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Bermuda, and that, so far as he is aware, only one case, which was imported from the West Indies, has occurred during the last nine years.

3. Attention is being given by the General Board of Health, in connection with the prevalence of a mild form of enteric fever at certain periods of the year, to prevent contamination of the soil by the provision of proper latrine accommoda- tion and by the disposal of fœcal matter, and should cases of ankylostomiasis occur, the Board will appreciate the importance of dealing effectively with the discase on the lines referred to in your Lordship's despatch.

I have, &c.,

JOSCELINE WODEHOUSE,

Lieutenant-General, Governor

Enclosure in No. 63.

and Commander-in-Chief.

MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH to COLONIAL SECRETARY.

The Honourable the COLONIAL SECRETARY,

I HAVE been keeping a look-out for ankylostomiasis, and with the exception

of one imported case I am reasonably certain this disease has not been met with in this Colony.

The imported case came here from the West Indies on a visit to friends in February, 1899, and after an illness of some weeks died at a house on Victoria Street, Hamilton.

The house was immediately vacated, the privy filled with lime, and the whole premises afterwards cleaned.

This house was soon after sold and reconstructed.

Some years ago I examined with Dr. Trott a Portuguese youth for ankylostomi- asis, but he did not have the disease.

I have no other particulars to report.

ELDON HARVEY,

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As one has frequently to treat cases of the common round worm (ascaris) it is conceivable that the treatment employed in my own practice-almost invariably a combination of santonin and calomel-may bring about the destruction of the ankylostomiasis duodenale (the neusatode which gives rise to ankylostomiasis) and so prevent the disease assuming severe type.

May not the absence of this disease here be due to the general use of chloride of lime in latrines?

30th December, 1907.

J. J. CULMER,

Resident Surgeon,

Enclosure 2 in No. 64.

New Providence Asylum.

MEDICAL INSPECTOR to COLONIAL SECRETARY, Bahamas.

IIONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

I HAVE had no experience in ankylostomiasis, and during 40 years' practice

in these islands have never seen a case which suggested it to my mind.

Cases of anæmia ending fatally are not of very frequent occurrence, although, as Dr. Culmer has remarked, one not unfrequently sees cases of children with round worms complicated by dropsical and anæmic conditions, which usually yields to treatment by santonin and calomel--and possibly these cases may be due to double infection, although there is no direct evidence to this effect.

3 and 4. On the whole I feel fairly confident that it does not exist here, and consequently no special sanitary measures are enforced for its prevention.

5. Treatment.-I am not in a position to make any suggestions, but I gather from reading that "male fern" is an efficient remedy.

J. BENSON ALBURY, M.D.,

Medical Inspector.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

།།།།།།།

Reference :-

C.O.885

19 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

3089

(No. 4.) MY LORD,

3rd January, 1908.

Medical Officer of Health.

8581

No. 64. BAHAMAS.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 28th January, 1908.)

Government House, Nassau, 9th January, 1908.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordship's despatch. No. 83, of the 26th of November,* with reference to the prevalence of ankylosto miasis in the West Indies; and to transmit herewith the reports of Dr. J. J. Culmer, Resident Surgeon, New Providence Asylum, and J. Benson Albury, M.D., Medical Inspector, thereon, from which it would appear that, owing either to the sanitary precautions taken or to other causes, the disease is unknown in this Colony.

I have, &c.,

W. GREY-WILSON,

Governor.

Enclosure 1 in No. 64.

RESIDENT SURGEON, New Providence Asylum, to COLONIAL SECRETARY, Bahamas. HONOURABLE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

THERE are no statistics of the disease ankylostomiasis as occurring in the New Providence Asylum.

In no case which has come under my treatment have I recognised the symptoms as being due to this disease; it is possible, however, that some obscure cases of anæmia and of dropsical conditions may be due to it, and I shall be glad to have any information of the disease as met with in other West Indian Colonics.

• No. 130 in Miscellaneous No. 204,

No. 65.

WINDWARD ISLANDS (ST. VINCENT).

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 9 March, 1908.)

(No. 16.)

FORWARDED.

Grenada, 23 February, 1908.

I will deal with this question in a despatch* which I propose to write later with reference to Grenada.

Enclosure in No. 65.

(Saint Vincent. No. 10.)

RALPH WILLIAMS,

Governor.

Government House, St. Vincent, 17 February, 1908. SIR,

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the Secretary of State's despatch, W.I., Grenada, General, No. 120, of 26th November last, on the subject of the prevalence of ankylostomiasis in the West Indian Colonies.

2. I now forward copy of the report of Dr. Durrant, the Acting Medical Officer of the Kingstown District, who deals with the different enquiries for infor- mation in paragraph 5 of the despatch.

3. I also enclose extracts from a report of Dr. Pike, medical officer of the 4th district.

4. I fear that no really successful campaign against ankylostomiasis could be waged in St. Vincent without the presence of a very much more numerous and efficient medical staff than the present, and without very considerable expenditure.

See No. 71.

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