30932
FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE
[July, 1915-June, 1916]
RELATING TO
ANKYLOSTOMIASIS.
No. 1.
WINDWARD ISLANDS (GRENADA).
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 7th July, 1915.)
[Answered by No. 23.]
(Grenada. No. 91.)
SIR,
Government House, Grenada, Windward Islands,
10th June, 1915.
I HAVE the honour to forward you a report by Drs. Hatton and Macdonald on the sanitary situation in Grenada in relation to the control of hookworm infection.
2. There will be little difficulty in giving effect to the recommendations, but must admit to being puzzled as to the proposal to introduce the pit system in pre- ference to the pan system at present in use.
3. The sanitary officers of Sierra Leone and men of such noted experience as Drs. Prout and Kennan have condemned the cesspit system, and, I believe I am correct in stating, also such a well known man on tropical sanitation as Professor Simpson. In Sierra Leone the pan system was in force at Hill Station, the excreta being buried daily in trenches of from three to four feet in depth. I remember Dr. Prout stating to me that within three days of burial he could place his hands through the earth without coming across any offensive substance. In the Bahamas the cess- pit system was condemned by Dr. McHattie, D.P.H., and the pan system advocated. The pan system has been in use in this Colony. I have inspected the schools, and on my visits made a minute examination of each closet; with a few exceptions the sani- tary arrangements were satisfactory. I attach the last report of the Sanitary Inspectors, and although such reports savour of the inspectors having been converted by their senior officers to the pit system, I do not consider the reports show an unsatis- factory condition of affairs. The other day a medical man who was a visitor to this island was so charmed with one of the pan system closets that he asked per- mission of the manager of a school to be allowed to take a photograph of it. mention this as an indication that evidently every medical man is not antagonistic to the pan system. If it is decided that the pan system is to be replaced by the pro- posed pit system, it will mean an expenditure to the Government of £375.
4. I am quite prepared to carry out the other recommendations made in the report, but, in view of my previous experience, I decline to carry out the suggestion of replacing the pan system by the pit system until I receive your instructions, and no doubt you will consider it advisable to refer the question to the Advisory Medical The formation of Grenada is very and Sanitary Committee for Tropical Africa. similar to Sierra Leone; the country is very hilly, the soil porous, and water for drinking purposes, in a large part of the country, obtained from the streams.
I
5. Dr. Macdonald, who is in charge of the ankylostomiasis campaign, is the only Medical Officer in the Colony possessing a D.P.H. certificate, and he appears to be the moving spirit in advocating the pit system. As a layman I must say I am strongly opposed to the pit system: probably my feelings are the results of experi- ence from having served in Colonies where sanitation was of primary importance.
6. I must apologise for the delay in forwarding this report; it was caused through my absence from Grenada.
I have, &c.,
G. B. HADDON-SMITH,
* Not printed.
Governor.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O. 885
Reference :-
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO