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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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deterioration, such as skeleton dwarfing and intellectual dullness, and there is reason to believe that these changes are inheritable.
The infected prisoners practically all came from moist agricultural districts, some had worked in cane or banana fields. March 31st, 1912.
3.
M. GRABHAM.
EXTRACT FROM ANNUAL REPORT OF SUPERINTENDING Medical OFFICER FOR YEAR ENDED 31ST March, 1913. Hookworm Infection.
Infection by hookworm has come more than ever into prominence owing to more frequent and careful examinations having been made during the year.
Dr. Scott, the Island Bacteriologist, has had 885 specimens of fæces sent up to him from the various hospitals and Medical Officers.
The results of his examinations are noted below.
List of places from which fœces have been sent for examination as to the presence of
Ankylostoma Ova.
Plaos.
Kingston Public Hospital
82223323
92-4
..
No, Sont.
Percentage. No. Positive.
85
70:5
+
Spanish Town Hospital
89
84.2
Sav.-la-Mar Hospital
83
91.5
Hordley Hospital
122
57.4
Port Maria Hospital
132
122
Buff Bay Hospital
91
Annotto Bay Hospital
76
Stony Hill Reformatory
37
Richmond District
35
16
12
H
12
12
8
Linstead Hospital Union Poorhouse Morant Bay Hospital Clarks Town District Chapelton Hospital Falmouth Hospital Crofts Hill District... Mandeville Hospital St. Ann's Bay Hospital Montego Bay Hospital
--
3
91.2
84.2
Ulster Spring District
Unknown-no name, post mark
illegible.
48
43
89.5
Total...
885
710
80.2
The percentages for numbers below 40 have not been stated, since they would obviously be misleading.
In addition to the above the following examinations are reported as having been made locally.
Dr. Peck, as last year, has made a consistent examination of short-term prisoners in the Spanish Town Prison, and the following are his results:-
Kingston
St. Andrew
St. Thomas Portland
St. Mary
St. Ann... Trelawny
St. James Hanover
Parish.
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It will thus be seen that of 1,378 cases examined 986 were found to harbour the worm, or 71'55 per cent.
No microscopical examination of fæces took place, otherwise, on all probability, a much larger percentage would have been found to be infected.
Of the total number examined only two are reported as showing signs of
anæmia.
Many of these prisoners harboured the Tricocephalus dispar in addition to the
hookworm.
During the year a systematic thymolising of the immigrants on certain estates was carried out. Each immigrant was ordered to have three doses of thymol.
Three senior dispensers from various hospitals were told off to do this work under the guidance of the district Medical Officers in charge of the estates in the following districts:-
District.
Plantain Garden River Linstead
Port Antonio
Port Maria
Richmond
Annotto Bay
Coolies Thymolised.
217
95
714
765
300
999
Creoles Thymolised.
5
18.
545
As the thymolising, in so far as the creoles were concerned, was purely a voluntary matter, it wil be noticed that, with the exception of one district, few creoles availed themselves of the opportunity of the free administration of thymol.
Thymolising of new batches of Immigrants.
During the early part of the year 1913, three vessels, the s.s." Indus," the s.s.
"Mutlah, and the s.s. Chenab," conveying immigrants from Calcutta, arrived
at Port Royal, carrying, respectively, 374, 246 and 527 immigrants.
All immigrants were landed at the quarantine station with a view to their being thymolised for hookworm.
(1) Of the total number of 372 immigrants on board the s.s." Indus," of whom 265 were males and 109 females, 210 or 56 43 per cent. were found to be infected with hookworm; of the males 57 33 per cent., and of the females 52 20 per cent., were found to be infected.
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Mutlah," 177 (2) Of the total number of 246 immigrants on board the s.s. were males and 69 were females. Of the total number, 210 or 56:43 per cent. were found to be infected with hookworm. Of the males, 153 or 57 33 per cent., and of the females, 57 or 52:20 per cent., were found to harbour the worm. (3) Of the total number of 527 immigrants on board the s.s. were males, of whom 229 were found to harbour the worm; while of the 238 females 62 were found to be infected.
B
Chenab "* 289
In many cases women bearing or suckling children were not dosed, but these will be treated as soon as they are in fit condition to bear thymolising.
The Medical Officer in charge of the quarantine station reports many cases of marked anæmia among the coolies as having been noticed by him, which improved wonderfully after the treatment with thymol.
Dr. Welsh, the Medical Officer on board the s.s. "Indus," had during the voyage been treating the immigrants under his charge for hookworm in so far as his drugs allowed, and had exhausted his thymol and beta-naphthol; having treated no less than 180 cases, and had found the worm in the stools of 122, besides many other varieties of worms.
The Medical Board that examined the immigrants on their arrival in Jamaica state that it is, therefore, evident that there is no insuperable obstacle to treating coolies on board during the voyage from India, and are of opinion that the period on board ship offers the completest facilities for thoroughly thymolising the immi- grants.
Total Cases Examined.
Cased Infected.
73
35
34
21
60
46
87
66
246
185
105
73
82
55
55
10
43
32
Westmoreland
111
74
St. Elizabeth
113
74
Manchester
118
94
Clarendon
117
82
St. Catherine
134
109
1,378
986 or 71:55
per cent. of the whole
number examined.
39811
Without doubt the effects of hookworm infection have for years been overlooked, and many cases of hookworm infection have surely been attributed to malaria and other diseases.
Dr. Turton, District Medical Officer, Stony Hill, states as follows:-
"That he knows of 38 cases in which ova were found in the fæces; as to cases seen by the roadside, about which there is no reasonable doubt, they run into hundreds;
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