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watched through treatment and then put in touch with the Blind Welfare section of the Social Welfare Department: 199 pairs of glasses were supplied from the ophthalmic workshop either free or al cost price, 191 cases of industrial accident were referred to the Labour Department.

437. Expenditure from the Samaritan Fund, which is used at the discretion of the almoders, amounted to $10,192 disbursed in 2,274 grants. In addition money is held in the Fund on behalf of mental patients and pocket money given out monthly by the almoner. The grants were made for a variety of purposes-fares for needy patients or relatives to enable regular attendance at clinics or hospitals, payments to relatives or friends for the maintenance of the children of destitute parents in hospital, small capital grants towards rehabilitation and occasionally the emergency support of a family until a more permanent plan could be made. Major donations to the fund were made by the General Chinese Charities Fund and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

438. Gifts of food were received from U.N.ICE.F. C.A.R.E. the Lutheran World Service and the Catholic Relief Services. Often a gift of food is more valuable than a cash grant from the Samaritan Fund to those who require supplementary feeding because of low standards of living.

439. From the Special Treatment vote expenditure on surgical appliances amounted to $10,791. The establishment of a Goverment Specialist Orthopaedic unit has greatly increased the commitments to be met from this vote.

440. Five Assistant Almoners completed their first year of in-service training. The Almoner at the Queen Mary Hospital gave lectures to nurses in training and arranged for some practical experience of medical social work with the almoners' office. Social studies students from Chung Chi College spend two weeks of their summer vacation in almoners' offices as part of the field work of the course. Almoners also participated in the teaching of medical students attending the Social Medicine course at the University.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

441. There has been a considerable expansion in the scope of this service which, in relation to the very limited accommodation available, reflects great credit on the staff concerned. Until the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Queen Mary Hospital extensions are

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completed there will be little significant increase in the facilities for out-patient treatment and for the training of Physiotherapists.

442. There has been a small increase in trained staff during the year and this bas enabled much more routine in-patient physiotherapy to be given. The Superintendent Physiotherapist is responsible for the service and she is assisted by eight Physiotherapists, five Assistant Physiothera- pists and one probationer Assistant Physiotherapist. The distribution of staff is four at the Wan Chai Chest Clinic where the main out-patient centre is situated, three at the Queen Mary Hospital, six at Kowloon Hospital and two at Lai Chi Kok Hospital.

443. At Wan Chai the gymnasium equipment was improved and overhead suspension installed over five cubicles. The Orthopaedic Specialist holds a clinic here once weekly for poliomyelitis cases and advises on treatment and the fitting of appliances. Group treatment in classes for older children has been started and has greatly improved results. The Dermatologist also holds a weekly clinic here and the treatment of leucoderma with methyloxaralen followed by brief exposure to ultra-violet light has given very gratifying results. There is also a weekly visit by an almoner to interview patients in need of financial aid for travelling and surgical appliances or of other forms of assistance.

444. At the Queen Mary Hospital, the Physiotherapy Department is very crowded and inadequate and the majority of patients are treated individually in the wards. A Multitone 10 pulse stimulator has been obtained and is used for prognostic work and for the assessment of insurance and compensation claims. The acquisition of parallel bars for re-education in walking has been a great asset and is extensively used. 445. The increase in staff of three full-time Physiotherapists has allowed of much greater assistance to be given to the Thoracic Unit. Routine post-natal exercises can now also be given to all patients in the first and second class wards of the Maternity Wing. In conjunction with the Occupational Therapists many 'lively' splints have been devised and fitted for hand disabilities. The physiotherapy of orthopaedic and thoracic conditions has accounted for the major part of the work, with post-abdominal-surgery, burns and hemiplegia forming the next large

group.

446. At the Kowloon Hospital Physiotherapy Department it has been possible to effect certain internal structural re-arrangements making more floor space available for class work for adult patients. Again overhead

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