Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius.

  • Mauritius. Medical and Health Department
Date:
[1926]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/34 (page 12)
    ] 2 Sanitary Rate Ordinance had provided the means for the systematic oiling and inspection of these latrines. It is to be feared that the occupiers of premises generally are neglecting this important feature in the maintenance of these latrines and so far the problem ot the satisfactory maintenance of pit latrines still awaits solution. Stil , wi i a 1 s ce ec s, e pit latrine system is an enormous improvement over the old engrais system, whereby every year there was a wholesale pollution of the country side with manure which, more often than not, contained a large proportion of fresh human excrement. Collection and Disposal of Refuse. 34 In Port Louis this work is carried out by the Government staff working under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health. The adoption of the Rose Hill system of trailers which could be man-handled from door to door until they were filled, when they were attached to motor lorries and driven to the place of disposal, was a great improvement on the old method of employing bullock transport, as regards speed, cost, and service. Until the end of June the scavenging of Curepipe was undertaken by the Loiomai Government through the Medical Officer of Health. In July the Board, through a contractor continued the service. In the townships the local boards are responsible foi the scavenging, which has been satisfactory upon the whole. Phoenix, Vacoas and the rural districts have been undertaken by the Colonial Government working through contractors. Water Supplies 35. In Port Louis part of Grand River supply is now passed through a scrubbing filter, while part is still passed into the mains without treatment of any sort. Owing to a number of circumstances, the chief being the wanton waste of water that still goes on in the town, chlorination could not be effected, but it is hoped that the measures now being taken by the Water Authority for the town will ultimately result in better regulation of the supply, stoppage of waste ; and purification of the water before it is issued to consumeis. The Public Works Department were able to extend the supply of Mare-aux- Vacoas water to Camp Fouquereaux, Petit Verger and Pointe aux Sables. Extensions of this supply were also made in Curepipe. Improvements have been made to certain supplies in the Northern Districts as well as in the Districts of Moka, Savanne, Black River and Grand Port. These improvements have mostly taken the form of substituting a piped for an open or well supply. Anti-malarial Works 36. The Public Works Department were engaged in filling in marshes at Cannoniers Point, Grande Baie Village, Cap Malheureux as well as in the Districts of Flacq and Savanne. SCHOOL HYGIENE 37. Work in connection with school hygiene is at. present limited to a medical inspect¬ ion of school children twice yearly. The inspection is made by the Medical Officer of Health or Sanitary Warden of the District except in Port Louis where it is undertaken by the Port Health Officer as one of the additional duties attached to the post. In the rural areas attention is chiefly given to spleen examinations, but in Port Louis a more elaborate examination is made. Some figures taken from Dr. Keisler s report on the Port Louis schools may be quoted as showing the minor ills to which the scholar’s flesh 18 heir' 19 2 6 1st January—30th June 1st July—31st December Pediculosis 3.05 1° 2.4 Scabies 0. 1 0.1 Skin affections... 1.05 0.9 Defective eyesight 1. 2 1.5 Ear trouble 2.07 3.7 Tonsils -and adenoids 3. 8 3.3 Bad teeth 11.8 11.1 the major ills the following were clinically diagnosed : % * Enlarged spleen 4.10 2.8 Anaemia 11.6 6.08 Schistosomiasis 0.8 0.1 Worm Infection 24.7 15.2 e total number of children examined in connection with the abovementioned figures was 2,749 for the first half-year, and 2,596 for the second.