с
146
3. The hospital reports show no prevalence in wet weather. This is what one would expect, although infection may be more common during the wet season, nevertheless the symptoms take some time to develop, so that these cases would not come forward for treatment until some time after their infection.
The following table shows the months during which the cases were treated :—-
January.
1905 1906 1907
17
15
*Dry Season,
February.
March.
*
чudy
May.
-53 June.
July.
"Wet Season.
August.
September.
October,
November.
December.
10
15
29
17
19
22
10
14
7
1
4
3
5
972
147
this disease part of whose duty is to subrait the entire population to drugging with beta-naphthol.
The prevalence of the disease up to the present, is not sufficient to justify the expenditure of large sums of money, but I think if some steps were taken with regard to the excreta which contain the organisms, the disease might be prevented from becoming a formidable endemic one which would then entail a large expen- diture for its extermination.
R. D. O'NEALE,
18th January, 1908.
21505
Medical Officer, No. 4 District.
ثنا
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
• Wet and dry seasons overlap.
4. The routine treatment adopted is by means of thymol, given to a fasting patient and in large doses, e.g., xv.-xl. grains, 3 doses repeated at intervals of 2 hours, and followed, after the stools become free from worms and eggs, by iron and arsenic.
Only one case of thymol poisoning has been observed.
J. VAN S. TAYLOR,
House Surgeon.
St. George's, February 17th, 1908. SIR,
In reply to minute, No. 2352/1907, dated January 7th, 1903, with copy of Secretary of State's despatch, 26th November, 1907, relative to the prevalence of ankylostomiasis in this Colony, I have the honour to report that I very rarely see a case of this disease in my district, so I presume, that even if the parasites exist in a certain portion of the labouring classes, their presence does not produce any patho- logical results. Whatever cases I have seen have been sent on to hospital for
treatment.
As far as my district is concerned, there is, therefore, no cause of anxiety in this connection.
(No. 306.) MY LORD,
No. 72.
CEYLON.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 15 June, 1908.)
The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, 26 May, 1908. REFERRING to Lord Elgin's despatch, No. 130, of 10th March last,* I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of a report furnished by the Principal Civil Medical Officer, giving the required information with regard to the treatment and prevention of Anchylostomiasis.
I have, &c.,
HENRY MCCALLUM,
Governor, &c.
Reference :-
C.O.885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
19PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
TX
Honourable Acting Colonial Secretary.
I have, &c.,
G. W. PATERSON,
Medical Officer, District I.
THE HONOURABLE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY,
I AM unable to forward full and reliable statistics of the prevalence of this disease as the present existing conditions do not permit of the necessary research work for the absolute diagnosis of cases of this malady.
With respect to section (a) No sanitary measures are in force for dealing with this disease. Section (b) No latrine accommodation is provided on the estates nor in the various villages of the district, in the town of Gouyave, however, two latrines are provided and are well looked after by the town authority. Section (c) Severe cases are usually sent to the Colony Hospital.
With regard to suggestions re (1) Treatment of the disease in plantations, I think movable latrines in connection with pits and a free use of lime would be necessary and suspected cases treated by thymol or beta-naphthol which would have to be furnished free and the treatment carried out if possible in local hos- pitals. (2) For the treatment en masse, (a) latrines would have to be provided in each village; (b) appointment of an inspector for district; (c) a small local hospital established or the admission to Colony Hospital of all cases.
In Porto Rico special officers have been appointed for the extermination of
Enclosure in No. 72.
REPORT ON ANCHYLOSTOMIASIS.
The seriousness of the disease known as anchylostomiasis, or dochmius duode- nalis, has been recognised in this Colony for many years. In 1894 special attention was called to it by the publication of a pamphlett by the Government, a copy of which I attach (Ceylon Civil Medical Department, No. 9, 1894, “A”).
2.
In my yearly administration reports I have regularly called attention to this matter, and the remarks in my report for 1905 led to some interest in it being taken by employers of Tamil labour, at whose request a leaflet (copy attached marked "B") was widely distributed, but without any good result.
3. On 13th August, 1907, the Ceylon Government appointed a Committee, of which I was Chairman, to inquire into and report upon the sanitary improvement of coolic lines and estates; the establishment of means for the proper sanitary collection and disposal of night soil, and the protection of water and soil from pollution. The prevalence of this disease was the reason for the appointing of this Committee. The report of the Committee was submitted in January of this year, and I beg to draw your attention to paragraphs 10, 11, 12, and 13 of that report.
4. There are no records available as to the general prevalence of this disease in Ceylon-all one can go upon is the numbers admitted to the hospitals-but medical officers report that the disease is spreading to the Singhalese villagers. I
• 2925: not printed.
↑ Not reprinted.
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