Annual report on the Medical Department, Brunei.

  • Brunei. Medical Department.
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Medical Department, Brunei. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/28 (page 7)
    / villages in Brunei, but it is hoped to introduce a modified system early next year in the villages of Tutong and Kuala Belait. There never was any form of conservancy system in Brunei, except in the Quarters for the Europeans where the flush system predominated. The Government has provided four Public latrines for the town of Brunei over the river— two for men and two for women. The necessity for separate latrines to all the houses, has been realised and it has been decided to request the owners to get Sanitary bucket latrines constructed early in 1930, and then to enforce a system of compulsory night soil removal under the direct supervision of the Sanitary authorities. Arrangements are in progress to provide similar latrines for all the Government Quarters. (iii) Water The water supply to the town of Brunei is piped from a reservoir on an adjacent hill. The water is of good quality and abundant. The sources of water supply in the villages and rural areas are far from satisfactory. Normally, springs, shallow earth wells and rivers are the sources of supply for drinking, bathing and washing purposes and as they are unprotected become easily polluted. In places where rivers are used as sources of supply it is not unusual to see even latrines constructed over them. Filtering or even the value of boiling the water prior to use for drinking is unknown to the natives. (iv) Buildings The Town of Brunei is well laid out, with wide roads and sufficient space for back-lanes. All the houses are of good Sanitary pattern. The villages are irregular collections of plank or attap houses with no form of Sanitation. Since the villages of Kuala Belait and Tutong have been declared as Sanitary Board areas construction of houses is now under the control of the Board and Sanitary types are required. (v) Maternity and Infant Welfare Maternity among the natives is a crude art and Infant Welfare a primitive science. Out of every 1,000 children that are born 300 or probably more, die before they attain the age of one year. Such high mortality represents a prevent¬ able situation. Unskilled midwifery, improper feeding, ignorance, and the apathy of the masses contribute to this end. There is not a single qualified Midwife in the whole State and midwifery practice is entirely in the hands of un¬ educated and ignorant old women. 1