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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Superintending Medical Officer, and also that the following additional instruction should be issued by the Superintending Medical Officer to District Medical Officers with the view of checking the spread of ankylostomiasis among indentured coolies, viz. :-
"The District Medical Officer shall see that the site selected for building cottages for immigrants is either below the level of the water supply or in such a position that the surface water does not pass into any stream or source from which the drinking water for the immigrants is obtained." The Privy Council also approved of an amendment of No. 5 of the Regula- tions approved in Privy Council on the 6th day of December, 1894, as to the fitness of dwelling-houses proposed to be provided on estates for indentured immigrants, by which one of the alternative floors allowed was cut out. A complete copy of these Regulations (showing the excision now made) is enclosed herewith,
I have, &c.,
SYDNEY OLIVIER,
Enclosure 1 in No. 82.
Governor.
RECOMMENDATIONS by Dr. L. Gifford, ACTING SUPERINTending Medical OFFICER. 1. District Medical Officers should be required, on their quarterly visits to estates, to muster and inspect the indentured immigrants. Those suffering from anæmic conditions should be treated as suspected cases of ankylostomiasis.
2. District Medical Officers should be required, on their quarterly visits to estates, to inspect the latrines provided for the use of the immigrants and see that they are in good sanitary condition.
3. A supply of some antiseptic protective material, such as carbolized oil, should be given to the headman on each property for the use of any immigrants who may have cracks about the feet through which the ova of the ankylostomum might find entry.
4. The immigrants should be advised-
(a) To boil their water in any case where the purity of the supply is not
above suspicion.
(b) To wash and boil all vegetables before eating them.
(c) To be cleanly in their habits, washing their hands before eating, and
seeing that their pots and pans are washed and kept clean.
Enclosure 2 in No. 82.
AMENDED Reculation as TO DWELLING-HOUSES FOR INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS.
Rule 5.-The floors shall be made of well-laid boards of an elevation of not less than two feet above the adjacent ground level.
Approved by the Governor in Privy Council on the 14th October, 1908.
R. NOSWORTHY,
Enclosure 3 in No. 82.
Acting Clerk, Privy Council.
REGULATIONS for the guidance of the Protector, Inspector, and Medical Officers engaged in carrying out the Provisions of the Immigration Laws, in deciding as to the fitness of dwelling-houses proposed to be provided on Estates for Indentured Immigrants.
1. Where on any estate to which it is proposed to allot indentured labourers, there are no buildings which have been approved of and used as dwelling-houses for such labourers, so that it is necessary to erect new buildings for the purpose of such dwelling-houses, the employer shall give to the Protector or Inspector and the District Medical Officer due notice of his intention, either to appropriate certain existing buildings or to build new houses for that purpose, and no building shall
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be approved of as a dwelling to be assigned to an indentured immigrant unless the following conditions are complied with:-
2. The site must be approved of by the Protector or Inspector and a Medical
Officer.
3. The grounds shall be smoothed off and sloped towards the drains.
4. The dwellings shall be of one storey with a gallery, one to leeward being preferable.
5. The floors shall be made either,
(a) of banked earth well rammed to a height of at least 9 inches above the
adjacent ground level so as to prevent dampness, or
(b) of well laid boards of an elevation of not less than 2 feet above the
adjacent ground level.
6. The roofs shall be,
(a) shingled, or
(b) boarded or sarked and covered with galvanized iron, or
(c) thatched with palmetto or other durable material to be approved by the
Medical Officer.
7. The walls shall be made of
(a) boards, or
(b) concrete, or
(c) lath carefully plastered and lime washed,
and must be not less than 8 feet high from floor to plate.
8. Division walls between the apartments shall be railed or wired at the top,
so as to prevent access from one apartment to another over the partition.
9. Permanent ventilation shall be effected by means of a leeward cow-mouth gable, jalousies or eaved space, or partly by one of these means and partly by another or others.
10. Each room shall contain a platform or platforms or other suitable arrange- ment to be approved by the Medical Officer, whereon to make a bed or beds for as many inmates as the house is designed to accommodate.
11. The sizes of the apartments are regulated by Law 23 of 1879, Section 69. as follows:-
Not less than 50 superficial feet, one adult.
Not less than 120 superficial feet, three single men, or a man and wife and
two children.
Approved by the Governor in Privy Council, this 6th day of December, 1894.
S. P. MUSSON,
Acting Clerk, Privy Council.
COLONIAL OFFICE NOTE-Portion of No. 5 shown in italics was excised by the Privy Council on the 14th of October, 1908.
No. 83.
COMMITTEE ON ANKYLOSTOMIASIS.
The Committee, having considered the reports received from the several Colonies, recognise that the loss of labour caused by the prevalence of ankylostomi- asis is very serious, and affects prejudicially not only the employers of labour but the community at large. Not only is there loss of life, direct and indirect, but also through the invaliding of labourers the charges for hospital and pauper expenditure are largely increased. This loss is, in the Committee's opinion, largely avoidable. Experience has shown that certain simple, well-understood, and inexpensive measures can be adopted, which, if properly carried out, will reduce the evil effects of ankylostomiasis to a negligible quantity.
The Committee think that the Colonial authorities have been inclined to exaggerate the difficulties of dealing with this question. They have argued that the complete eradication of ankylostomiasis is impracticable, and that the cost of pre- ventive measures is prohibitive; and they have been content, with a few commend- able exceptions, to do nothing in the matter.