CO885-(20-21) — Page 558

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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and treated for ankylostomaic infection, but even in jails the men object strongly and give trouble. Emigrants are free men and not prisoners, and it would be not only unwise from a recruiting point of view, but unjustifiable from a humanitarian point of view, to force

such treatment on them.

(2) That there is no time for any adequate treatment in the depôts, except perhaps for the first batches that come in, as cases ought to have two to three courses of treatment at a week's interval to render the prophy- lactic treatment of any value, otherwise it becomes a farce. (3) That there is no use in taking steps at this end-and running the almost certain risk of trouble-when the emigrants are bound to be re-infected on arrival; for this disease is very prevalent in the West Indies.

A preparatory treatment in a depôt with its starvation, dosing with irritating thymol, and purgation, is, it appears to me, the worst preparation for a sea voyage, and all this expense and trouble is rendered futile by the fact that re-infection is almost certain to take place.

What is required is the looking to sanitary matters at the other end, and the careful and prolonged treatment-which does not necessarily mean prolonged stay in hospital-of emigrants on arrival in the Colony.

I deprecate most strongly any attempt to force such treatment in our depôts; it would be a dangerous experiment which could not be carried out thoroughly in the time at our disposal, and thus such partial treatment would give rise to a sense of false security, which would be a serious evil in itself.

SIR,

I have, &c.,

BEN. H. DEARE, Lieutenant-Colonel, I.M.S.,

Officiating Principal, Medical College,

and Surgeon to the British Guiana

Government Emigration Agency.

Enclosure 3 in No. 148.

WITH reference to ankylostoma infection I beg most respectfully to submit that prisoners in India are all regularly examined for the worms, and that it has been found that the infection is very common amongst the labouring class, some 75 per cent. of them harbouring the worms. It is, however, proved that this infection is, as a rule, very slight, the maximum number of worms that has been found in a patient up to date being not more than 100. Further, this sort of infection is never known to give rise to ankylostomiasis, which means ill health consequent on the presence of the worms in far larger numbers, a condition seldom found amongst the cultivators here. Moreover, it is settled that the worms never multiply within the intestines; the eggs produced there must pass out and liberate the embryos by coming in contact with muddy water or moist earth. Here the latter develop into larvæ, which soon enter the dormant state and remain quiescent for an indefinite period until they get entrance into the human stomach, either through drinking water or food, or, more commonly, dirt that has collected upon the hands and about the nails, or through the skin (generally of the feet and legs) by contact with soil contaminated with the ova of the ankylostoma.

It is evident from the above that the true campaign to exterminate the disease must be made in the Colony, not by merely treating the host-a very minor point- but by taking regular and careful preventive measures, water, scrupulous cleanliness of things, hands, and eatables during eating, systematic A pure supply of drinking destruction of the stools soon after they are passed in impermeable receptacles where no earth or muddy water can get in, and the abandonment of badly contami- nated ground, are all that are necessary.

Such heing the facts, and having regard to the timid and suspicious nature of the emigrants and their dislike to take any medicine when they are not actually suffering from any painful disease (and that specially during their stay in the Cal- cutta depôts), it is a question how far wise it is to attempt a general examination of their fæces with the object of detecting ankylostomes (if any), which, of course, cannot be expelled without giving a vermifuge and purgatives. I say during their stay in the Calcutta depôts, and I lay stress on the point, because the conditions here

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are quite different to those in the Colonial estates. The immigrants there like and seek opportunities to be in the hospital, so as to get chances of rest now and then, and, therefore, do not object to taking medicines; but out here they flatly refuse to take medicines, even when they are suffering from fever, unless there be some painful and distressing symptoms accompanying the fever. Such being the case, and having regard to the fact that they are free agents here and not prisoners, it would be highly injudicious to do anything against their will, which they invariably think will do them more harm than good. It is clear that if under the circumstances any attempt is forcibly made to give them any medicine, a general stampede will result, and serious riots occur in the depôts, bringing lamentable effects in their trail which it will be too late then to mend. I need hardly say that this will not only give rise to serious troubles, including occasional police cases, at the time, but will give a bad name to Colonial emigration and the depôts, which, when it spreads and becomes widely known (as it is bound to), will impart a death-blow to emigration, specially at this juncture when everybody, including most of the Government officials, are so much against emigration.

I should mention here that some years ago when suspected cases were being treated with thymol a very nasty medicine, and the administration of which enjoins abstinence from solid food for at least thirty-six hours, which in itself is revolting to the emigrants-desertions promptly followed amongst the persons thus treated.

I would further beg to point out that in the Calcutta depôts fresh people come in daily, and the former arrivals remain there until a shipload of people are collected. It is to be taken for granted that the procedure of giving every emigrant, male or female, single or married, against his or her will, a nasty medicine, pre- ceded, and in some cases, followed by, a drastic purgative, must create some ill- feeling in them against the staff and against emigration generally (not a wise thing to give rise to at the beginning of their preparations to emigrate to a foreign land), and such discontented people will certainly seek every opportunity to create rows and make fresh arrivals unwilling. This state of things, I beg to submit, can never take place in the altered conditions at the Colonial estates, where the immigrants are distributed in small numbers after each disembarkation, which takes place at a minimum interval of 30 days. The people, taken in conveniently small batches under treatment there, although possibly dissatisfied at first at being treated, either forget it soon or take it lightly, both on account of the lapse of time before fresh batches come in, and because they have realised in the meantime that the procedure has not done them any harm. There is another factor that goes a great way in making them behave well in the estates, and that is the fear that if they become disorderly they will not only be put in jail, but will lose their earnings. All these combined keep them quiet and from prejudicing others.

In conclusion, I would humbly beg the liberty to ask who it is that will be held responsible for the evils that are bound to follow the procedure of examining emi- grants for ankylostoma, both by pricking their fingers to draw blood, by starving them, and by giving them nauseous medicines to expel the worms all this against their wishes and carried out by compulsion.

I have, &c., September 4th, 1913.

33884

No. 149.

TRINIDAD.

B. K. GUPTA.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 30 September, 1913.)

(No. 353.)

SIR,

[Answered by No. 157.]

Government House, 4th September, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 198, of the 31st of May last, forwarding for the consideration of this Government copy of correspondence with the Emigration Agents at Calcutta respecting the amalga mation of the Agencies at Calcutta and Madras, and requesting to be furnished

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• No. 123.

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