CO885-(23-24) — Page 99

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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reason for this appears to me to be that the water of the stream is used with the utmost economy and is not allowed to lie about any- where. Each field receives its proper allotment during one or two days in the week, after which the fertilising flood is turned into other fields. On the other hand, at Dicomo there appears to be severe malaria due to a small marsh of utterly waste water from a stand-pipe. Thus we have the antithesis of a useless water causing malaria in one place, and an extensive useful water causing none in another place. But where the available water is in excess the villagers did not appear to economise it so carefully, with the result that local malaria is caused.

(2) My studies of the reservoirs west of Famagusta entirely confirm the findings of the Commission. We found no anophelines in the reservoirs, and they did not seem to be suitable for them, because of the fish which they contain, unless they are allowed to It is true, become weedy round the margins later in the season. however, that there was a high spleen-rate in Prastion, Gaidhours, Kouklia, and Kalopsyda, and a very high spleen-rate of 100 per cent. at Akhyritou; but I could not attribute these to the reservoirs, and think that they are due to marshy pools somewhere over the flat adjacent areas, and to the causes mentioned in the Commission Report. At Akhyritou we found many anophelines in the village marsh below the reservoir, and the long channel which runs through the marsh and takes the escape water of the reservoir down to the sea was so full of weeds that it might become dangerous later in the season. The marsh is used for brick making by the villagers, and is, I think, the principal source of the high malaria rate amongst them. There is also a small marslı at Kouklia, and Kalopayda is open to the great flat plain lying to its north. In fact this plain is so open in all directions that very small breeding pools upon it may possibly furnish mosquitoes which would be capable of travelling miles to the nearest village. There was also a small pond at Gaidhoura, which, though apparently quite isolated from any other waters, contained plenty of small fish, but which may breed mosquitoes later in the year. I think that the malaria in this district is caused in precisely the same manner as the malaria in the other villages, namely, by the local breeding; and that it can be removed simply by the same methods, without interfering with the irrigation reservoirs, except as regards keeping their edges clean of weeds. While we were at Akhyritou, the Public Works Department started an experimental treatment of the marsh with a fund allowed at my request by the Acting High Commissioner. The weeds were cut by a weed out- ting chain, and the banks suitably drained.

(3) The only anophelines which we found in the Famagusta area were those in the large lake to the west of the town; but I doubt much whether this lake really affects the town itself. There used to be a marsh in the moat: though this has recently been drained; and I suspect that it was this marsh which has main- tained the spleen rate of the town, amounting to 325 per cent. in the Mohammedan school. Possibly also the numerous wella in the town and in Varosia are responsible for this spleen-rate-which appears to be rather high for the amount of breeding surface found

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by me. A more thorough enquiry is needed during the height of the summer to explain it.

Un enquiry amongst certain farmers living to the west of the town, I could find no indication of there being any very great migration of mosquitoes from the large lake. (See Section 16.)

The two villages of Derynia and Paralimni to the south of Famagusta are very interesting. Both villages lie close to a large salt lake, but the former is notoriously free from malaria, and the latter is notoriously unhealthy (the spleen-rate in the latter is lower than I expected, probably because nearly all the inhabitants take quinine. (See Appendix V., which contains my figures.) It can scarcely, therefore, be the salt lake which is the cause of the malaria. On examination, Dr. Fulheilan and I found no breeding surface near Derynia, but a large marshy stream close to Paralimni, which probably explains the facts. Wells occur in both villages.

(4) In Larnaca the principal breeding water appears to be in I did the gardens and in some isolated waters round the town. not give much time to the study because Dr. Patrick was carrying it out in a very capable manner for me; but the malarious rate in the whole of this district is very high and requires careful attention in connection with local breeding areas.

(5) The escape from the waterworks at Limassol can very easily be dealt with, and we showed the defects to His Honour the Mayor. The principal source of the malaria is very probably the large marsh which commences about a mile to the west of the town and extends for many miles further west. I think that the eastern edge of this marsh is quite within striking distance of the town and may have to be dealt with ultimately (Section 16).

Regarding the barracks of the troops at Polymidia, we could find no signs of breeding anywhere close at hand; but neighbour- ing villages contain irrigation waters; and I think it very likely that the soldiers acquire their infection in them, or in Limassol itself. There was a question whether the troops did not become infected during the annual marches to and from Troodos; but I suspect that the explanation just given is the more probable

oue.

(6) The ditch at New Paphos was probably capable of hatching many thousands of anophelines a night, but I understand from the Commissioner, Major Bayly, that it has been already drained. (7) Syrianochorio gave a spleen-rate of 100 per cent. amongst the few children found in the school. It also suffers from bilharzia disease, due to the river. The village is only a small one and the malaria infection arises from the large marsh in the neighbourhood, in which we found many anophelines. It would be out of the question to drain this marsh for such a small village, and other methods of prevention are therefore recommended (Section 16).

It is unnecessary to remark here upon many other localities seen by me, which offer no exceptions to the general rule re garding malaria. Some villages appear to be healthy and others to be very unhealthy, and the latter are usually, and probably always, associated with some loen marshy conditions, large or small. The spleen census will indicate very exactly the spots to