Sessional_Paper_1937 — Page 9

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33. From the above it is obvious that where each practitioner is a law unto him- self there can be no uniformity with regard to notification and there must be a wide margin of probable error in the conclusions drawn from the notification figures which form the basis for calculation.

34. By the 18th the reports from the Government Bacteriologist showed that the majority of positive specimens were Shiga infections. On that day the D.M.S. attended a conference at Government House where the situation so far as it was known was explained to the editors of the local press. On that day notices were prepared for distribution to all private practitioners asking for particulars of cases coming under their care. Some 200 of such notices were issued. Instructions were given to health officers and bacteriologists to examine dairy workers in a search for carriers.

35. On the 20th the Government Analyst paid a visit of inspection to the Dairy Farm and went thoroughly into matters connected with the water supply. He took samples for analysis from the raw water, the filtered water before chlorination and the filtered water after chlorination. His report is contained in the appendix. On the afternoon of the 20th His Excellency the Governor met the Director of Medical Services and the Health Officers and discussed the situation.

36. On the 21st the Director of Medical Services submitted to His Excellency a statement on the situation.

37. On the 22nd the Deputy Director of Medical Services visited the Dairy Farm to check the arrangements which had been made for collecting specimens from the staff concerned in the handling of milk.

38. On the 23rd commenced the routine search for carriers among the Dairy Farm staff engaged in the handling of milk. The procedure consisted in the collection of specimens at the Dairy Farm, the transfer of material to the Bacteriological Institute, and examination of specimens at the Institute. The collection was carried out daily under the supervision of Sanitary Inspector Sinton assisted by a dresser from the Medical Department. By the 30th the last of 113 specimens had been collected and transported to the Institute..

39. On the 24th His Excellency made a statement in the Legislative Council and the statement prepared by the D.M.S. was laid on the table.

40. On the 25th the D.M.S. and the Health Officers paid a surprise visit to the Pokfulam depot where the plant was inspected. Afterwards a visit was paid to the town depot.

41. On the 26th the D.M.S. and the Health Officers again visited the Pokfulam depot this time with the Manager of the Dairy Farm. All the processes connected with cleansing, sterilising, pasteurising, separating, and bottling were demonstrated. The Town Depot was afterwards visited and the process of bottle cleansing and of milk bottling seen.

42. On the 28th the D.M.S. again consulted the Attorney General with regard to amending the Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance in order that the powers with respect to notification might be extended and made to apply to all diseases declared under the Ordinance to be infectious diseases. At that time certain diseases only were listed as notifiable and the list did not contain dysentery. A form of amendment was agreed on which was afterwards submitted to Government.

43. On the 2nd of December the Government Bacteriologist reported that among the 113 stools of dairy farm employees none were positive for Bacteria dysenteria of Shiga but that eight were positive for one or other of the types of Bacteria dysenteria grouped under the name of Flexner. Of these three were milkers, two were bottlers and three were ice cream workers.

The results were immediately made known to the Manager of the Dairy Farm who gave instructions for the carriers to be relieved of their duties and their places taken by others who had been proved negative.