X1000307-1947_Part01 — Page 7

(d) Tuberculosis.

[B]

37. 4,855 cases were antified with 1,863 deaths and a mortality rate of 38.4 per centual. This disease is the largest single cause of adult mortality and morbidity.

(e) Loproxy.

38. There is no leprosarium in Hong Kong and cases found in the Colony are sent to St. Joseph's Lujar Agylum at Sheklung where they are cared for by the Sisters of the lomaculate Conception.

IV-HYGIENE AND SANITATION.

(a) Organization.

(1) General Measures.

30. The urban health work is carried nut under the following ordinances;

1. Public Health (Sanitation) Ordinance.

2. Public Health (Food) Ordinance,

3. Adulterated Foods and Druga Ordinsore.

Quarantine and Prevention of Disesse Ordinance.

4.

5.

Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance.

6. Hawkers Ordinance.

40. For dealing with this work Hong Kong and Kowloon and New Kowlnou are divided into 5 health areas. There are 3 areas in Hong Kong and 2 in Kowloon and New Kowloon. Each area is split up into a number of health districts. Altogether there are 49 health districts of which 25 are situated in Hong Kong and the remaining 18 in Kowloon and New Kowloon. A health officer has contral of the health activities in each area and there is a health inspector in charge of each health district,

41. In addition to district duties, other health inspectors are employed ou conservaury, refuse collection and disposal. control of hawkers, markets and slaughter-houses, meat and food inspection and sampling, cemetries, and rodent control.

(b) Sanitation,

42. The sanitation of the urban area is under the control of the Urban Council.

4. There are two systems of night soil remaval in operation. by water-carringe sewerage and by bucket conservancy. Nine per centum of the 126 tons of buman waste collected daily were trans- ported to maturing tanks at Castle Peak. Plans are being prepared for the construction of additional tacks at Tsun Wand which it is hoped will deal with an average of 150 tons daily.

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4. About 260 tons of refuse were collected daily in Hong Kong and 205 tone in Kowloon. The majority of this was conveyed by barge to the Kun Toog dump on the Kowloon side of the harbour.

(c) Housing.

46. The abortage of housing continued with resulting groas overcrowding and the accommodation of many newcomers in huta and hovela on any available hillside, site of a ruined building, or avan in large nullahs. Surveys made by workers in the Relief Section suggested that there had been no appreciable reduction in the numbers of squatters since the beginning of the year and this was confirmed by reports from the district health inspectors.

46. There is a tendency for the squatters to group together în communities and in the absence of proper sanitation these comminuities are a continue threat to public health. There is also a prave danger of fire a whole communities may be built of wood with many buta în contact.

47. No satisfactory solution to the squatter problem has been found. Attempla to move them to areas less dangerous to public health were only partially successful. Early in the year an ares was set aside on the Island where they were permitted to build huts of a hygienic type with communal water supply and sanitary conveniences. A similar arrangement is being considered for

the mainland.

(d) Water supply.

48. The main water supply in the urban area is piped but there is a considerable number of wells on the Mainland and an appreciable amount of water is used from these sources.

49. The total amount of pipod water used during the year was 11,071 million gallona.

60. Two thound and fifty-four samples of water from the public supply were examined bacteriologically and 678 chemical and physical examinations were made.

51. Apart from this routing sampling special investigatione were carried out in two areas:

(1) Shaukiwan: In February, poor bacterial counts were obtained from government water supplies in this area, By taking many samples and plotting them on a mag. the source of the contamination was traced in a main supply, and the matter was put in order by the Water Authority;