to the blood banks at the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals. During the year a total of 19,589 pints of blood was supplied to the blood banks, an increase of 31% over the previous year. Constant demands for fresh blood for special cases of blood diseases have given extra work to the collection of blood by the Society.
Morbid Anatomy and Histology
75. Significant increases were noted in exfoliative cytology and diagnostic biopsy work. Consultation biopsy cases have risen from 90 in 1965 to 340 in 1966. The study of pancreatic clonorchiasis has con- cluded, and the histological typing of salivary gland tumours continues. Virology
76. The Government Virus Unit continued diagnostic examinations for virus infections and surveys in connexion with poliomyelitis. Other projects included studies of respiratory virus infections and a measles vaccination trial.
77. In poliomyelitis the incidence of the disease remained low in 1966. Poliomyelitis virus Type I continued to be the predominant causative agent. Two poliomyelitis faecal surveys on children were carried out, the first survey between June and July and the second between November and December. Results showed an excretor rate of 0.4% of 'wild' poliovirus in the first survey involving 235 children and 1.8% in the second survey involving 322 children. Type I poliovirus was prevalent in the former, and Type III poliovirus in the latter survey. 78. The combined immunization programme on poliomyelitis vacci- nation was extended in 1966. This programme, consisting of giving one dose of Type I poliovaccine at 4-7 days after birth followed by 2 doses of 'balanced' trivalent vaccine at 3 and 5 months of age, was found to provoke good immulogical response to all three types of poliovirus in a pilot study in 1964-65. Further serological assessment of its efficacy will be completed in 1967.
79. A measles vaccination trial was carried out in 1966 using two types of live attenuated measles vaccine, the Schwartz strain and the Beckenham 31 strain. Comparison was also made with the intramuscular and intradermal route of injection, of which the intradermal dose was one fifth of the intramuscular dose. The serological response was assessed by both neutralization lest and haemagglutination-inhibition test. The results showed that by intramuscular route, both vaccines gave a satisfactory sero-conversion rate. The Beckenham 31 vaccine gave a higher antibody titre and also a higher complication rate than
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the Schwartz strain. The immuno-response to both vaccines by the intradermal route was not satisfactory in this trial (Please see table 41 for results of the trial).
INDUSTRIAL HEALTH
(See table 43)
80. The health of workers in factories and in other industrial under- takings is the statutory responsibility of the Commissioner of Labour. The Industrial Health Division of the Labour Department, which is staffed by personnel seconded from the Medical & Health Department. is chiefly concerned with the prevention of occupational diseases and the protection of workers against health hazards arising from their working environments. In addition to routine medical surveillance and environmental investigations, a number of separate surveys were carried out during the year to achieve these aims.
81. Environmental surveys included the investigation of lead in air in the printing industry, of silica dust in quarries, of noise on marine launches and of thermal comfort in offices. Clinical surveys were carried out among workers handling epoxy resins in the electronics industry and among selected workers exposed to lead in the printing industry. At the beginning of the year under review, medical officers seconded to the Labour Department began the periodical statutory medical examina- tion of radiation workers in medical practice as well as those employed in industry. The monitoring of film badges of radiation workers in industry was taken over by the Film Badge Service of the Medical and Health Department from the Radiological Protection Service in the United Kingdom.
82. The experiment of posting Health Visitors to casualty depart- ments in order to supervise rehabilitation of and advise injured workers (under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance) proved successful and this procedure is now well established. Some of the Health Visitors" duties were taken over by ourses to allow the former to carry out visits to injured persons in factories and in their homes. With the opening of a casualty department at Kwong Wah Hospital. it was found necessary to establish a Medical Board for the assessment of industrial injuries at that hospital in addition to those at Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals.
83. Medical facilities for workers in factories in Hong Kong vary from the minimum statutory requirement of an adequately stocked first-aid box to clinics staffed by doctors and nurses. A survey to
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