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3. PREVALENT DISEASES.
-
cont'd.
included school children and specially vulnerable groups, such as parturient women and labourers. The survey is not a big one but its results should afford useful informa- tion, although the findings will be prejudiced somewhat by rapidly changing conditions. The idea is to use these results as a basis for investigating wage earnings in the light of purchasing value and increasing wages or reducing prices to secure better living conditions. The main deficiencies found so far relate to vitamin R. but evidences of other deficiencies are not uncommon.
Helminthic infections have already been referred to. They seem almost universal amongst children. Hookworm infection is said not to be very prevalent but an investiga- tion amongst certain groups of the population might disclose a higher prevalence than is suspected. Scabies is a con- siderable problem as it is in other Colonies. Various eye diseases occur but apparently trachoma is not more than ordinarily prevalent, although more might have been expected under conditions of overcrowding and after poor feeding with lowered resistance. Reference is made in an earlier section (/) to the desirability of an orthopaedic specialist visiting Hong Kong, having in view the wide occurrence of physical disability and orthopaedic defects in the Jolony.
Fortunately, at the present time, epidemic disease is absent. Cholera and bowel diseases generally occur during the hot weather but epidemic smallpox occurs in the winter. Typhoid fevers are not specially prevalent during this season but there are probably many carriers amongst the community. While diphtheria is occurring at the present, it has not become the problem that has shown up in many countries following enemy occupation.
This section only concerns the prevalency of disease; a later section will deal with the position in regard to measures of control.
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