Report of the Surgeon-General / British Guiana.

  • British Guiana. Medical Department
Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Report of the Surgeon-General / British Guiana. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    82/96 (page 74)
    340. The Department not infrequently advises Government Departments, Local Sanitary Authorities and lot owners as to the most suitable sanitary type and size of bin desirable. 341. Food Inspection and Sampling.—Shops are regularly visited, foodstuffs inspected, and unsound food taken before a Justice of the Peace for condemnation. 342. Milk samples were taken at irregular intervals in the different districts and forwarded to the Government Analyst for examination. The results are stated in the appended tables. It is regrettable that the Government Analyst has found that the percentage of adulterated milk has risen from 5.5% in 1934 to 6.2% in the year under review. The severity or otherwise of the fine inflicted probably has a direct bearing on the incidence and degree of adulteration. 343. The fact that the percentage of adulteration of samples of milk taken during special raids on Sundays, Public Holidays and after official hours is so much higher (7.7%) warrants an increase in activity at these times. Propor¬ tionate remuneration should, however, be granted to the Sanitary Inspectors for such overtime duties. 344. The Milk Committee, which was appointed by His Excellency, Sir Edward Denham, on 17th June, 1933, continued its deliberations throughout the year with the exception of the period covered by the epidemic of alastrim. The terms of reference were “ To consider and report on matters relating to the City’s Milk Supply, and to make recommendations for revising the existing bv-laws.” j 345. Pontine ante and post mortem examinations at slaughter houses were carried out by Sanitary Inspectors wherever such existed as also wherever slaugh¬ tering occurred. The chief causes for condemnation of carcases and portions of carcases were tuberculosis and parasitic infection of individual organs. The num¬ ber of carcases inspected was 8,119 of which 71 were wholly condemned and 3,983 portions of one or another were found unsound and destroyed. 346. Buildinys.—For the past five years the Department has endeavoured to put into force the laws on the subject of buildings and the laying out of land for building purposes which have been on the statute books of the Colony since 1911 and 1907, respectively. Prior to 1930, except in a comparatively small way as regards buildings, the provisions have been largely in abeyance. The Public Health Ordinance of 1934 in sec. 135 virtually re-incorporated sec. 27 of the Local Government Ordinance, and the building by-laws made under the latter Ordinance are still in force pending the making of regulations under the new Ordinance. 347. A considerable proportion of the work of Sanitary Inspectors in their districts is in consequence now taken up in dealing with building applications. In the majority of cases the officer has himself to fill in the application form and draw the sketch plan, after first having to take all the necessary measurements on the lot in question. 348. With the stress now laid on the importance of first ensuring that the land is properly laid out for building purposes much additional work has been placed on the shoulders of Sanitary Inspectors and at Head Office. Credit is due to the Sanitary Inspectors for the satisfactory manner in which they have carried out these heavy duties which involve many hours of work in the evenings, and to the office staff which has not been increased. It is hoped, however, that pro¬ vision will be made for an additional clerk on the ensuing year’s estimates. 349. Water Supplies.—The Pure Water Supply Commissioners continued their activities throughout the year, more particularly in the direction of piped distribution of artesian supplies. A reduction in the incidence of water borne diseases may confidently be expected with the increased consumption of pure