Annual medical and sanitary report / Uganda Protectorate.

  • Uganda Protectorate. Medical Department.
Date:
[1921]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    101/106 (page 99)
    occurred were burnt. There were few if any rats there, but on examining the people it was found that they were a mass of flea bites. De-ratting alone during epidemics, in my opinion, is not enough; huts need just as much attention as they harbour the infected flea, and during the epidemic rats were being killed without any appreciable effect on its course. The above-named measures of dealing with huts, I think, presents the most satisfactory means of dealing with plague. This year the work was to a great extent experimental, but if necessary in future years it will be done on an extensive scale. We tried it on two types of infected places, (a) the lightly infected, and (b) the heavily infected. In both cases it was successful, and it also appealed to the natives, who saw that the disease was really being got under. In heavily infected areas it was done in sections, a day’s interval elapsing between the evacuation of each section. Such evacuation, it is needless to say, was only of infected villages and not of isolated houses, which were burnt. Previous to the burning an area was cleared around the doomed hut, and men with sticks killed any escaping rats. Quarantine camps were burnt down every month or so, and in the interval kept clean by frequent washing with Jeyes fluid. The general sanitation of the infected village is paramount. On tours I used to walk round villages whether they were infected or not, and often I ordered houses to be destroyed if not thoroughly cleaned within ‘24 hours. Temporary incinerators were erected in the infected villages and temporary headmen were engaged to inspect houses periodically and search for hidden cases. Defaulters were dealt with by the Lukikos as sanctioned by the District Commissioner. S. M. VASSALLO. APPENDIX No. VIII. Mbale District. Annual Medical and Sanitary Report for the Year ending 31st December, 1921. I. Administrative Staff. The Administrative Staff consisted of the following:— 1 District Medical Officer. 1 Sob-Assistant Surgeon. 1 Native Clerk ... \ 9 Dressers ... I 1 Head Plague Inspector. Natives. 8 Plague Inspectors 25 Menial Staff Dr. S. M. Vassallo was on duty throughout the year until December 14th, 1921, when he handed over to the Sub-Assistant Surgeon on proceeding on leave. Dr. R. G-. Griffin took over charge during the evening of the 15th December. During the plague epidemic five other temporary native inspectors were engaged for varying periods. Financial. The following expenditure was sanctioned for the year :— T Native Attendants ••• ••• 192 Plague Inspectors and Vaccinators ... ... 373 Native Attendants at Isolation Hospitals and Camps .. 240 Upkeep of Native Hospital ••• _ ••• 240 Furniture and Equipment of Hospital and Dispensary ... 16 Equipment and Upkeep of Hospital and Camps ... 264 Anti-Malarial Measures ••• ••• 72 Upkeep of Disinfector ••• 10 Contingencies ... ••• ••• 10 Control of fly-infested areas ••• ••• 40 Bleeping Sickness—Special Investigations ... 30 Bicycle Allowances to Native Inspectors ... 34 Total £ 1,601