PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TACO 885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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3. You will understand, therefore, that the present report on the working of the Ordinance deals with a period of less than seven months, and the reports of Dr. Langley Hunt, C.M.G., and Dr. Lunn, the Inspecting Medical Officers, emphasize this fact. The past half-year has been mainly devoted to a gradual and tactful attempt to bring the provisions of the Ordinance and rules to the notice of indi- vidual planters by means of personal visits and reports by the Inspecting Officers, and it is gratifying to note that not only are the relations between those Officers and the planting community excellent, but that that community is showing a laud- able readiness to adopt-in many cases at considerable expense-the advice offered them. You will see from Sir Allan Perry's letter that no prosecutions have yet been entered under the Ordinance, and I have hopes that it will be possible to keep its penal provisions in reserve rather than in frequent operation; but there will, of course, be no hesitation in enforcing them in any cases where occasion demands that this should be done.
4. The weak point in the situation is the unchecked continuance of the Scourge of anchylostomiasis, to combat which the Ordinance was originally pro- jected. As Dr. Lunn points out, the eradication of this disease can only be secured by the general adoption of a proper system of conservancy, or by the drastic method of refusing to admit into the Colony any labourers afflicted with the complaint. Sir Allan Perry shows that the latter solution is out of the question, and it is clearly desirable that the general provision of proper latrines for coolies should await the development of an approximate unanimity among planters as to the necessity for the innovation. If, however, such unanimity is unduly delayed, the enforcement of the Ordinance may become a matter of necessity.
I have, &c.,
(No. 99.) SIR,
"
Governor, &c.
ROBERT CHALMERS,
Enclosure 1 in No. 16.
Colombo, 23rd January, 1914. "The Diseases (Labourers) Ordinance No. 10 of 1912.” WITH reference to your letter No. 17/18160 of the 7th instant, requesting a report on the working of Ordinance No. 10 of 1912, I have the honour to inform you that the rules under this Ordinance "to prevent the spread of diseases among labourers were promulgated only in July last, and so far there have been no prose- cutions. The relations between the planting community and the Medical Depart- ment as regards this Ordinance are excellent, which is due in no small degree to the tact and personalities of Drs. E. L. Hunt, C.M.G., and J. Lunn, the Inspecting Medical Officers, whose reports on this subject are submitted, and from which it will be seen that. the planting community is anxious to improve the conditions of its labour force as regards health, and is willing to spend money to obtain it.
2. The conservancy of excreta is stopping sanitary progress; the planter says that coolies will not use latrines, and I quite believe it, but we find they use them in our hospitals; the reason the coolie will not use them on estates is because there is nobody immediately over him to see that he uses them, and because the planters are by no means unanimous as to their necessity. I fear that unless the planting com- munity as a whole adopts latrines in some form or other, common-sense conservancy will be put off indefinitely. It is obvious how impossible it is for a planter, anxious to improve the sanitary condition of his labour force, to provide latrines and to give an order for them to be used, when the coolies of his next-door neighbour (who takes no interest in the question) are allowed to pollute the ground without hindrance.
3. But great advance has been made, many hundreds of estates have been or are being inspected, and advice has been freely given, and in many instances that advice has been followed to a practical conclusion.
4. With the particular disease anchylostomiasis, some progress has been made towards improvement-not so much in the way of prevention as in treatment. The prevention of this disease is wrapped up in the word conservancy. Dr. Lunn's sug- gestion at the end of his paragraph 7 to cease importing coolies infected with anchylostomiasis from India would, I fear, dislocate the coolie traffic. Ceylon is dependent on India for its labour and 90 per cent. of Indian labourers suffer with that complaint.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Colombo.
I am, &c.,
A. PERRY, Principal Civil Medical Officer and Inspector-General of Hospitals.
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1. The rules originally drafted were divided into two portions, mandatory and hortatory.
In July, 1913, copies of each were sent to every member of the Planting Associa- tion of Ceylon, and superintendents of estates which are scheduled for medical aid, all estate agency firms, and the rules were also published in the Planting Gazette, September number, 1913.
2. Although the Ordinance was promulgated on the 1st of June, 1912, rules under Section 12 of the Diseases (Labourers) Ordinance No. 10 of 1912 were only enforced and published in the Ceylon Government Gazette No. 6571 of 11th July, 1913, so that it is impossible in so short a time to give a detailed report, &c., as to its working, but it is gratifying to notice that the planting community of Ceylon, as a whole, are taking a considerably more keen and intelligent interest in the well-being of their labour forces. Large numbers of estates have been and are being visited by Dr. Lunn and myself, advice given on line sanitation and hygiene, the incidence of disease inquired into amongst coolies at musters, and practical demonstrations given to estate dispensers in their early recognition and treatment. At the request of the Chairman of District Planters' Associations addresses are being given at their meetings, articles written for the Planters' Gazette, and advice given to a Sub-Committee of the Planters' Association on the important question of food.
3. Numbers of estates on advice or on the initiative of the superintendent have erected pumping plants and laid water into the lines in pipes, with stands and properly made cement or stone platforms, with efficient drainage; in some instances, where the water has been questionable as to quality, Jewel system of filtration has been installed.
4. The incidence of malaria and anchylostomiasis, especially in the low-lying districts, is very great, and though good work has been done by the prophylactic and curative administration of drugs, improved sanitation and drainage, in these diseases, there can be no hope, without some system of conservancy, [? of their] being permanently effective in eradicating ankylostomiasis.
E. LANGLEY HUNT,
Colombo, 11th January, 1914.
Inspecting Medical Officer.
It is not possible, at present, to give details of the actual number of new and improved water services, latrines, bathing places, and new coolie lines, on account of the short period during which the Ordinance has been in operation, and also for other reasons which I will endeavour to indicate in the course of this report.
2. It may be stated that a convenient classification of estates is into low coun- try, i.e., elevations up to 1,500 feet, mid-country from 1,500 to 3,000, and up-country above 3,000. Further, the two latter are almost entirely devoted to tea cultivation, while the low country have rubber only, rubber and tea interplanted, or rubber and tea in separate blocks. Further, it is essential to point out that the estates are variously owned by wealthy companies, economical companies or private individuals of varying degrees of wealth, some resident in the Island and some not. The varia- tion of climatic conditions is also a very important factor in the incidence of disease. 3. Water service. In every report-one is made on every estate visited and a copy sent to the Superintendent and one to his Colombo Agent-the necessity of having pipe-borne water from a source which has stood the test of analysis has been emphasized. A portable water cabinet has just been instituted to meet the demand for this chemical analysis. It may be stated that I have not yet met a Superin- tendent who is not anxious to ensure good water and sanitation generally for his labour forces, and considerable progress is in process on the estates visited.
4. Coolie lines.-An up-country and a low-country type have been circulated as a guide to the construction of new lines. The coolie habit of building in or out from these lines has to be counteracted, and in many lines has been. The type of line now being built, even if varying from the suggested type, is, on the whole, based on common-sense and sanitary ideas.
5. Drainage. The wealthier groups of estates are universally adopting a system of cement drainage, in some cases of the most elaborate and ingenious nature, with tap-water laid on to the lines, which, in addition to being used for drinking, acts as a flush to the drains, which are also regularly flushed with disinfectant.
6. Disposal of refuse.-In most cases burning of destructible and burying of indestructible is the method adopted when refuse is disposed of.