Annual medical and sanitary report / Nigeria.

Nigeria. Medical Department.

Date:: [1918]

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

132/172 (page 16)

lfi The Rest Camps along the main routes were well maintained ; many of the rest houses therein were rebuilt; and the rule of having new rest camps situated sufficiently far distant from the towns concerned wTas faithfully observed. Wells and other sources of Native water supplies continued to receive steady attention : particularly in the direction of haying the mouths of wells raised and defended by parapets, in having the immediate vicinity of water-supply kept cleared, and in selecting new sources of supply with more care to avoid contamination than had been exercised formerly. The native population at different localities mutually distant exhibited a spontaneous desire for vaccination: this was especially encouraging, as the communities concerned were chiefly composed of raw Pagans. There can be no doubt that successful vaccination and skilful surgery constitute by far the most powerful means of convincing the native of the soundness of European medicine and hygiene. He is .sceptical and conservative and he has been persuaded, he is as stubbornly as he did his initiatory pick and shovel work needs a lot of persuading; but, once apt to cherish his new convictions ancient prejudices. For this reason lull,ia,u1<r jMvn should be so continuous as it is sound. The new desire for vaccination in the case of the Pagans, alluded to above, has largely sprung from their having observed that their comrades, who have returned vaccinated from the haunts of the European, are no longer liable to infection by small-pox. It is only within the last few years that it has been possible to get at the furtive Pagans in this way; for it is only within that time that railway construction and mining and road-making activity have enticed some of their number away from their villages in pursuit of unusually remunerative labour, and so brought them within reach of the vaccinator. In the Spring of the year, by arrangement, a Medical Officer— lie is a brilliant surgeon—went to the residence of a Northern Emir and there performed on him a major operation. The result of this was that the Medical Officer concerned was literally mobbed by candidates for his surgical assistance, which he extended so far as he could in the time at his disposal; and he left many disappointed patients behind him, with whom lie had been unable to deal. This surgical episode is cited here because it has a direct sanitary bearing. The bearing is this:—The town of the Emir in question is just over one hundred miles distant from the nearest station to which a Medical Officer is posted. Formerly, a Medical Officer had been regularly posted to the station beside the Emir’s headquarter town. In those days, the Emir was a firm supporter of the vaccinating and sanitary activities of the local Medical Officer; and he supported the Medical Officer by example as well as by precept; for he made his own household submit to vaccination in addition to recommending it to his people; he applied sanitary principles to his own personal establishment in addition to lending his influence to the adoption of them by his people; and lie, aided by his District Headmen, made the rest camps throughout his Emirate a pattern to the whole country—which, as a matter of fact, they still are. But, in the days alluded to, the Medical Officer did not find general medical so satisfactory as he did vaccinating and sanitary activity. The reason for this was not far to seek : the Emir had not enjoyed an opportunity of recommending the former by example. But, once he had submitted his own person to the knife of the surgeon, his people followed like a flock of sheep. This shows the paramount importance of enlisting the living support of the big men: and, likewise, how important it is that the sanitary officers be constantly travelling in their districts.