Report on the public health administration of the Punjab.
- Punjab (India). Public Health Department.
- Date:
- [1928]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report on the public health administration of the Punjab. Source: Wellcome Collection.
37/112 page 27
![The articles issued during the year included 532,436 neem and bhusa battis which are used for destroying rats, and 2,r<0,894 doses of anti- plague vaccine, as compared with i30,014 doses in the previous year. The outbreak of cholera in Kulu ltd to a sudden demand for unusually large supplies of medicines, disinfectants and equipment, which, it is satisfac¬ tory to state, were promptly and fully met. The post of Superintendmfc wa? held throughout the year by Dr. G. C. Sahgal, District Medical Officer of Health, Jullundur, as an additional charge (without remuner itio i) and the efficient manner in which he and the staff of the depot performed their duties was entirely praise¬ worthy. 39. Chemical Laboratory of the Public Health Chemist—In May 19^3, Mr. Brij Lai, M.Sc., A.I.C, the Public Health Chemist was sent on deputation to England to undergo further training in food chemistry and Mr. Bashir Ahmed, xM.Sc., officiated for him until Mr. Bri] Lai resumed charge of his po t on December 16th, 1928. The woik conducted by the Public Health Chemist during the year comprised the chemical analysis of ^6 samples of drinking water, 42 samples of ghee, 15 samples of atta, 4 of bread, 6 of gur, sugar and sweetmeats and one of butter ana one of beer. Mr. Bashir Ahmad carried out an investigation to determine a suitable technique for sterilizing well water by meins of chlorine solution. He also held charge of the chlorinating plant at the Thanesar Eair where his assistance proved invaluable. The slow rate of expansion of laboratory work, wdiich is partly due to the fact that Punjab Adulteration of Foods Act is almost a dead letter and partly to the fact that District Medical Officers of Health have not hitherto made full use of the food laboratory, is not entirely satisfactory. Steps have, however, been taken to remedy both defects and a mere woikable hill has been drawn up to replace the existing Act, and the attention of District Medical Officers of Health has been called to the importance of inspecting food-stuffs and of submitting samples for analysis. The widespread use of artificial ghee has continued to engage the attention of the department and to exercise the minds of the public. That this should he so is not unnatural since ol the 42 samples of ghee submitted for analysis during the year no less than 70 per cent, were found to be adulterated with vegetable fats. It is not easy to discover a solution of this problem (which, however, is one which mainly concerns the pocket rather than health), and, although the proposal that artificial ghee should be coloured may perhaps suffice to distinguish genuine ghee from the artificial article, the employment of this method will lie attended with great difficulty in the case of mixtures of the genuine and the artificial product, which are now coming into general use. Another food-stuif, whose adulteration appears to be on the increase, is atta ; samples of artificial atta were found on analysis to possess little nutritive value. It is also a matter of concern that out of nine samples of quinine sub¬ mitted by District Medical Officers of Health, only one was found to contain the declared quantity of the drug. The adulteration of food and drugs is either becoming more pre¬ valent or is attracting increased attention, and steps have therefore been taken to urge Municipal Committees to employ Municipal Analysts and to provide themselves with properly equipped and adequately staffed food laboratories. 40. Educational Bureau and Health Propaganda.—Health pro¬ paganda, which was carried out in steadily increasing volume during the year, now forms a permanent part of the work of the Public Health Depart¬ ment. District Medical Officers of Health delivered 5,647 lectures to school- children and to the general public at fairs, and much valuable work amongst women was conducted by the Principal of the Punjab Health School during the course of her tours,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31477951_0037.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
