them walked back, finding Hong Kong more exciting than life on an island in the Sheklung river.
Before the fall of Swatow in June, 1939, arrangements were also made for forty lepers to be admitted to the Swatow Municipal Leper Settlement on the island of Ching Wei. Unfortunately, this settlement was later bombed and destroyed and the majority of the survivors walked back overland to the leper settlement at Kennedy Town, taking twenty days on the journey.
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