PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TPETTICO. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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66
Enclosure in No. 50.
MEDICAL OFFICER, KINGSTOWN DISTRICT, to ADMINISTRATOR.
HIS HONOUR,
THERE are no fixed hours of work for the duties of the Health Officer of Kingstown. Questions relating to public health, sanitary improvements, nuisances, etc., are submitted to the Medical Officer, Kingstown District, as they arise; the actual inspections are now performed by the Government Sanitary Inspector, under the direction of the Medical Officer of the Kingstown District.
In the absence of an ankylostomiasis campaign there is no reason why these duties should not be combined with the duties of the Medical Officer, Kingstown District but if the Medical Officer in charge of the campaign is to control sanita- tion generally throughout the Colony, as was suggested, and agreed to, by Mr. Wickliffe Rose, it is important that the sanitation of Kingstown should also be under the same control, otherwise there is bound to be a certain amount of over- lapping. Further, the nature of the sanitary improvements required, which are as necessary in the town as out of it, form an important part of the work of the campaign, and will have, in any case, to be carried out and overlooked by the Medical Officer of that campaign, whether, or not, they be placed under the control of someone else.
The position, to my mind, is that the campaign officer should either control sanitation generally throughout the whole Colony or he should not. In the latter case he will only be responsible for such sanitation as depends directly on ankylos- tomiasis work, and would leave the general sanitary work of the Colony to be performed by another officer.
As, however, the ankylostomiasis campaign is so intimately associated with sanitation generally, I cannot help stating that I would consider it unwise to sever the two offices.
C. H. D., Medical Officer, Kingstown District.
7th November, 1914.
49892
No. 51.
THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 14th December, 1914.)
[Copy to Governor, Trinidad, 23rd December, 1914. Miscellaneous, L.F. See No. 66.7
[Answered by No. 54.]
International Health Commission, 725, Southern Building,
Washington, D.C., 28th November, 1914.
SIR,
1 HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of letters from your Office, dated 16th and 18th November respectively. Dr. H. H. Howard, Director for the West Indies, will visit Trinidad at an early date, and will have opportunity to advise with the local authorities as to the advisability of making a temporary detail of a director to Trinidad. Dr. B. E. Washburn, who has rendered very efficient service for the Commission in the Southern States, and more recently has been whole time County Health Officer in North Carolina, will be available for such an assignment on or before 1st January.
2. We shall be glad to receive further advices with reference to the wishes of Mr. Harcourt and the Advisory Committee concerning the Ankylostomiasis Com- mission. Mr. Rose and Dr. Heiser were somewhat hopeful that a British member of the Commission might be secured locally in the Malay States, who would have a thorough knowledge of local conditions, and render, in addition to his scientific work, valuable assistance in arranging for such investigations as may be desired with the local authorities.
I have, &c.,
JOHN A. FERRELL,
Assistant Director-General.
50118
SIR,
87
No. 52.
BRITISH GUIANA.
THE TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 16th December, 1914.)
[Copy to Governor, 21st December, 1914. Miscellaneous. L.F.] Tropical Diseases Bureau, Imperial Institute,
London, S.W., 15th December, 1914. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 12th December (48945/1914),* transmitting, for my observations, papers on the eradication of hookworm disease in the Peter's Hall District of British Guiana. I have only to say that I have read the reports of Dr. Wise and Dr. Howard with much interest, and that I think no further demonstration is needed of the superiority of "weekly thymol over
daily thymol" when a large number of persons have to be treated without compulsion.
49126
33
I have, &c.,
ARTHUR G. BAGSHAWE,
Director.
No. 53.
WINDWARD ISLANDS (ST. VINCENT).
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR. (Miscellaneous.)
SIR,
Downing Street, 22nd December, 1914. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 120, of the 23rd November, respecting the ankylostomiasis campaign in St. Vincent.
2 In view of the difficulty experienced, in present circumstances, of securing the services of suitable medical men in this country for ankylostomiasis work, the International Health Commission has been good enough to offer the services of doctors in their employment in the United States of America for such duties in the Colonies. Should you consider it desirable to ask the Commission to send a doctor to conduct the ankylostomiasis campaign in St. Vincent temporarily, until Dr. Durrant is free to take charge, I should have no objection to your doing so.
have, &c.,
L. HARCOURT.
49892
No. 54.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION. [Cory to Governor, Trinidad, 23rd December, 1914. Miscellaneous. L.F. See No. 66.] [Answered by No. 59.]
Downing Street, 23rd December, 1914.
SIR,
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th November, and to state that he will await with interest the result of the forthcoming conference between Dr. Howard and the Government of Trinidad.
If the Governor recommends it, Mr. Harcourt will be prepared to accept, with gratitude. the assistance of Dr. Washburn, whose services the International Health Commission have been good enough to offer for the purposes of the ankylostomiasis campaign in Trinidad. In this event, in order properly to define the status of Dr. Washburn. Mr. Harcourt would propose that he should receive a formal appoint- ment from the Governor, and he hopes that the Commission would see no objection to his accepting such an appointment.
* Nos. 41 and 45.
*L.F. transmitting copy of enclosure 1 in No 20.
+ No. 50.
↑ No.51
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