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9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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The Governor agrees that the suggestion that instruction in the natural history of the causes of prevalent diseases should also be given to children, and he would be glad if arrangements could be made for a supply of leaflets or primers dealing with the princi- pal diseases of the Colony suitable for the use of teachers and students of the normal school as well as the older children in the elementary and secondary schools. Com- plete text books on the tropical diseases branch of hygiene are not required. The Governor adds that the principal diseases of the Transvaal are pneumonia, diseases of the lungs of all kinds, dysentery, enteric fever, ordinary malaria and leprosy.
BASUTOLAND.
The Resident Commissioner reports that as Basutoland is free from malaria and tropical diseases he has not taken steps to further the teaching of tropical hygiene in schools. The Principal Medical Officer has, however, prepared a paper on general health preservation and sanitation adapted to the conditions of native life in Basuto- land, and this will be published in pamphlet form and circulated for use in native schools in Basutoland.
BECHUANALAND.
The Resident Commissioner states that no attempt has been made to teach the rudiments of hygiene in the Protectorate. In the opinion of the local representa- tive of the London Missionary Society, which practically does all the work that is done in the way of educating the natives in the Protectorate, the native school teachers (there is believed to be only one European teacher) would not be competent to impart even the simplest knowledge of hygiene as, with one or two exceptions, their attainments are of the most elementary character. He states, however, that, in the institution which the Society will shortly open at Tiger Kloof, where it is hoped that many of the teachers in the future will receive instruction, hygiene will be made one of the subjects taught if the Government wish it. If a number of suit- able handbooks and primers on the subject are prepared, the Resident Commissioner would like to be supplied with some copies of the simplest, which the representative of the Society will produce at the next general meeting of the local missionaries where he promises to introduce the subject of the proposed new instruction. It appears to the Commissioner that anything which is done in this matter must be done through the Society, to whom a Government grant of £500 in aid of education has been given for 1903, and who have been informed that, in consideration of the assistance given, the Government would be glad if elementary hygiene could be made one of the subjects in which their teachers are instructed in future.
SOUTHERN RHODESIA.
The Administrator states that a beginning has been made in hygienic instruction though it has not yet been adopted generally. He is, however, fully alive to the usefulness of such instruction, and hopes to be able in course of time to extend it to all aided schools. He would be glad if he could be allowed to subscribe for copies of pamphlets and primers on the subject applicable to the circumstances of Southern Rhodesia, and he would be obliged if a copy of the pamphlet mentioned by Sir William MacGregor could be supplied with permission to reproduce it.
WEST AFRICA.
GAMBIA.
The Governor has made several attempts to introduce instruction in hygiene into the different schools, but has not been altogether successful. The different managers of the schools were all agreed that the principles of sanitation could be most usefully taught in the schools, and one lecture on the subject was delivered by Dr. Ford before he went on leave. But since his departure the matter has hung fire, because, in the opinion of the Acting Senior Medical Officer, any lecture, to be of real value should be illustrated by lantern slides. This difficulty will, however, be shortly met, and the Governor hopes that at an early date a course of lectures will be delivered which will, at any rate, instruct the teachers in the first principles of hygiene and sanitation. The Governor adds that the absence of any simple text book on this subject is a great want. This work, when in the hands of teachers in schools, should be of great use.
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SIERRA LEONE.
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The Governor encloses printed copies of lectures delivered by the Principal Medica! Officer on elementary hygiene and sanitation, together with a copy of Dr. Prout's report on the instruction given. The Sierra Leone Government is making an annual grant to Fourah Bay College, in consideration of which instruction is given to students desiring to learn the art of teaching. The Wesleyan High School also receives a capitation grant in respect of every qualified teacher educated. Governor proposes to arrange that the subject of elementary hygiene and sanita- tion should be included in the syllabus for teachers' certificate examinations. During the interval that must elapse before teachers are trained in this subject Dr. Prout proposes to give another series of lectures. Attendance at these lectures will be encouraged by prizes. The Governor states that the value of the lectures would be greatly increased if they contained illustrations, but that at present it is almost impossible to lecture on the subject without a magic lantern. The latter involves the inconvenience of night classes and illustrations would, to some effect, avoid the necessity for using the lantern. He proposes, therefore, that the lectures be republished with illustrations at the cost of the Government and that the lecture should be one of the prescribed books in all assisted classes. Dr. Prout, has volun- teered to re-edit and slightly extend the lectures during his next leave and would also supply the illustrations. The Governor proposes that the books, when published, should be issued to the assisted classes on repayment.
The following is a short summary of Dr. Prout's report on the general results of his lectures in hygiene and sanitation :--
A meeting of the Education Board was held on the 1st of April, at which the general scheme was approved of and it was decided to offer certain money prizes as follows:-First, £5; second, £3; third, £2; fourth, £1; and a special prize of £5 open to school teachers. A public notice was issued and advertisements published in the local papers and he was able to obtain the valuable assistance of the clergy in giving publicity to the scheme. A circular was also sent to Government officials, in which the Governor especially invited them to attend and expressed a hope that' as many as possible would do so. The first lecture was given on the 21st of May, when the late Governor presided. Admission was by ticket and the number of applications was greater than the capacity of the hall which was estimated to con- tain between four and five hundred. Lectures were continued weekly and were well attended in spite of the rains which had set in. The last lecture was given on the 30th June. It was found necessary to have the lectures printed in England. The books were received in September. It was decided that they should, on this occa- sion at any rate, be distributed gratuitously. There was a very large application for them. An examination was held on the 28th October and 66 people took part in it. The questions set, though not difficult, extended over a wide area and required a considerable knowledge of the subject. Considering that the subject is an entirely new one, Dr. Prout is of opinion that the results are very satisfactory. He states that those who were successful in obtaining certificates now form a nucleus from which it is to be hoped that a knowledge of sanitation will gradually spread. Some of those who obtained first class certificates showed not merely book knowledge, but an intelligent appreciation of the principles which he had explained to them. very keen interest has been taken in the subject in the leading schools in Freetown, and he has reason to believe that a still larger number will enter for future exami-
There is, however, a matter to which Dr. Prout draws attention with regret, and that is the scanty attendance of Government officials both at the lectures and at the examination. He points out that in 1903, 2,458 days were lost in Government service on account of illness of Government officers, illnesses which were, to a large extent, due to preventable causes, and that these officials obtained free medical advice and medicine at considerable expense, and he submits that it is highly desirable that a knowledge of the elementary principles of health and sanitation should be made a sine qua non for those proposing to enter the Service, and also, in some cases, for promotion. Dr. Prout also records that the attendance of the member of the European Committee, with some few exceptions, was very small. The lectures were fully illustrated by lantern slides which were much appreciated and which un- doubtedly helped largely to fix attention and assisted in their comprehension. He attaches a list showing the apparatus used, the lantern slides found most serviceable,
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