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PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

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24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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142

No. 103. TRINIDAD.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH COMMISSION.

SIR,

Downing Street, 17th May, 1915. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd of April,* replying to the letter from this Department of the 7th of April, and to convey to you an expression of Mr. Harcourt's appreciation of the readiness of the International Health Commission to accept the proposals of the Governor of Trinidad with regard to the appointment of Dr. Washburn as an Assistant Medical Officer in that Colony.

2. Mr. Harcourt will await the result of the further consideration of the question of the appointment of a second Assistant Medical Officer in the Colony.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ, for the Under-Secretary of State.

23383

No. 104.

SIERRA LEONE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 21st May, 1915.)

(No. 241.)

Government House, Sierra Leone, 8th May, 1915. SIR,

IN continuation of my despatch No. 101, of the 27th February last, and with reference to paragraph 6 of your despatch No. 19, of the 12th January,§ on the annual Medical and Sanitary Reports on this Colony for 1913, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copies of a report by Dr. Butler on the subject of ankylos. tome infections. In this connexion I would mention that the incidence of anky. lostomiasis in the Colony and Protectorate has been dealt with generally in the reports transmitted to you under cover of my despatches, No. 540 of the 29th September, 1914,|| and No. 158 of the 8th April, 1915.¶

2. With reference to paragraph 8 of your despatch of the 12th January,§ the Principal Medical Officer informs me that he has nothing to report on this subject beyond the fact that the sanitation of the railway reservation and the health of the employés are the subject of constant attention by the officers of the Medical and Sanitary Departments.

I have, &c.,

E. M. MEREWETHER,

Enclosure in No. 104.

Governor.

SIR,

Colonial Hospital, 10th April, 1915.

I HAVE the honour to submit to you a report on ankylostome infections based on results obtained during my appointments of Medical Officer at the Freetown Prisons and the Colonial Hospital Laboratory.

Infection with ankylostome worms is no new discovery in Freetown: Dr. Burrows reported in 1910, I believe, that 66 per cent. of hospital patients were infected.

I am of the opinion that the extent of ankylostome infection found here depends entirely on the carefulness of the examination of the stools; with quite an ordinary single examination of the stools of prisoners I have found an infection of 65-5 per The actual infection rate amongst prisoners is more probably between 90 per cent. and 100 per cent., while among the creole** population nearer 80 per cent. during the adolescent stage of life is the probable rate of infection.

cent.

143

I can point to no evidence amongst the general population that there is any marked injurious effect on health, but I am strongly of the opinion that ankylostome infection plus a rigid life and dietary, as occurs in prison life, can give rise to very serious consequences.

To the Honourable Principal Medical Officer.

I have, &c.,

G. G. BUTLER.

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON ANKYLOSTOME INFECTIONS IN FREETOWN.

1. General Incidence. The stools of 986.patients in the Freetown Hospital were examined and ankylostome ova were found in 293, which represents 30 per cent. This percentage is low because it includes all patients, European as well as West African. I personally examined 475 of these and found ankylostome ova in 180, making 38 per cent. I have also examined the stools of 116 prisoners in the Free town jail and found the ova in 76, which represents 65.5 per cent.

The above figures were obtained from a single examination of the unwashed fæces of the patients, so that the error is probably a very large one, which is borne out by the following statement. The fæces of 132 hospital patients of all nationalities were examined by washing and centrifuging about one drachm samples, with the result that 78. or 755 per cent., showed the presence of ankylostome ova; contrasts markedly with the 30 per cent. infection found when the crude fæces alone were examined.

this

I think that a percentage infection of 57-5 per cent. amongst the Freetown population must be regarded as a very high one, considering that there is sanitary control present: but at the same time it is possible that this figure is raised by arrival of up-country natives.

The inmates of the prison are drawn more largely from the real natives as compared with the creole, and it is to be expected that a higher general incidence is found.

2. Age Incidence. I have thought that this would be best shown graphically, and the following curves have been prepared.

TOTAL CASEB EXAMINED.

TOTAL CASES EXAMINED.

/ 1 3 8 13 32 70 100 164, 67 38 6 4

1 10

2 3 8 16 55 24 14 6 0 2

100

100

95

95

90

90

85

80

75

70

65

75

70

65

60

60

55

55

50

50

Percentages.

૦૩ જે* * * * * * $ 8 8 **6 8

25

30

45

40

35

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

090

* No. 97.

+ No. 90.

12044 in African No. 1081. No. 29. ¶ No. 98.

§ 35065/14 in African No. 1031.

** The term "creole," as used in West Africa, implies an anglicized native, usually a descendant of

a liberated slave from America, as opposed to the aboriginal population.

a b c d e f g h i j

1 1 1 1 1 Ï

10-15

15-20

20-30

AGE GROUPS.

Curve A.

01-08

10-50

09-9

m n

60-70

70-80

a b c d e f g hi

府

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

AGE GROUPS,

Curve B.

30-40

40-50

k l m n

09-09

60-70

70-80

:

1

}