Medical and sanitary report / Government of the Gold Coast.

  • Gold Coast. Medical Department
Date:
[1893]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical and sanitary report / Government of the Gold Coast. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    broke out at Kwitta, most probably imported from Cape Coast; from Kwitta the infection spread to Ada, where the first case (then about 5 days old) was detected and isolated. A few cases also occurred at Elmina, Accra and Saltpond. Lastly it spread to the Winneba District in the latter part of December. 36. The total number of cases treated during the year was 120, made up as follows :— Accra 6, with nil death. Ada . 6 1 death. Cape Coast . 24 55 5 deaths. Elmina . 59 55 8 „ Kwitta . 11 55 3 „ Saltpond . 7 »> nil death. Winneba . 7 55 Total 120 55 17 deaths, or a mortality of 141'66 per 1,000 for the whole littoral. 37. The mortality it will be observed varied largely in the different districts, e.g. at Accra ... nil per 1000 of cases treated. Ada . 16666 do. Cape Coast • . 208-33 do. Elmina . 135-08 do. Kwitta . 272-72 do. Saltpond . • nil do. Winneba . . • »» do. from which it will be seen that the rate of mortality was highest at Kwitta, Cape Coast and Ada. This fact is noteworthy in connection with the origin of the disease, for while the evidence is definite as to the spread of the disease to Kwitta and Ada from Cape Coast, the nature of the disease at Cape Coast leads to the belief that it was not imported into that station from Elmina. 38. As regards the source of origin of the disease in an epidemic form, which was first observed at Cape Coast, there is strong suspicion that the disease was freshly imported into the Colony from the Bights. Whatever may have been the source of origin at Elmina and Cape Coast, it appears quite clear as to the spread of the disease at Kwitta and Ada from infection imported from Cape Coast, directly and indirectly. 39. Dr. Papafio, the Medical Officer of Kwitta, writes : I.—“The progress of the “ outbreak was interesting in one respect, it spread only in one direction of the town, “ in a straight line leeward along the beach houses and chiefly amongst the Ga and “ Fanti residents. II.—As to the origin of the outbreak, the first case which occurred “ here was in a Fanti boy who had then arrived in Kwitta from Cape Coast per the steam¬ ship ‘Koquelle,’ but as to where he caught the infection there is no clear evidence, as “all the information available on the subject is vague and unreliable; but from the “ enquiry it would appear as though there was a possibility of the boy having caught “ the infection before his arrival at Kwitta, probably at the place of embarkation, “ because he had on board the same steamer as a fellow passenger my private clerk, “ from Accra, who shortly after their arrival here also developed symptons and “ died of the disease in a rather mysterious manner, as deceased had not lived “with this boy, beyond the mere fact that he was his fellow passenger and only “ at the time, when, I presume, the boy had no symptons of the disease; moreover, “ the enquiry elicited what afterwards proved to be a fact, that Small-pox was at “ Cape Coast when the 6 Roquelle’ left there, and as there was no case existing in this “ district, at least no report of any such, prior to the arrival of the boy. it does appear “ to me, in the circumstances, that if it were not improbable that the boy caught the “ infection before he embarked at Cape Coast, then the subsequent development “ of symptons of his case, immediately after his arrival in Kwitta, should be “ regarded as mainly answerable for the general infection which afterwards broke out “ here,” 40. Dr. Lyons’ report on the progress of the Epidemic at Ada is also very interesting and suggestive. He writes : I.—“ The first case, that of a boy named “ Mama, was discovered on August ISth, 1893. He had then been ill 5 days. The “ boy came from Kwitta the previous day, being then very sick. Thus the first small- “ pox case was undoubtedly brought over from Kwitta. The boy had not been “ vaccinated He was immediately isolated and placed in an unoccupied house.
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