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degree of exposure to infection and the resistanse which the inssulated subject in
able to put forward, this, in turn,being dependent largely on his invironment; thirdly
that there is not sufficient evidees,at present at all events,te afferi support te
the theory that there is such a thing as inherited predisposition to tuberauleske,
Bedre passing en to a mere detailed description of the 300 orsor of death fron
tubersulesis, the morbid anatomy of which forms the basis of these studies,it will
be zakt advantageous to say a few words on the extent to whish the feregsing points
are exemplified in the senditions prevailing in Rəngkeng.
Personally, I cannot see any reason for regarding the Chinese as exhibiting any
spesial susceptibility to the basillus of tubereulosis in spite of the frequeney
with which cases are met with in the mortuary, The prevalence is in part due to the
exelusion of light and air from their dwellings,but in large measure to the pernio-
ious habit of expostorating,
Generally speaking, the prevalence of the disease is slopoly connected with sechal
and scenemie eenditions--evererswing and alums,poverty, insanitation and aqualer.
The ingestion of tuberculeus milk, which is supposed to play a large part in the
production of tubersulesis, especially intestinal tuberculosis, in children in Eng-
land,haa ne influence here,for the Chinese children do not drink milk, nor does it
arise here from the use of tuberculeus nest.
The problems of tuberculosis in Hồngkong are really social problema and are, there-
fore, intimately connected with these of public health. The main sauses of the pre-
valence of the scourge are the predisposing enes of everer wing of the peer and
the fact that the resna inhabited by then aro dark and the sunlight rarely mters
them. They are still further darkened by gratings and shutters,
With the first of these there is little if anything to be danej the population is
groat and tho space for their accommodation relatively mall; not only is fleer
space inadequate,but window space is less than it should be and the windows are
often closed and made of opaque er coloured glass, so that the penetration of light
in redused to a minimum, This latter question of the the darkening of the reems can
enly be improved by education.
In an interesting paper on "Sanitary Progress in Hongkong" Dr W.W.Pearse, the
Medical Officer of Health, states with reformce to the housing of the poorer Chinem
that, the area being limited and the Chinese population large and constantly inereKD-
ing, building sites have become very expensive so that the streets inhabited by this
class of person are narren and the houses frenting on them high; in some casos khe
height is five times the width of the street.
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