Volume 54 · Issue 02 · 1938

Schistosoma infestation is known to be not uncommon in cattle in Szechwan, but, except for one questionnaire reply, cited by Faust and Melency (1), it has not been reported in man. The present report is made to establish the fact that it is endemic in this province.

Dr. Y. T. Yao of the Central Field Health Station, attached to No. 3 Unit of the League Epidemic Commission wrote on June 6th, 1938 that, at the request of a recruiting officer, he was sent to investigate the cause of abdominal enlargement from which several inhabitants of Pin-yang district (賓陽), Long. 108.7°E. and Lat. 23.5°N., were suffering.

Relapsing fever is being recognized as a very common disease in China. In the extensive survey made by Shrimpton (1) in 1935, it is evident that, since 1911, the disease has assumed epidemic forms in various districts throughout the country.

Diphtheria in the first year of life is rare. Rolleston (1) observed 1,600 diphtheria cases and found that only 0.7 per cent were infants under l year of age. The same percentage was reported by Deacon (2) among his 31,000 cases. Baginsky (3*) reported that, among his 2,700 .cases, 0.15 per cent was in the first 6 months of life. Most of the text books sEate that immunity to diphtheria is present in infants under 6 months of age. This is due to the transplacental passive immunity, lack of exposure and the acid secretion of the infant's mouth during this age period. However, Ribadeau-Dumas, Lacomme and Loiseau (3*) stated that diphtheria in the new-born is uncommon only because it is often overlooked. McCollum and Place (3*) found that 2.75 per cent of their cases occurred in infants under 1 year of age. Ravenai (3) reported 49 infants under 1 year among 2,400 admissions for diphtheria or 2.04 per cent. According to Lereboullet (4), in the Sick Infants Hospital, Paris, 38 cases of diphtheria were seen in a year. Chevalley mentioned that numerous small epidemics of diphtFeria among the new-born infants are reported from several maternity hospitals.

The diphtheria bacillus, as a rule, does not invade the circulatory system of patients sufferring from this disease. Zinsser and Bayne-Jones (l) expressed the opinion that although diphtheria bacilli have been found after death, the occurrence of septicemia clue to diphtheria bacillus during life has never been proved.

It has been demonstrated by Tso (11 that the proteins of the soybean, (Glycine soja, S. & Z.) are adequate for the growth of infants when obtained by the usual wet-grinding method, and we (2) have shown that many infants take this preparation readily without upset, and when it is properly supplemented, grow and thrive. However, in our previous report, we pointed out the impracticability of the method, because of the difficulty of obtaining the protein in sufficient concentration. It seemed essential to use a dry flour which could be accurately measured. The raw soybeans cannot be ground dry in the mills in use in Peking. We found in the shops a roasted bean flour which went into fine suspension in water. This suspension had a pleasant nutty taste, could be easily prepared in any household and made a convenient basis for reinforcement with carbohydrate, sodium chloride and calcium lactate. We hoped to be able to use this flour as purchased. However, none of the shops would guarantee that it was made solely of soybeans (Clycine soja).

The importance of retro-displacement of uterus in connection with backache, pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, uterine bleeding, sterility, abortion and general ill health has been variously estimated.

Following the report in 1931 by Sokolov of his survey of reptured abdominal wounds in Europe, there has been an increasing number of publications on the subject. A symposium before the New York Surgical Society in November 1933 focused interest of American surgeons and stimulated research upon the problem.

The occurrence of human infection with Hymenolepis nana in North China was first reported by Faust (1921, 1923), who recorded the finding of this parasite in patients in Chefoo in 1918. In a later publication the same author (Faust, 1928) found that among 13,617 patients whose feces were examined in the Parasitology Laboratory of the Peiping Union Medical College during 1924 t0 1928, 52, or 0.38 per cent were infected with this parasite. The infection has also been reported from certain parts of Central China (Faust, 1921).

From the outset of the military operations one of the most pressing problems was the care of refugees and the danger of epidemics. The National Health Ministry and the Central Field Health Station at Nanking were wrecked by air bombing at the beginning of the war. China's scanty resources in medical personnel and equipment were strained to the utmost by the needs of the Army. At the same time the invasion of large areas of China and the devastation of numerous cities and villages set up great movements of population. Vast numbers of refugees, destitute and fleeing for their lives, became an urgent and grave problem for the Chinese Government, and even for neighbouring territories, not least from a public health point of view.