Annual report of the Medical Department / Colony of the Gambia.

  • Gambia. Medical Department.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department / Colony of the Gambia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/50 (page 23)
    FISH IN DRAINS AND SWAMPS IN BATHURST. (19) The specimens of fish found by the late Dr. Dutton in the large drains and in swamps in Bathurst were identified by Professor Herdman as :— Chromis bimaculatus (Bell) and Hemichromis macrocephalus (Bleeker). This subject will be further investigated in connection with their usefulness as larvae destroyers. It is recommended that wells which contain living mosquito-larvae-eating fish should be put in the same legal position as wells so covered as to prevent the ingress of mosquitos. THE MARKET. (20) The Market is well kept. Many of the “ vultures ” were shot as recommended in former reports, and the remainder have cleared out. It is probable that it will be desirable to extend the present market or provide a second one before long. SLAUGHTER-HOUSE. (21) The slaughter-house is adequate, well placed and well kept. TOWN WARDEN’S OFFICE. (22) The sanitary records are well kept by the Town Warden under the most difficult conditions. I understand the extra clerical assistance given him during part of the year was not so good as it might have been. The office is quite inadequate as an office for the Chief Executive Sanitary Officer, and it is required to act in part also as a store. There is scarcely more than standing room in it for the Medical Officer of Health when he visits it, and he has no office of his own. Proposals are being put forward which, if adopted, will, it is hoped, assist the Medical Officer of Health and the Town Warden in the matter of office and store accommodation. The Town Warden’s duties include those of Clerk to the Rates Assessment Committee. SANITARY STAFF. (23) Dr. A. F. Kennedy was appointed Medical Officer of Health of Bathurst on May 1st and proceeded on leave of absence on July 4th till the end of the year. The post of Assistant Town Warden was created, and Serjeant-Major Morey was appointed, but did not assume duty during the year. There was difficulty in obtaining and retaining the services of “ natives ” as Sanitary Inspectors. The extreme difficulty in obtaining “ natives ” who can be relied on to act at all efficiently as Sanitary Inspectors is not confined to this Colony, or indeed to West Africa. Practically the only class from which candidates can be drawn at present in Bathurst is the exotic “creole,” or Aku (Christian and English speaking), though relatively large numbers of Mandings, Jolloffes, Jolahs, &c., are indigenous here. The Aku class is certainly the one most difficult to direct or encourage in matters of Hygiene here, as also in Freetown. It might be thought, therefore, that Sanitary Inspectors from the same class would prove most useful. Much has been written about the desirability of training and teaching “ natives ” as Sanitary Inspectors, and I do not decry such efforts, but there is no use in avoiding