feature of this disease in Hong Kong is that about one-third of the deaths from it occur in children under five years of age, an index of the social and economic conditions. Amongst adults an unusually high percentage of deaths occur in males, probably a reflection of the abnormal sex distribution of the population as well as of the economic stresses. The control of leprosy has shown increasingly good results and progress has been made in the organized rehabilitation of cases in which the disease has been effectively arrested. Special attention was again given during the year to anti-enteric measures and towards increasing vaccination protection against smallpox. An interesting pre- liminary pieco of research was done with the co-operation of the University of Malaya on the prevalence of the various types of poliomyelitis virus in the Colony. Results seem to indicate that the poliomyelitis virus is very wide-spread, particularly type 2 virus, and that apparently some 75 per cent of the population have been naturally immunized against this disease in early childhood. These observations must be regarded as subject to further study before they can be accepted as con- firmed. They do indicate however that great caution must be used before introducing any form of mass vaccination as there would appear to be some risk of precipitating active disease in latent cases.
Natural Increase of Population.
3. The number of births once again exceeded all previous records, being in excess of ninety thousand for the first time in the history of the Colony and showing an increase of almost 9 per cent on the number of births recorded for 1964, the highest figure ever previously recorded. There were 203 fewer deaths from all causes at all ages than in 1954 and in consequence, the natural increase of the population Le. the excess of births over the total number of deaths from all causes, was 71,431 or very nearly a net increase in the population of 200 each day of the year. This particular aspect of the health of the Colony, although gratifying in some respects, is posing fresh problems of health and severely taxing all the resources of the Colony.
General Enmronmental Conditions of Health.
4. There have been as usual a number of fires in squatter areas which produced acute problems of sanitation, relief and rehabilitation. The development of industry in the New Ter- ritories particularly at Tsuen Wan, continued to be an ever increasing problem and constant vigilance is necessary to main- tain even minimal standards of public health. These factors plus the persistent severe shortage of water have been a cause for considerable anxiety during the year and continue to be so. On the other hand, the control of the slaughter of animals for food in the New Territories has been brought under better control with the appointment of trained Government overseers to the two approved slaughter houses, while in the remoter rural areas, sanitation has been improved by an increasing use of aquaprivies.
5. Steps are now being taken to improve the housing situation and considerable progress has been made but it will be some time before any improvement can be expected to reflect in the health statistics. Although thousands of people have now been accommodated in reasonably healthy housing, even more still remain herded together in insanitary congestion. where in some cases as many as 80 persons may be sharing one kitchen with one tap which may, when restrictions are at their worst, deliver water for only 24 hours in the 24, and one latrine which, when it is a flushing water closet, is often rather worse than a dry pan latrine because of the shortage of water. Under these conditions it is not surprising to find diseases of congestion such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, measles, pneumonia. etc., and diseases associated with dirt, such as gastro-enteritis and the enteric fevers, stubbornly persisting and taking toll in human lives and vitality. However, in spite of the many difficulties and severe handicaps, it is possible to report that the Colony has enjoyed in general a gratifyingly high level of health during the period under review.
Legislation.
6. The following legislation was enacted during the year 1955-56:
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