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137. The exhibition and sale of work at the Chinese Manu- facturers' Union exhibition on December 4th and 5th, proved very satisfactory and gave an indication of the type of goods in demand by the general public.

188. An incentive payment scheme has been in operation for six months. In Lai Chi Kok and Queen Mary Hospitals patients making articles to fulfil Government or private orders, or for a sale of work, are paid approximately 10% of the saleable value of the article. In the Mental Hospital, patients working in the hospital or making articles in the occupational therapy classes are credited with a small sum. This money is mainly used to provide parties, film shows, or other forms of entertainment, or occasionally, for payment to individual patients,

129. The Red Cross very kindly gave 330 Chinese books to atart a library and this has been running satisfactorily for six months. They also provided text books for the English classes and earlier in the year some voluntary workers who did excellent work, particularly in teaching English.

Blood Banks.

140. There are no major changes to report in the facilities offered by the blood transfusion service. Again the greatest difficulty has been shortage of blood and demand far exceeded supply, but continual effort was made to solve this problem. An increase of 3% in Chinese donors was noted. There was also close co-operation with the Armed Services, in particular between the Kowloon Hospital blood bank and the 33rd General Hospital. During the last year the number of special examina- tions connected with the Rh factor increased by more than 100%.

141. Further accessories were obtained for the plasma drying unit in Queen Mary Hospital. A trial run was conducted in December: 4 pints of plasma, which were clinically satis- factory, were manufactured. At the present time shortage of the requisite blond groups precludes the economic manufacture of dried plasma.

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Stores and Equipment.

142. Manufacture of special items of surgical furniture continues within the department with very great saving of public money. The staff concerned dealt with 1,346 internal repair items during the year and in addition repaired, faired and sharpened hundreds of surgical instruments, needles, etc. In addition they have made many items of surgical furniture such as Mayo tables, oxygen cylinder trolleys, physiotherapy remedia! equipment, anaesthetic trolleys, metal shelves for operating theatres etc. A few items of equipment have been specially designed during the year. These include a special wheeled toilet chair, elbow crutches, and special alloy calipers,

Auxiliary Medical Service.

143. The Auxiliary Medical Service is set up under the provisions of the Essential Services Corps Ordinance to supple- ment the normal medical services in the event of an emergency, but it is to a large extent autonomous, the Director of Medical and Health Services exercising, in respect of the Service, the functions of Unit Controller. It is not intended that the Service should operate as an independent unit but that it should be integrated into the regular medical service, whose members, for administrative purposes, are eligible to become members of the Auxiliary Medical Service. During the year recruitment. con- tinued satisfactorily.

144. Initial training for new recruits consists of a series of lectures in basic first-aid and basic auxiliary dressing, and the more promising members are selected for ward and theatre auxiliary dressers' courses which are held in Government Hospitals on a full time basis of 4 to 8 days duration, followed by refresher courses. During the month of May, a small train- ing ward was built as an extension to "D" Block, Kowloon Hospital, and a series of refresher courses have been held for auxiliary dressers. Clerk/telephonists of First Aid Posts, after receiving initial training, were exercised in message writing, and ambulance drivers received an average of 15 hours driving instruction during the year. The staff of First Aid Posts took

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