Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of the city and borough of Pietermaritzburg.

  • Pietermaritzburg (South Africa). Public Health Department
Date:
[1934]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of the city and borough of Pietermaritzburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    53/150 (page 19)
    -19- 1933-1934 ( (4) VENEREAL DISEASE. ContJd.) The increased appreciation of this clinic is shown by the following treatment of Syphilis by the public of the value returns of attendances for 1931 - 1932 s 108°’ 1932-1933 s 1874 1933 - 1934 s 4344 (5) PLAGUE. N° case of plague was reported within the Borough during the yearj but increased attention was paid to the proper rat-proofing of food stores. During the year the Rodent Inspector made 1692 visitsto premises for the purpose of catching rats by trapping and poisoning and for the purpose of searching premises for signs of rat infestation. ° (6) OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. (a) WHOOPING COUGH. There were fewer deaths due to this aisease in the Borough during the year, only 4 non-Europeans dying from this cause. 3 European girls living within theBorough were admitted to the Isolation Hospital. The comparative freouencv°of Whooping Cough among Native children, noted last year, has apparently diminished. J (b) CHICKEN POX. 8 Borough European cases were admitted to the Isolation Hospital and 26 Native cases to the Epidemic Hospital. This increase in the number of Native cases treated is in part due to the greater scope of the Department's activities, as such cases are^now sought out and sent to hospital in order to prevent the spread of infection. Most of these cases occurred in domestic servants. _ MEASLES. . Although only 1 European and 1 Indian child died from Measles during the year, there was a minor epidemic of this disease in the hostels and schools of the town. As the infection is non-notifiable, there are no returns of the number of cases, but 29 Borough cases were admitted to the Isolation hospital as compared dui*ing' the previous year. It has been our practice to admit the first two or three cases from all boardirg schools and hostels in order to prevent the further spread of infection. Measles has been prevalent, apparently, in other centres of the Union this year and haritzburg has escaped lightly. The international nature of this year s increased incidence of Measles cases is suggested by the unusually high return of 602,990 cases of mead.es reported by the states Public Health Service between the 1st of January and the 9th of June, 1934^ the -oeak of the epidemic in the United States occurring in April. (d) EPIDEMIC DIARRHOEA and DYSENTERIC INFECTIONS. ( page 50 ) A JUuC- c Though enteric fever showed n< mo num^er °D cases of acute diarrhoea during the warmer dup + ^ie Vear• Deaths among children under the age of 2 yea: ue to this cause occurred as follows s- August,3s Sept.2; Oct.l; Nov.5; Deo. 105 Jany. 7; Feby.9; • % -n /-t r— .“s 1 _ *1 _ _ ]wr “ c o 5<j . QWbti, WusxJ i'JUV.O, ,6i April 5. May 2; June 2; - a total oi 52 deaths as compa with O C c o n /