X1000306-1962-63_Part01 — Page 34

FORENSIC PATHOLOGY

238. All medico-legal work in connexion with the investigation of crime is carried out in laboratories situated in the Police Headquarters building. These laboratories, under the direction of the Specialist (Forensic Pathology), are staffed jointly by the Medical and Health and Police Departments. Lectures are given in various aspects of medico- legal work to Police personnel and, during the year, a series of talks on 'Emergency Child-birth' were given to women police constables. The Specialist (Forensic Pathology) is Lecturer in Forensic Medicine at the University of Hong Kong.

239. Work undertaken in 1962 is detailed in Table 20.

TABLE 21

PUBLIC MORTUARIES 1962

Total number of bodies received Total number of autopsies performed Number of bodies claimed Number of bodies unclaimed Deaths due to natural causes

Deaths due to unnatural causes

Pretoria

Kowloon

1,256

3.143

704

1,445

30

1,711

426

1,434

914

2.441

342

704

TABLE 20

WORK OF THE FORENSIC PATHOLOGY LABORATORIÈs, 1962

Examination of victims and suspects

490

Attendance al scenes of crime

06

Examination of clothing

Attendance al courts

Examination of hairs, fibres, etc.

Miscellaneous Examinations

128

Medico-legal examination of weapons

72

376

398

386

Blood grouping (Medico-legal)

1.745

Blood grouping (Police Officers)

523

GOVERNMENT CHEMICAL LABORATORY

241. The Laboratory carries out analytical and consulting work of

a very varied character for Government Departments, the Armed Serv- ices, commercial firms and private individuals.

242. The total number of samples examined during the year decreased by about 4% as compared to the previous year, dus partly to a drop in the number of specimens submitted for biochemical analysis as an increasing amount of such analysis is now being under- taken by the Chemical Pathology Unit of the Government Institute of Pathology.

TABLE 22

WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST'S LABORATORY 1961-62

Lectures to Police Officers

26

Samples Analysed

Identification of nature of meal-dog, cat, elc. Chemical examinations

37

*

Biochemical

195/

13,720 14.326

1962

Assistance în Raids

Dangerous Drugs Ordinance

9,871 9,963

Dutiable Commodities

8,029

8.212

Breach of Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and

Penicillin Ordinance

Water and Waterworks Chemicals

2.513

19

2,631

Unregistered Medical Practitioners

Food and Drugs

1.128

1,147

19

Forensic

1,177

1.002

Abortionists

ร

Toxicology

852

690

Unregistered Dentists

Dangerous Goods Regulations

1.498

343

Commercial

488

632

Public Afortuaries

240. The two public mortuaries, one on Hong Kong Island and the other in Kowloon, are under the supervision of the Specialist in Forensic Pathology. It is to these institutions that all cases of sudden, unnatural or uncertified deaths are sent, including deaths in Police or Prison cus- tody, exhumed bodies and human remains. An account of the work done in the mortuaries is listed in Table 21.

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243. The major part of the work is concerned with blochemical analyses, narcotics control and the assessment of dutiable commodities. A great variety of work was done for the Police during the year, which

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Import/Export (Prohibition)

(Specified Articles) Orders

7

Miscellaneous

787

1,437

42.074

40,440