CO129-472 - Others - 1921 — Page 647

Observations by Col. S. Lyle Cummine.

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Dr. H. H. Scott's analysis of 200 consecutive cases

of death from tuberculosis, with special reference to

the disease as mat with in children in Hong Kong, has

been read with the deepest interest and is regarded as

a most valuable contribution to the subject of the

modes of origin of the disease in human beings,

strongly recommended that the Report be published in full

It 18

: in such a form as to make its contente available for study

by those scientists who are engaged in similar obsarva-

tions in Europe and America, While much of the work is

of a kind that will be especially valuable to those

engaged in research, there are certain practical suggestions

of immediate importance,

I have read Dr. Scott's account of the housing con-

ditione and social enviroment of the Chinese population

of Hong Kong with much interest and am in entire agreeme.it

with his conclusions that these conditions are such as to

favour the rapid spread of tuberculosis, I gather that

Dr. Scott has seen no reason to regard the adult Chinese

population as especially susceptible to tuberculosis and

that he prefers to attribute the nigh mortality from this

disease to the environmental and social conditions mentioned

above.

A study of the incidence and mortality from tuber-

culosis amongst the men of the Chinese Labour Corps in

France led the medical authorities of the British Forces to

the view that these labourers had relatively low powers of

resistance to tuberculous infection, even when the environ-

mental conditions were above the average. I am therefore

inclined to lay the greatest possible stress on the need