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.

    27/80 (page 21)
    Ulster Spring, April 2t)th, 1909. Sir, In reply to your Circular No. 26, dated April 22iid, I have the honour to report on my district for the financial year ended March 31st, ’09. The district, as a whole, is very healthy, and besides a couple of cases of Enteric Fever in the later part of last year, there has been no cases of very serious illness—the most prevalent complaints being affections of the stomach and woman’s complaint. I have no means at my disposal of ascertaining the mortality. I found great difficulty in getting the people to bring their children for vaccination, and on two occasions I had to bring the law to bear on a number of cases. Re-vaccination is never applied for, so the protection of Small-Pox, except in the children, is not secure. I have, &c., (Sgd.) Frank H. Cooke, D.M.O. The Hon S.M.O., Kingston. Copy. Duncans District. Health report for the year ended 31st March, 1909. With the exception of the usual Vomiting Sickness which appeared as usual towards the endjof the year in question, there was no marked increase of sickness or excessive mortality in the Distr ct during the year. Typhoid fever occurred sporadically in the District during the whole year, with the exception of the last quarter. Duncans.—This town is on the coast road between St. Ann’s Bay and Falmouth. It is like all Jamaica towns more or less insanitary. The outlaying parts being overgrown with trees and bush of all sorts. There were heavy rains in October and November, causing an increase in Malarial Fevers, but there was no mortality from this cause. The Itch is still prevalent all over the District. Yaws is also common, especially in Duan Vale—about fifty cases were seen and treated there. Nearly every child above one year has been vaccinated. (Sgd.) F. A. G. PuRCHAS, D.M.O. Montego Bay, May 15th, 1909. Hon. J. Errington Ker, S.M.O. Sir, I have the honour to reply to your Circular No. 26 of April 22nd, 1909, as follows;— During the year ending March 31st, 1909, there has been no sickness of any serious or dangerous nature in the District brought to my notice. During October and early November there were a great many cases of Malarial Fever and Influenza in and around Montego Bay. From April 1st, 1908, a large part of my District was attached to another D.M.O.; the area taken from me, comprised Bethel Town, Seaforth Town, Lambs River, Catadupa, Cambridge and Chestercastle. As regards the sani¬ tation of the Town of Montego Bay, I think there is still considerable room for improvement. Nearly all the streets and lanes have concrete water tables, but at the crossings where the drains are covered, I understand the beds of the drains are not concreted, and the water, etc., when it comes to these crossings flow over earth, which in most cases result in obnoxious smells, particularly during the dry seasons. Some steps should be taken to rectify this, if this pretty little town is to become a Tourist and health resort as it is fitted to be and as the residents are so desirous of its becoming. ' The water supply has been good and continuous during the year; but I would again suggest the addition of Filter beds to the water plant. It has come to my knowledge during the year that there are a number of places in this Town, particularly Teneynent dwellings, without any closet or latrine. The result is obvious. There is still a large sale of meat along the streets in open places, where the alert fly has every chance of getting a feed for nothing and every opportuity of leaving disease germs on what he has left, to be sold to the unsuspecting buyer. This practice of selling meat at the roadside should be stopped, parti¬ cularly as there is a large market in the centre of the Town, big enough I should think for the size and population of Montego Bay. Dui'ing the latter part of the year after the rains started there was an outbreak of Malarial Fever all around, liut not many deaths occurred. During the month of January this year, there occurred several cases of “VYiniting Sickness” in the ilistricts of Mt. Carey, Roehampton, Mafuta and Montpelier. I was called to see several of the cases aiul fortunately Dr. A. H. Hanley, C.M.G., of the Liverpool School of Tropical medicine was here at the time, and accompanied me to these cases. Of the deaths that occurred from this disease, only one died after treatment . The others that were seen and treated recovered usually within forty-eight hours. Dr. Hanley was alile to be iiresent at about three autopsies, and with the aid of specimens he got I ho]io he will shoi'tly l)c able to give a favourable report as to the Etiology of this terrible disease, which has been attacking so many of the peasants in the country districts. My thanks are due to him for the many suggestions he offered me as to treatment &c., of these cases. A large number of the people still have frivolous objections to their children being vaccinated, but I still vaccinate all those who can be got to bring their children. The Lymph from the Lister Institute continues good and reliable. I have, &c., (Sgd.) G. P. Campbell, D.M.O. Lucea P.O., May 1st, 1909. To the Superintending Medical Officer, Kingston. Sir, In reply to your Circular No. 26 of April 22nd relating to Annual Returns, I have the honour to submit the following:—