is carried out by the Senior Forensic Pathologist assisted by one Forensic Pathologist, both of whom are doctors seconded from the Medical and Health Department. There is one Assistant Chemist seconded by the Government Chemist to the Laboratory and four members of the Police Force, one of whom is a woman Police Constable, work with this unit.
409. The forensic work covers a wide field and includes (1) the examination of victims of violent and unnatural crimes and of suspects connected with these crimes (ii) calls to the scenes of crimes, particularly murders and sudden deaths (iii) attendance as expert witnesses at courts (iv) assistance with medico-legal autopsies carried out in Kowloon and on Hong Kong Island (v) the investigation of alleged irregular medical and dental practice by unregistered persons and of sellers of poisons and manufacturers of dangerous drugs.
410. In the Forensic Laboratory, in addition to the routine examina- tions carried out, new analytical methods have been investigated includ- ing the examination for plankton in cases of drowning, the detection of finger prints on paper and the spot-testing of seminal stains by chemical
means.
411. All police recruits are blood grouped in the laboratory before they pass out of the Police Training School,
412. Lectures on the handling of exhibits and narcotics have been given by the Assistant Chemist to all Police Officers and to recruits in the Training School, The Senior Forensic Pathologist gives lectures on the medico-legal suspects of crime at Advanced Detective Training Courses at the Training School and is the Lecturer in Forensic Medicine to the fifth-year medical students at the Hong Kong University.
413. The following Table shows the work done during 1958:
TABLE 12
Examination of victims and suspects
531
Altendance at scenes of crimes
95
Attendance at Courts
士
Medico-Legal post-mortems
175
Medico-Legal examination of weapons
100
Examination of hairs, fibres and other slides
507
Examination of clothing
979
Miscellaneous examination (Articles)
$49
Blood Grouping (Medico-Legal)
2,209
Blood Grouping (Police Officers)
567
Lectures to Police Officers including advanced course
48
62
Assistance in Raids
Breach of Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance and
Penicillin Ordinance
JU
Unregistered Medical Practitioners
Abortionists
Dentists
GOVERNMENT CHEMIST'S LABORATORY
38
22
N
414. A wide range of chemical analytical and consulting work is undertaken in the Laboratory for Government, for the Armed Services and for commercial and industrial firms. The Government Chemist is assisted by three Chemists, four Assistant Chemists, Iwo Assistant Biochemists, one Senior Laboratory Assistant and five Laboratory Assistants. One Assistant Chemist and one Laboratory Assistant are seconded to the Police and Labour Departments respectively. The total number of samples examined was 37,231, slightly less than the total of 37,738 in the previous year.
415. Regular chemical analyses of public water supplies were carried out and special studies of water and mud were undertaken for the Water Authority Engineers engaged in the investigation of additional water storage projects. Rain-water samples were submitted for analysis by the Royal Observatory at regular intervals in connexion with the Interna- tional Geophysical Year.
416. Analyses done on behalf of the Police particularly in connexion with narcotics, again accounted for a major part of the year's work. The addition of barbitone and phenobarbitone to the schedule of Dangerous Drugs greatly complicated the analytical work necessary for the identification and certification of drugs controlled under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. Toxicological analyses, the great majority of which were connected with suicides, again featured largely in the work done for the Police, Phenols, cyanides, barbiturates and insecti- cides were the common poisons used.
417. The Commerce and Industry Department submitted 6,044 samples most of which were for assessment of duty. They included a number for investigation of adulteration or imitation of well-known brands of European spirits, Gold bars numbering 508 were received for examination and certification.
418. An increasing amount of work is being done for the Controller of Stores in assessing goods offered on contract and in checking specifications generally. Examinations were carried out for the Fire
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