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and the provision of social assistance to the families of patients under- going treatment there.

287. At the larger out-patient clinics, the medical-social needs of various aspects of the general curative service are met as far as possible and certain Almoners work full-time with the Tuberculosis, Ophthalmic and Social Hygiene Services, particularly in the leprosy branch of the latter.

288. The assistance and co-operation of the Family Welfare Society, the Church World Service, the Lutheran World Service. C.A.R.E., the Family Planning Association, the Hong Kong Branch of the British Red Cross Society and the Po Leung Kuk in the medical social work are gratefully acknowledged. The Social Welfare Department continued to give close and valuable co-operation in this field,

Samaritan Fund

289. Expenditure from this fund rose by $569.75 to a total of $15.057.50 during 1960. As in previous years, most of the grants were in the form of travelling expenses and the re-imbursement of loss of earnings to the escorts of disabled patients.

Special Tremment Vote

290. With the establishment of the Surgical Appliances Section of the Department a wider range of assistance can be given to amputees and to other physically disabled persons, Consequently there was a marked increase in expenditure from this vote, rising from $20,518 in 1959-60 to $31,730 in 1960-61.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

291. The Headquarters of this service is at the Physiotherapy Training School which was opened during the year in part of the old Pathology Institute on Hong Kong Island. Physiotherapy units are maintained in the Queen Mary. Kowloon and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals and in the Wan Chai Polyclinic; regular visits are also paid to the Castle Peak Hospital.

292. Clinics for post-poliomyelitis cases are held at the Wan Chai Polyclinic and in the Kowloon Hospital where treatment and the fitting of appliances is carried out on the advice of the orthopaedic surgeons; hydrotherapy tanks are available at both centres. The size of the classes of children being taught medical exercises increases steadily and all the mothers are also taught how these exercises can be continued in the

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home. In a number of cases very irregular attendances has prevented any improvement in the condition of the children and Health Visitors of the Maternal and Child Health Service assist by paying home visit to stress the importance of continued physiotherapy.

293. At the Queen Mary Hospital the number of pre and post- operative chest surgery cases referred for physiotherapy have shown a steady increase and the regular supervision of breathing and other exercises has produced excellent results. There has been further expan- sion of the work of the physiotherapists in connexion with the work of the Neurosurgical Specialist.

294. For the convalescent cases at Lai Chi Kok Hospital, there is close co-operation with the occupational therapists in rehabilitation, particularly of the orthopaedic cases. There is a slowly growing number of paraplegic patients in this hospital and, although each is now provided with a wheel chair, their return to normal community life is made difficult by prevailing housing conditions and by difficulty in obtaining suitable employment.

ORTHOPAEDIC AND PROSTHETIC APPLIANCES

295. The appointment of a Surgical Appliance Technician bas enabled an expansion in the numbers and variety of prostheses which can be produced in Hong Kong. During the year the major part of the work has been directed at developing methods for the production of artificial legs which are suitable for the climatic and social conditions existing in Hong Kong. This has included an investigation into methods of reducing the time required for their production, while retaining the standards normally attained only by experienced artisans of long standing.

296. Two student technicians were recruited for training in this field and efforts are being made to encourage local suppliers of appliances to improve their standards.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

297. The Senior Occupational Therapist, assisted by a staff of Occupational Therapists and Handicraft Instructors, is responsible for providing diversional, specific occupational and re-educative therapy throughout the Department. These activities are concentrated in the institutions where there are 'long-stay' patients, namely the Queen Mary. Castle Peak and Lai Chi Kok Hospitals, while a small unit has been

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