Report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer and Inspector-General of Hospitals / [Ceylon].

  • Ceylon. Civil Medical Department
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Principal Civil Medical Officer and Inspector-General of Hospitals / [Ceylon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Table II.—Race and Age Table showing Distribution in the Sexes. Sinha- | lese. j [Tamils, -bars. ; Moors. Bur¬ ghers. Malays Euro¬ peans. Ben- gali. Not stated. Total. Grand Total. M. F. ; M. F.! M. F. M. F. M. F. JM. F. M. F. M. F. .At. F. M. F. 0—5 1 2 - l! — — - — - - - - -- - - 1 3 4 6—10 2 5| _! — — 1 1 - - 1 4 6 10 11—15 ... 14 16 3 2 1 — 1 - 19 19 38 16—20 ... 44 23 31 4 11 9 _ _ 1 4 - 1 - - - - 87 46 133 21—25 ... 64 52] 20 12 17 6 3 2 1 — - - - - 1 - — 106 72 178 26—30 80 61 39 14 15 10 9 2 — 1 3 — - — 1 — - - 147 88 235 31—35 78 3H 23 61 17 7 5 1 2 2 — — _ 2 -- — 1 125 50 175 36—40 ... 77 24] 36 10 23 5 3 2 1 2 2 1 -- 142 44 186 41 — 45 45 18 S o' 7 2 9 _ 1 2 - - — — -- 03 27 90 46—50 | 49 29 10 5 11 5 2 1 — 3 - - _ _ - - 72 43 115 51-60 ... 1 39 22 14 2 15 4 4 1 4 1 - - — — _ _ - - 76 30 106 • 61—70 ... i 14 8 10 — 4 2 — 1 - 29 10 39 71—80 ... ! 2 5 _ _ — — o _ - - — — - — -- 4 5 9 81—00 ... 91 and over -- Racial Sex Totals ... 1509 301*194 61 U_/!«__ 121 50 32 10 11 16 6 2 _ 2 2 — - ] 875 443 _) 1,318 Racial Totals ! 810 255 171 ! 42 27 8 2 2 T 1,318 1,318 22. Vaccination.—Since the last report the suggestion of the appointment of an Assistant Bacteriologist lias been sanctioned, •whose particular duty is to be the manufacturer of calf lymph. After the necessary alterations to the buildings at the calf depot have been carried out, and apparatus for the manufacture of pure lymph on modern methods has been obtained, the percentage of successful vaccination should bo much increased. The particulars regarding the vaccination carried out during the year are as follows:—During the year 246,624 subjects were vaccinated : 1S5,0S7 were primary vaccinations and 61,537 re-vaccinations. Of the former, 143,496 were successful, 24,8S7 unsuccessful, and in 16.704 subjects the result of the operation was not known, as they failed to present themselves for examination on the appointed days. The percentage of successful cases to total inspected was 85*22. Of the re-vaccinations, 27,081 were successful, 11,S7S unsuccessful, and the result was not known in 22,578 cases, as the subjects failed to present themselves for inspection. The percentage of successful cilses to total inspected was 69*51. 23. Precautions against the Introduction of Plague.—The Plague Committee held its regular meetings. Seven foreign ports were declared infected. The total number of vessels calling at Colombo was 2,774, of which S77 were allowed to work as healthy in quarantine ” and 15 were placed in strict quarantine for various infectious diseases. There was only one case of plague brought to Colombo during the year, from Bombay, and the patient was sent to Galle, where he died soon after arrival. A suspected case also arrived from Bombay, but after medical supervision for 24 hours it was declared not to be a case of plague. The cargo lighters were regularly and systematically fumigated, to destroy the rats. 24. Lunacy.—The total number of patients treated in the Lunatic Asylum during the year was 783, which exceeded the number of any previous year; there were 104 deaths. In the House of Observation 246 persons were treated, of whom 10 died. As mentioned in previous reports, the water service to this institution is very defective, but there is a proposal for its improvement, which is likely to be undertaken soon. For further details in connection with this institution, please .-we the report of the Medical Superintendent a ttaclied. t Section HI.—Meteorological Condition and their Relationship to Disease. 25. Of all meteorological conditions, the rainfall has the greatest influence on the health of the people. Drought means hardship, agricultural pursuits arc hindered, foods get scarce, a veils run dry; Avith insufficient food and Avatcr Ioav in the avcIIs, boAvel complaints are common ; with insufficient rain the breeding places of mosquitoes are not washed out, mosquitoes therefore are left undisturbed, and a large amount of malaria is the result. The influence of the rainfall as a factor in increasing disease avas very marked in Colombo during the year under revieAV. There were long periods of drought, and the rainfall for the year Avas beloAV the average. There Avas an unusual amount of sickness from serious disease in consequence. Similar meteorological conditions existed in 1906, which Avas a markedly unhealthy year. The incidence of malaria is determined by the monsoon rains. If the Island is roughly divided into western and eastern longitudinal halves, malarial fevers are commoner soon after the south¬ west monsoon in the Avcstern half of the Island, and after the north-east monsoon in the eastern half. Section IV.—General Sanitary Condition of tiie Colony and of the Chief Towns. 26. The general sanitary condition of the Island remains in much the same condition as last year. The same methods of disposal of dust and fcecal matter exist, but the tendency is towards sanitary improve¬ ments in the toAvns and villages throughout the Island, although the work is of necessity sIoav owing to the cot. The folloAving is a list of the chief towns, Avith a description of their present sanitary condition :— 27. Colombo.—The water supply has been improved since the erection of another reservoir on an (•■••vated bite in Colombo, but in the southern part of the city, and in houses of tAvo storeys, the pressure i- iuMifiieiont. The collection of night soil and its disposal is unsatisfactory from a sanitary standpoint ; the rtm night soil in carts through miles of streets is objectionable, and the burial of the night soil areas of ground immediately outside the town is to be condemned. But these means mtii the water carriage system is completed. Good progress lias been made with the work