Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the Colony on the public health ... / Cape of Good Hope.
- Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Department of Public Health.
- Date:
- [1906]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the Colony on the public health ... / Cape of Good Hope. Source: Wellcome Collection.
85/300 page 17
![all Natives suffering from undoubted Consumption considered tbe only effective remedy. Three deaths from Consumption, 1 European, 2 Coloured, certified during the year. Syphilis occurs occasionally and usually in mild form. Pre¬ cautionary measures in operation seem effective enough. A large number of un¬ certified deaths in infants recorded; these deaths it is believed in many cases to have been due to Atelectasis, caused by lack of attention at birth. No inquiries are held into the cause of such death, and the Field-cornets' certificates have been accepted. Willi ston. Dm G. H. Ormsby, Additional District Surgeon. A stone reservoir has been built by Municipality at top of village, the water being piped from the wind pump to the reservoir; it is intended to eventually dis¬ tribute the water in pipes from house to house. Water seems of good quality, but has not been analysed. No regular method of disposing of night-soil. Slop- water is either thrown out through windows or doors. Many huts in Location which are not even fit for pig-styes. Cattle and sheep kraals are mixed up gen¬ erally with the houses, causing in addition to the usual insanitary effects, a plague of ffies. Remarkable absence of infections disease during the year. Health of District has been good. One case of Small-pox occurred in September. Tuber¬ culosis very rare ; only one case in a Coloured person. Only one case of Syphilis at present under treatment. GEORGE.— Dr. C. Owen-Snow, District Surgeon. Water-supply.—No change. Rainfall for year 33’2 inches. The open water- furrows are not kept as clean as they should be a regrettable fact, as many of the poorer inhabitants use this water for drinking purposes ; the gravitation supply should be laid on more generally in the town. The pail closet system is in operation ; night-soil is disposed of by house¬ holders themselves, usually on their plots of ground. Refuse is dumped anywhere on the outskirts of the town. These are matters which urgently call for rectifi¬ cation and ought to be at once dealt with by the Town Council. Overcrowding exists, though not to a very serious extent, amongst the poorer classes of both races, a fact which is specially regrettable in view of the increase of Phthisis amongst Coloured people. Many of the houses are badly built with insufficient or no foundations, and are badly ventilated. Slaughter-houses kept fairly clean, but ought to have cement floors ; there is room for improvement as regards cleanliness in regard to the carrying, handling and storing of meat, fish, etc. Cattle kraals and pigsties in the town are not kept as clean as they ought to be. Cattle and other animals wander freely about streets and water-furrows. No Native Location. An unfurnished building of six rooms near Gaol is used promiscuously to house Lepers, Syphilitics, Lunatics, and Paupers. Two cases of Enteric Fever and three of Diphtheria occurred. 228 persons vaccinated during year; very poor attendance of children. There must be a considerable number of unvaccinated children in the District. Compulsory vaccination should be more strictly enforced. Tuberculosis is undoubtedly prevalent, and eclipses in importance all other diseases in District. During the year 239 deaths were registered, which with a population of about 13,000 gives a mortality of 18'5 per thousand. Of these 02— or more than a Quarter—were registered as due to Consumption, and six as due to other forms of Tuberculosis. Several other deaths registered as due to Bronchitis and Pneumonia were probably due to Phthisis, so that probably about one-third of the deaths in this District are due to Tubercular Disease; Coloured population principally affected, but disease is increasing amongst Europeans. The pul¬ monary form is the more common. Amongst the causes of the disease are nredis- nosition. caused bv poverty and insufficient or improper food ; overcrowding in damp, ill-ventilated houses with clay floors constantly expectorated on. Tho reme¬ dies are to educate tbe public as to the dangers of expectoration and of living in damn ill -ventilated houses, and as to the value of fresh air and sunshine. The Mu nj.ciTial Council have verv properly had a leaflet, giving directions on the snh- iect printed apd distributed. R nil ding Regulations requiring houses to be built with nroner foundations should be enforced. Svnhil w not verv prevalent, and chief!v iuet wifli in the Ce^envpd rjv’pq end in the secondary stages: 17 cases treated under the C.D, Act. Not considered that r Cr 40—1307.'] 9](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31482028_0085.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
