Report of the Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population, with appendices.

  • Fiji. Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Commission appointed to Inquire into the Decrease of the Native Population, with appendices. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    238/442 (page 224)
    813. It now remains for us to indicate the order in which we believe our proposed remedies might most eilectually be applied, 814. We conceive that the main requirement of the people is constant supervision. Modern laws forbid, but do not restrain; they command, but do not insist; they can be more easily evaded than could the argumentum hacuUnum under which the people's habits were formerly moulded. It is not to be denied that ample supervision by native chiefs and authorities is provided; but there are many requirements of the modern law which these officers do not understand or do not sympathise with, and if any of the proposed remedies are to be adopted it will be found that wholly native supervision will not be sufficient. We think, therefore, that the first thing to be done is to provide more elfective control by the appointment in each province, if it can be afforded, of a European officer as suggested under Remedy No. XXXV (More Efficient Administration of Native Laws), vide paragraphs 641 et seq. The duties of such officers have been briefly suggested at paragraph 642, and experience would be found to extend or modify the list. It is at this point, we think, that a beginning should be made. The first duty of such officers would be to see to the enforcement of existing laws—many of which are in practical abeyance from the lack of such supervision—and thence- forward the introduction of new and necessary provisions would become easier. Each Provincial officer should make himself acquainted at first hand with the circumstances of every village in his province, and would thus become available for all measures that may hereafter be taken in connection with this subject. 8] 5. Another matter of universal application throughout the Colony, to which early attention should be given, is the promotion of measures for the avoidance of yaws {coko)—vide paragraphs 472—474. The nature of this disease requires that it should be simultaneously stamped out in every part of the Colony ; but that is probably a duty too heavy to enter on until the way has been well prepared. When, however, it is entered on the sanitary officers will be of much service in supervising the work; and with the view of gaining experience, and at the same time of educating public opinion on the subject, we should like to see steps taken soon to carry out our recommendations in one island,—say Kadavu or Beqa. If coko could \)Q eradicated from one island measures could be taken to prevent its reintroductiou there ; a commencement would have been made in the suppression of the disease; and valuable experience would have been gained both by the Government and the Natives, which could be applied in the furtherance of the general result. 816. We may be met by the criticism that in colonies where concerted efforts have already been made towards the eradication of yaws—as in some of the West Indian settlements and in some districts of Ceylon—success has not been attained. To this argument we would reply that their failure has depended upon,—(1) The unreadiness of the medical authorities in past times to accept contagion, i.e., inoculation, as the sole means by which it is propagated ;* and (2) The lack of facilities such as we possess for controlling the movements of the subjects. In our own Colony the general opinion is that inoculation alone is responsible for the dissemination of this disease, and we do not oppose that view. 817. In further considering the order of the application of the proposed remedies we have been met by the question as to whether in the beginning it would be better to distribute the remedies severally among the respective provinces of the Colony or to initiate a number of them in one province as a test. We are of opinion that in following the latter mode the various experiments would have most chance of success. 818. We think, therefore, that one province should at first be selected in which to apply a number of the remedies, and we would suggest Ba as the province most suitable, Ba * Eeport on Leprosy and Yaws in the West Indies; by Dr. Gavin Milroy.—London, 1873. Kepoi't on Parangi Disease ; by Dr. Kj'nsey.—Colombo, 1881.