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:
- [1902]
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.
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![In the civilian population the first case occurred in February, 1902, and the epidemic was at its height in March, and the last case had recovered in June. In about thirty-six cases in the town of Barklv East, four died. In former years Barkly East has had only single imported cases of Typhoid, but never such a large epidemic. The only reason I can give for tliis epidemic was the presence of the troops, and the Typhoid cases of the military being nursed right in the centre of the town, and the excreta in these cases not being dealt with properly, but I think also that there was a great likelihood of the water-furrow mentioned under (a) haying be¬ come infected by latent cases of Typhoid. “ Tommy Atkins ” will avoid using a field latrine if he can, and the furrow is in a fairly convenient situation for his purposes. Furthermore, the British soldier is afraid to go into hospital, and, in consequence, afraid to report himself sick, and walks about in the early stages of Typhoid as long as he can, and is then a danger to the public. The sanitary measures introduced by the mili¬ tary to cope with the epidemic look very well on paper, but when looked at in the manner they were carried out, they were simply abominable. Small-pox was first discovered on the farm Douglas on the 11th Sep¬ tember, the source of infection being unknown. The first case when seen was dead, and wa.s a coloured unvaccinated adult female. Altogether three persons were attacked, one European female and two coloured, all unvaccinated. The next outbreak was in a road party at Ivrorndraai on the 17th September, and the men were probably infected at Douglas. Two cases occurred, one prevaccinated, the other unvaccinated- both natives. On the 19th September a single case was discovered at Broadlands in an unvaccinated native male; it is likely that this case was infected at Douglas. At Sandham, on the 26th September, a case of modified Small-pox was seen in a pre-vaccinated native male, who came infected from the Quiting. On the 12th of December a case of modified Small-pox pox was found in the town of Barkly East in a pre-vaccinated native male, the source of infection being unknown. On the 26th December a native male was found just convalescent from the disease at Lower Drumbo, and the man’s whole family, with the exception of an infant four days old, consisting of a wife and three other children, were .suffer¬ ing at the time from the premonitory symptoms of the disease, which de¬ veloped a few days later. All were unvaccinated. The only case that ended fatally was the first one discovered, when dead, at Douglas. Within a month after the discovery of the first case at each single outbreak, the last patient was discharged, and the disease stamped out, by isolation of the sick, and by vaccinating and re-vaccinating of the contacts, and of the people on the infected farm and neighbouring farms. . On the farms the necessary steps were taken by the Magistrate, as Chairman of the Divi¬ sional Council, and in the town of Barkly East by the Municipality. It is impossible for me to give the total amount of expenditure. I am of opinion that with regard to Small-pox the Local Authorities .have under¬ taken all reasonable measures to prevent the spread of the disease. It is sad to record that in 1902 another European has been found in¬ fected with Leprosy, the third in this. District. The delay in receiving the Governor’s Warrant in these cases is very unsatisfactory. In the case mentioned it is six months that he was certified, and the Governor s War¬ rant has not appeared yet, nor has it been decided if the man has to be locally segregated or not. This delay is great cruelty to all parties con¬ cerned. Another point that is very unsatisfactory is that the Magistrate is not empowered by the Act to issue a kind of c Interim Warrant, by which the leper can'be detained, and locally segregated until the Gover¬ nor’s Warrant appears. As I have frequently seen dangerous symptoms produced in infants by opiates, I wish to point out the indiscriminate sale of opiates under tho [G. 66—1903.] 0](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b3148198x_0017.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
