Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 871

475

The complete apparatus for the manufacture of vaccine lymph, in accordance with the methods employed in the Government Laboratories in London, has been fitted up in the Serum Laboratory, and gives satisfaction.

A hot room is provided in the basement for the incubation of bacteria on a large scale as in the production of toxins used in the preparation of different sera.

The animal houses are fitted so that they may be used for animals employed in the testing and production of toxins and sera.

The smaller rooms are used for breeding purposes.

General Statistics.

Attached are the following Tables :-

Table No. I. Epimuic Plague.

II. Incidence of Epimuic Plague during the last five

III. Examination of Disinfectants.

17

IV. Tumours Examined.

"}

V. Vaccine Statistics.

J

91

VI. Issues of Vaccine during1906.

VII. Incidence of Opisthorchis Sineusis.

years.

Small Pox.-93 cases of the disease were examined during the year. In a certain number of cases, the contents of papules, vesicles, and pustules were examined for the presence of parasites. Although the most recent tinctorial methods were used, nothing was found. We could find no evidence in favour of Korté's recent researches.

No structures, suggestive of parasites could be found in any of the internal organs.

Cholera.-Only 2 cases were examined during the year, both being imported, and typical pathologically and bacteriologically.

27

Diphtheria.-An unusually large number of cases of this disease has been found both at the Public Mortuary and on examination of swabs from the throats of patients suffering from sore throat.

It was the cause of death in 8 cases examined at the Public Mortuary. Nine swabs were forwarded to the laboratory for examination, and in five a positive result was obtained.

All the cases occurred during the last quarter of the past year.

The first cases were thoroughly examined in order to establish the true nature of the disease. The micro-organism was isolated in pure culture and submitted to the usual tests, e.g., its behaviour towards Gram's method, Neisser's stain, and experimental inoculation.

Diphtheria must be considered a rare disease in Southern China, and writers on the Geographical distribution of disease make mention of the mildness in type of this disease in the tropics. Confirmation of this statment is found in the cases diagnosed in the Public Mortuary. Five of the eight cases met with were of the laryngeal type. This probably in- dicates that the disease is of a mild type in Hongkong.

Plague. A classification into the different types of the disease has not been considered necessary. In every case, the B. pestis could be demonstrated in large numbers in the blood and different organs, and bubonie swellings were found present in some region of the body.

Tables Nos. I and II are attached showing the amount of Epimnic Plague and its inci- dence during the last five years. The figures given would appear to show a marked dimi- nution in its incidence. This decrease in the amount of rat plague becomes of consider- able interest in regard to the incidence of human plague in Hongkong during the year 1907.'

Beri-beri-lhe incidence of this disease is not diminishing in Hongkong, and as a cause of death, during the past year, it comes second only to Plague.