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| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

mmimmim C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHÄNOT TO

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39. On the 31st of August I visited La Sagesse, in the Parish of St. David, an estate of the Honourable J. T. de La Mothe, M.L.C. There, on deep alluvium, on land which is flooded in heavy rains, a pit closet has been constructed for the use of the employees. The day of my visit succeeded a day of heavy rains, and the low ground around was still flooded. The closet, I was informed, had been in use by the labourers over two months-months of excessive rains. It was on this day prac tically inodorous; no fly or mosquito was seen; on plumbing it the rod reached solid ground at about 12 feet from the seat, and moist excrement marked only the end of the rod.

The pit was obviously protected from storm-water, and the absence of any water mark on the plumbing rod showed that little or no seepage was going on through the natural walls of stiff alluvium.

The pit, about 12 feet deep and 3 feet 6 inches square, was excavated by the labour of one man for a day and a half, at the local employed labour rate of one shilling a day.

40. Where circumstances are similar and they are so over a great part of the island-no peasant proprietor need adopt a shallow makeshift, when in a day and

The cost of walls and. a half he can excavate a pit which should last for years. roofing to divert the rain need not be great if the foundation is securely laid to exclude storm-water.

41. The people require practical demonstration to enable them to follow out whatever their legislators may devise for their advantage.

42. Again, I have visited on several occasions during the last few months the school of St. Dominic's, also in the Parish of St. David's, where pits of about 12 feet deep have been dug in the red earth, and the old closet buildings placed over them. The pits were absolutely dry when dug, and the buildings, which evidently could not efficiently prevent the access of storm-water, were later repaired. During the past two months these closets have been subject to flooding to various depths after rain, and have been breeding culicine mosquitoes. The flooding, to my observa- tion, has occurred to different depths in the two closets, which are not far apart, and, as the excavation showed, were in identical soil.

43. The closets obviously are still not effectively protected from the entrance of storm-water, and no theory of subsoil seepage need be put forward until the pits are absolutely protected from storm-water.

44. If still there was some entrance of water by percolation through the soil in excessive or prolonged rains a few ounces of kerosine, or possibly the use of salt and sand, as has otherwise been advocated, would prevent mosquito breeding.

45. As this matter of safe disposal of excrement is one of vital importance, and as the value of the work conducted by the International Health Commission depends on the sanitary accomplishments of the people, I appeal for more active support of the efforts of the Cornmission.

46. Outside the educative work of the local staff, one Sanitary Inspector, as stated last month, has the supervision of the Parishes of St. George and St. David, in which, outside the town of St. George's, there are some three or four thousand dwellings on which sanitary oversight should be maintained.

47. During the month the frequent heavy rains, besides directly retarding work, have indirectly prevented many from receiving treatment on account of illness. The complaint of fever" is general, and many amongst those attending for treat- ment have been found to be suffering from heavy malaria infection. Even residents in the town of St. George's have visited head office for treatment, infected with malignant malaria. The continuous rains over two months have permitted exten- sion of anopheline breeding, mainly, so far as I can find, along the routes of travel and habitation; in twenty-one different spots in wayside gutters, in the lower part of St. George's Parish alone, I have found anopheline larvæ during the past month; and culicines swarm in every casual hole, to the great delight of the entomologist.

The anæmia and debility of malaria infection seriously complicates the problem of ankylostomiasis.

48. It is gratifying to me to read in the First Annual Report of the Inter- national Health Commission these words of the Director-General-

"The International Health Commission has not undertaken to eradicate uncinariasis in any country. The accomplishment of this work will require The the operation of permanent agencies working over long periods of time. attitude assumed by the International Health Commission towards this work is that assumed by the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission in the Southern

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States, namely, that the bringing of this disease under control in any country is a work which no outside agency, working independently, could do if it would, and one which no outside agency should do if it could; that if the infection is to be stamped out in any area the country in which it exists must assume the responsibility: and that the Commission may be of service in so far as it may co-operate with the Governments of foreign countries in organiz- ing and making effective their own agencies. In this spirit the Commission has accepted the invitation of eleven foreign countries during the current year to co-operate in the relief and control of this disease."

49. The evidence accumulated to date in Grenada shows that the eradication of the disease on the lines which have been considered advisable in this community will be a lengthy process; but no evidence is forthcoming to show that education and sanitation should not go hand in hand with the personal curative measures.

50. The education of the people in their homes, at this office, by talks at the various locations, and by special lectures, is maintained. During the month addresses have been delivered at Crochu, Grand Bacolet, Munich, the Court House, St. David's; and a lantern lecture at Belmont School, at which the Inspector of Schools was present and also spoke to the people.

Post Scriptum, 7th September, 1915.

51. Since this report was written I have received a communication from the Colonial Secretary enclosing, by direction of the Governor, copy of a minute from His Excellency which deals with matter contained in paragraphs 18 et seq.

Report for the Month of September, 1915.

52. Work in the Mount Moritz and St. David's areas is now restricted to the examination of patients who are still anxious to continue treatment, and the staff of assistants has been necessarily reduced.

53. The area of St. Andrew's, with a population limited to 2,000, is being worked, and that limit of population is being found to be nearer the number that can be satisfactorily dealt with in a three months' campaign.

54. The total figures for the operations of the quarter are set out on the schedule.

55. The statement of expenditure* of the office for the quarter ended 30th September, 1915, is also attached.

56. The customary routine of sanitary education is continued from this office.

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Grenada.

54971

No. 27.

I have, &c.

Angus MACDONALD,

Medical Officer in charge.

WINDWARD ISLANDS: ST. LUCIA.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE, (Received 29th November, 1915.) [Answered by No. 32.]

Grenada, 1st November, 1915.

G. B. HADDON-SMITH,

Governor.

(St. Lucia. No. 147.)

FORWARDED.

* Not printed.