Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1922]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/46 (page 24)
    bath, there does not seem to be much danger, and actual results seem to confirm this. Interesting complications of bilharzia were met with during the year, e.g., cirrhosis of the liver and appendicitis; and one extraordinary case of possible blackwater in a native was studied, in which severe bilharzial disease was found, with no definite proof of malarial infection. 16. Tumours, etc.—The following were found :—Carneous mole (1), carcinoma of breast (3), carcinoma of liver (1), myeloid sarcoma (1), melanotic sarcoma (1), glioma of orbit (1), Laennec's cirrhosis (1), and one case of mycetoma (madura foot). 17. Chemical.—Several alkaloids were tested on rabbits, including an extract of buphane, which is stated to be poisonous to cattle and to be used by the natives. These native poisons are very interesting, and I believe they use nicotine on their victims sometimes. The whole ques¬ tion of native drugs needs research. 18. Water Supplies.—A private well was condemned; three samples of Bulawayo water, three from the Citrus Estate and numerous samples from Salisbury were examined. The Salisbury supply was found to be quite safe, but the filter beds are not satisfactory. Mechanical filters are to be installed. I think settling beds would help considerably, as these remove over 90 per cent, of impurities and thus throw less work on the filters. I made some investigations as to the cause of the unpleasant smell often noticed in the town water at the end of each dry season. I found several varieties of organisms present, each of which could give rise to such smells. The only remedy is to get the whole purification system into a satisfactory state. C.—Statement of Fees Earned. The fees classed below as “Government are for gratuitous work for Government patients. Police and others. “Private represents actual cash from private patients. There is a tendency to do an increasing amount of gratuitous work for the doctors. Three patients (instead of 11) from Northern Rhodesia for Pasteur treatment made a difference of £51. i 921. u *22. Pasteur Institute—Private . Government £71 5 0 £20 5 0 Total . . £71 5 0 £20 5 0 Public Health Laboratory Private . . £315 4 0 £305 2 6 Government 107 1 6 129 8 0 Total. . £422 5 6 £434 10 6 By an increase of staff and buildings, which would be well worth while, a saving of some thousands could be effected by our taking over the preparation of stock vaccines and small-pox lymph. The laboratory would then be more than self-supporting. Quite apart from this, funds expended on the laboratory are always well spent in view of the value of the work done to the community. L. J. JOHN ORPEN, Bacteriologist.