Annual report of the Superintending Medical Officer / Jamaica.

  • Jamaica. Medical Department
Date:
[1909]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Annual report of the Superintending Medical Officer / Jamaica. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/80 (page 20)
    I take every opportunity of telling people how necessary it is to boil such water. Many I find are following my advice. There was a good rainfall during the year. A dry year in this district means a sickly one as the water becomes low and muddy. I have not up to the present been able to get the Board to put their markets into a proper sanitary state. My District is well protected from Small Pox. I have, etc., (Sgd.) V. Ffrench-Mullen, D.M.O. Sir, Falmouth, April, 1909. In reply to Circular No. 20 of April 22nd, 1909, I have the honour to submit a report of the health of the Falmouth Medical District for the financial j^ear ending March 31st, 1909. My appointment to the district dates from September, 1908, and it is therefore only from then that I can speak from personal knowledge. During the colder months of December, ’08, Januaiy, February and March, ’09, there were several cases of illness amongst children, in which Vomiting was present as a symptom, and there was also, during these months, an increased incidence in the number of cases of Malarial Fever, more particularly in the Salt Marsh and Martha Brae districts, and some of the cases were of a severe type—but there was complete immunity, as far as I am aware, from anything like epidemic prevalence of, or the occurrence of any of the zymotic and infectious diseases. The mortality was highest, (especially the infant mortality) during the colder months, about five times as many deaths occurring in January as in July. With reference to the cases of “Vomiting” above alluded to, which are generally ami popularly all grouped together under the name of “Vomiting Sickness,” without hazarding an opinion from a limited experience, as to whether there is, or is not a definite entity, which might be spoken of as “ Vomiting- Sickness, ” the term is inapt and unfortunate, inasmuch as it has led to the inclusion under this one heading of a variety of diseases, in which vomiting occurs as a symptom, and the recording under this one head of deaths, which are due to several different causes. During these months in which sickness was prevalent amongst children, the District Constables were supplied with a “Stock Mixture” for free distribution, and in many cases, it would appear to have been beneficial; but in as much as such diverse diseases as Malarial Fever, Ascarides, Acute gastro-enteritis and evp chronic Nephritis, &c._, &c., all shared in the distribution of this same mixture, this method of medical relief is not without its drawbacks. ’ The sanitary condition of the Town of Falmouth is on the whole satisfactory, due in a great measure to certain natural advantages, moie attention might be paid to the cleaning and weeding of the streets and the fillmg up of a_number of crab holes, and some supervision of the milk, and control of other food supplies, might be, with considerable-advantage, adopted. ^ Contrary to a somewhat general opinion, the town is comparatively exempt from Malarial Fever and of over one hundred school children residing in various parts of the town, who were examined in January last by Dr. Front of the Liverpool School of Tropical medicine, less than 2% were found to have enlarged spleens; this, which is a low “splenic index” compares favourably with other parts of the Island. ^ This exemption is remarkable, seeing that in the swamp and marsh land (“the rice fields”) situated immediately beyond the eastern limit of the town, the Anopheles and its larvie abound (In the ponds to the west of the town there do not appear to be any.) ' ^ ^ In July ’08 the laying down of new six-inch main pipes, from the Dam and Persian Wheel at Martha Bra;, a mile and a half from the town, was commenced; and there should be an improved water supplv when the new mams are connected and the repairs and alterations contemplated in connection with the wheel, etc., are completed. , y^^ent nec^sity for a suitable pkce for the isolation of infectious diseases, or of cases suspected of being infectious, became apparent m October last when a case was reported as “susnicioiislv reqeiri l.lmg” Pestis Major (but which happily was uot). The matter is 1 uLerSaS un e) oSklem*,; oF the Parochial Author, les and it is to be hoped that a convenient and suitable site will be soon obtained I have_ already incidentally alluded to Dr. Front’s visit to this District. observations on Malaria, he visited and obtained the histories of several reputed cases o Vomiting Sickneas and was afforded an opportunity of performing a post-mortem examinaSon o one case. In addition, he made investigations into the incidence of “ElephaLiasis ” and other Filana Diseases, which would appear to be rare in,this district, and of “Yaws”, ivhich I regret to Liv is fSlv prevalent throughout the district but which is certainly, to some extent, kept froiu sprLdiSl- t present method of dealing with these cases, m the absence of more radical and desirable messuTes for thc^^llS^i^ yer Fai;:;^uti^r:;^::aSS Vaccination was perlormhd at the commencement and erul of the lation is widl protected (or appears to be) from small pox. Re- ])eriod under review; the poiiu -vaccination might be considered. I have', &c. lion. Superintending Medical Officer, (Sgd.) Florizep peL. Myers, D.M.O