Annual medical and sanitary report / Swaziland.

  • Swaziland. Medical Department.
Date:
[1932]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical and sanitary report / Swaziland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/28 (page 2)
    (a) GENERAL REMARKS. The total morbidity ajad mortality were increased enormously by the unprecedented outbreak of malaria in the southern half of the country and by an epidemic of whooping cough amongst the children everywhere. Otherwise the health of the Territory was good and it is pleasant to be able to report that the number of cases of Enteric was much below that of last year. (i) GENERAL DISEASES. There is nothing particular to report concerning these. The usual rheumatic complaints and less severe respiratory troubles such as severe colds, mild influenza and acute and chronic bronchitis were prevaleht especially in the higher parts of the country. Asthma and epilepsy continue to be very common everywhere. There was about the average amount of scurvy. This disease is most prevalent towards the end of the winter and though there is practically no mortality from it, it must undermine the general health to some extent. There is always some ordinary anaemia, the result of an ill- balanced and insufficient diet but no cases of pernicious anaemia have been observed. For the first time sinoe I came to this country I found a case of diabetes in a native. The patient was awell-to-do man whose scale of living was far above that of ths average native. This disease is fairly common amongst Europeans. I saw a few cases of Carcinoma, all in the advanced and hopeless stage, but in proportion to numbers this disease is extraordinarily fare in natives as compared with Europeans. The same applies to Cholelitheasis, Nephritis, Peptic ulcers and appendicitis, though the latter seems to be on the increase. Gastro-intestinal diseases in infants and young children are unfortunately very common. It is increased by the pernicious habit of feeding infants from their birth on thin maize porridge even when the mother has sufficient natural food. This is a national custom and no amount of talking will convince the ordinary native woman that the praotloe is harmful. (11) COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. Mosquito or insect-borne s The only one is malaria and the year was notable for an outbreak of this disease in the southern part of the Territory, the extent and severity of which were beyond anything experienced hitherto within the memory of the old inhabitants. The dry summer followed by hot weather and fairly heavy rains in the autumn and early part of the winter gave rise to conditions eminently suitable for the development of Anepheles Costalis with the result that from February to the middle of June Malaria was very bad in the endemic and epidemic areas and spread to parts such as Mahamba where it had hitherto been unknown. The inhabitants of these areas had not acquired the slightest degree of immunity; they suffered very severely and the mortality rate was high. The Assistant Commissioner and the Medical Officer at Flatikulu made tours of the affected areas giving advice to the Chiefs and people 2.