Annual medical report on the health and sanitary condition of the Nyasaland Protectorate for the year ended 31st December, 1914.

  • Nyasaland. Medical and Sanitary Services
Date:
[1914]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical report on the health and sanitary condition of the Nyasaland Protectorate for the year ended 31st December, 1914. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/74 page 12
    The percentage of admissions for all forms of malaria on the total admissions was 67, as compared with 5*64 in the previous year. Blackwater Fever.—There were only 3 cases of blackwater, as against 7 in 1913, and 11 in 1912. Of these 3 cases, two recovered and one died. As regards locality, one occurred on the Lower river level, and two in the Shire highlands. There can be no question but that the greater attention now devoted to malaria prophylaxis accounts for this comparatively low incidence of blackwater fever, the average liability to which among ^Europeans is now about 1 per cent. Just 20 j^ears ago, Sir Harry Johnston appended the following note to the Annual Medical Report of the Protectorate, which is of much interest in this connection :— “The death-rate amongst Europeans rose from a former death-rate of 6 5 per cent to 97 per cent. The number of deaths registered was 28, out of an average European population of 275. Of these deaths 20 were due to the various forms of malarial fever (including blackwater).out of the 20 deaths from malarial fever about 16 were cases of blackwater. Besides these 16 cases there were as many more where recovery took place.” So that in the year 1895 there were about 32 cases of blackwater fever in a population of 275, making the liability about n*6 per cent fifteen years ago. Dengue Fever.—This has not up to the present been reported from any part of the Protectorate. Yellow Fever.—Not known to occur ; Stegomyia fasciata has a wide range of distribution. Filariasis.—Only two cases were reported. Tick Fever.—Seven cases were returned, as against ten in the preceding year. As pointed out in previous reports this infection is fairly prevalent in the Lake districts, where it may be said to be endemic. Trypanosomiasis.—A total of 39 cases has been notified, during a combined period of seventeen months investigations. Of this number, one case emanated from the Mombera district and was diagnosed at Zomba ; and another was notified by the Free Church of Scotland Mission, from the north-western section of the Marimba district. The balance of 37 cases discovered by Medical Officers during the course of their special investigations are tabulated as under :— Name ot Medical Officer. District investigated. Duration of investigation. Number of Cases found. Dr. Conran. Dowa. 9 months 23 Dr. Morgan. Marimba. 4 12 Dr. Sanderson. Dedza. 2 I Dr. Sanderson. South Nyasa. 2 I Total. , 37
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3