ENG-1972 — Page 126

HEALTH

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private cemeteries and one private crematorium. It also provides two funeral depots which are open 24 hours a day, for the holding of reposing services and last rites and for the arrangement of transportation of deceased persons in coffins to a public cemetery or crematorium for interment or cremation; such services are free of charge. Apart from the government facilities for holding funeral services, there are three commercial funeral parlours and 34 undertakers licensed by the Urban Council. In addition, the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals provides a low-cost funeral service on both sides of the harbour.

Research

The research work carried out in the Medical and Health Department Institute of Pathology includes a study of the incidence of the Australia antigen among Chinese blood donors, drug addicts and clinical cases of viral hepatitis; histological typing of lung tumours, jaw cysts and allied lesions; and a collaborative study with the neuro- surgical unit in Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the immunological aspects of cryp- tococcal infections.

Research into various aspects of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) continued during the year at the Medical and Health Department Institute of Radiology. This year marks the end of Phase 2 of the Study Project carried out in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), based in Lyons, France. It entails a two-year study of the natural history of a Herpes-type virus (HTV) in NPC to discover the mechanism of transmission of the HTV infection in man and its role in the causation of NPC.

The Institute and the World Health Organisation's Regional Centre in Singapore have conducted a pilot study into the genetical susceptibility and resistance of an individual to NPC or to certain oncogenic viruses.

Supported partly by the World Health Foundation of Hong Kong, research is carried out on the establishment of cell lines, especially epithelial, from NPC and normal nasopharyngeal and tonsillar mucosa biopsies, and on the role of exogenous carcinogenic or co-carcinogenic factors in the aetiology of NPC.

With the assistance of the Health Service of the University of Hong Kong, the institute is also carrying out a community study to examine the environmental factors and living habits of residents of resettlement areas and to compare them with those of NPC patients.

Research work was also carried out among the clinical specialist units in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. In the paediatric unit, the work included a study on the effects. of anti-convulsive drugs on the development of rickets; Australia antigen in babies with exchanged blood transfusion; and the use of cyclophosphamide in the treatment of nephrotic syndrome with frequent relapse. In the obstetrics and gynaecology unit a study was carried out on epidural anaesthesia for pain relief in labour, and also on the application of certain drugs for the prevention of premature birth. In the neurosurgical unit a clinical trial was carried out on the use of L-DOPA in the treatment of Parkinson's disease in an Asian population; the use of 5-fluorocytosine