PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
19
Reference :-
mmimmim C.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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of the Windward Islands, I have the honour to report that on the 30th April Í received a letter from the Assistant Director of the Commission informing me that the budget submitted for St. Lucia, revised and approved by the Ankylostomiasis Committee in London and also by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, had been adopted by the International Health Commission for a sum not to exceed £1,262.
2. I have since received from the Assistant Director of the Commission a This remittance remittance of £380 "in payment of appropriations for quarter ending 30th June, 1914, as per vote of Executive Committee, 6th April, 1914.” includes, for equipment, £40 for the purchase of three microscopes, £11 for one lantern, £10 for microscopic sundries, and £25 for passage of Medical Officer from England.
3. In accordance with the Secretary of State's instructions, contained in paragraph 2 of his despatch above mentioned, I will now proceed to take the neces- sary votes in the Legislative Council: the amount for the current year's service to be recovered from the Commission being shown as a special item of revenue.
4. Steps will also be taken for the appointment of a local advisory committee and for the selection and training of two microscopists.
benefit.
5. With regard to the selection and appointment of a Medical Officer in charge of the campaign in this Colony, I consider it essential for the success of the undertaking that the Medical Officer selected should be fully-conversant with the patois language of St. Lucia; otherwise I fail to see how he will be able to reach and gain the confidence of a large majority of the people the campaign is aimed to local Government Medical Officer who is 6. I suggest. therefore, that a familiar with the language be selected and seconded for the special work of the Commission, and that his place be immediately filled by the selection and temporary appointment of a medical man from England or elsewhere, as the Secretary of State may decide. I may say that my views in this matter are concurred in by the members of the Executive Council of this Island.
7. If my suggestion meets with approval I recommend that Dr. Stanley Branch, Medical Officer of the 3rd District (Castries-Anse-la-Raye Districts) be seconded for the special work of the Commission in St. Lucia, and be appointed Medical Officer in charge, with salary at the rate of £600 per annum, as provided by the Commission, and an inclusire travelling allowance of £50 a year.
8. Dr. Branch has already given much attention to the hook-worm disease in this Colony, and he accompanied Mr. Wickliffe Rose, the Director of the Commission, when in St. Lucia last year, on his visits to the districts around Castries. Whilst employed on the work of the Commission Dr. Branch would, of course, give his whole time thereto, and would he debarred from the right of private practice.
9. I have been unable to find any suggested period for the work of the Commission in this Island, but I presume it is intended that the work of the Commission should continue for such time as it can be shown that satisfactory progress is being made, possibly during the next three to five years.
10. Should my recommendation with regard to the appointment of Dr. Branch be approved, I ask that an early selection be made by the Secretary of State of a medical man to act in the place of Dr. Branch as Medical Officer of District III., with salary at the rate of £300 a year with private practice, and horse allowance of £45 a year, the passage out from England of the medical man selected to be paid from the provision of £25 made by the Commission.
Until the arrival of a substitute Dr. Branch cannot be relieved of his present duties. I enclose a statement of the duties performed by the Medical Officer of District III.
11. By the present mail I am forwarding to the Crown Agents an order for the microscopes, to be sent out as soon as possible. The order has been drawn up with the assistance of Dr. Branch.
I have. &c.,
DOUGLAS YOUNG,
Administrator. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir J. Hayes Sadler, K.C.M.G., C.B., &c.,
Grenada.
His Excellency
* No. 36.
↑ Not printed.
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No. 56.
MALAY STATES.
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 30th May, 1914.)
(No. 243.)
Government House, Singapore, 7th May, 1914. SIR,
WITH reference to your despatch Miscellaneous, of the 9th January, 1914,* enclosing copy of a despatch addressed by you to the Governors of certain West Indian Colonies on the subject of the visit of Mr. Wickliffe Rose, Director of the International Health Commission, I have the honour to forward, for the informa- tion of the Committee referred to in the final paragraph of that despatch, copies of particulars regarding the prevalence and distribution of ankylostomiasis in the Federated Malay States, which have been furnished for Mr. Rose's use in accordance with your directions.
I have, &c.,
SIR,
Enclosure in No. 56.
Office of the Senior Medical Officer,
ARTHUR YOUNG.
Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang,
Kuala Lumpur, 10th March, 1914.
In reply to your letter No. 2 in 233/1914, of 12th último, I have the honour to forward some particulars with regard to ankylostomiasis in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang.
The Principal Medical Officer,
Federated Malay States,
Kuala Lumpur.
I have, &c.,
A. J. MCCLOSKY, Acting Senior Medical Officer, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang.
PARTICULARS AS TO THE Prevalence and distributION OF ANKYLOSTOMIASIS IN THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES.
ALTHOUGH perhaps 50 per cent. of the patients admitted into hospital from all causes harbour this worm, comparatively few are admitted primarily for the results of this infection, e.g., at the District Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, in 1908, the ova of ankylostomes were found in 673 patients, but only 254 were returned as suffering from their effects. At Kuala Kubu Hospital for the same year the fæces of 429 patients were examined, and 205 were found to contain ova of ankylostomes, The question, therefore, which presents giving a percentage of 4778 for all cases.
some difficulty, is under what conditions are the presence of ankylostomes to be looked upon as pathogenic, as many healthy persons and patients suffering from other diseases are found to harbour these parasites.
The part played by ankylostomes in inducing disease or a fatal result is not easy to estimate, owing to the frequent existence of other infections, notably malaria and dysentery.
The duration of the life of A. duodenale in the intestine has not been determined; some state it in months, others in years. shows that the duration may be years:-
The following case
A European child born in the Federated Malay States went to England at the age of 4, and at the age of 10 I found numerous ankylostomes in his motions (not The boy was not anæmic having left England between the age of 4 and 10).
and was apparently in good health, but always thin. He was able to take part in cricket and football, and at the time I was treating him had just won three prizes at the school athletic sports. Owing to his thin condition I treated him for anky- lostomes. I think there is no doubt that he caught the infection during the four years he was in the Malay States.
• No. 1.