Annual report of the Medical Department / Colony of Seychelles.

  • Seychelles. Medical Department.
Date:
[1925]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

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

    6/40 (page 4)
    Venereal clinics During’ the year a free venereal clinic for Syphilis was opened by the Chief Medical Officer on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and free injections of Sulfarsenol or Bismuth were given. The- preparations used of Bismuth were “Bicreol” or “Bismostab” both are reliable drugs and although several hundred of injections were given there were no accidents and the results- itere good. The “British Social Llyg ene Council” has helped the Venereal Department with literature and special pamphlets on the subject also by p >sters illustrating the nature of the disease. These posters have been placed in waiting room for Venereal patients, and in the- septic and venereal wards of the Hospital. The department has also received from the same society the “British Journal of Venerea] Diseases’’ also “Health and Empire” these Journals are received regularly each quarter. 1 he r rinciple of providing free treatment for Venereal Diseases, appears to have borne- fruit as the number of new cases appear to have largely dimiirshed. In my opinion the virus of Syphilis in this Colony has got attenuated and is easily cured, after three injections of Bismuth extending over 21 days all rashes have disappeared. The usual course is seven injections spread over seven weeks, followed for two months by a mixture of mercury and Potass Iodide, then a final comse of seven injections spread over seven weeks. Patients take well to the treatment and prefer injections to oral medication. Gom rrhoea is always prevalent and it is only the bad cases that come under notice, a great number of the African population pref r native medicines and drugs. Stricture due to gonorrhoea is a common complaint in the Colony. There is free treatment for Gonorrhoea- three d iys in the wf ek at the extern department of the hospital. I attrioute to Gonorrhoea the bulk of the lemale uterine c -nip aints found in the Colony. Leprosy Campaign. The thanks of the Medical Department is due to the “British Empire Leprosy Belief Association” for the information and literature they have supplied during the year on the treatment of the disease, and the prophylaxis to be taken to prevent it spreading. In addition they have offered to this Department 3 lbs of seeds of Hydnocarpus Wightiana, these seeds will be planted out by the Director ot Agriculture and we trust at a no distant date to be able to produce locally Chaulmoogra oil. A free supply of 4o/o creosote added to sterilized oil of Hydnocarpus Wightiana, to be used lor injections, has also t een offered by the same association. The Leper Camp at Bound Island had on the 31st December 18 Lepers, there being 14 males and 4 females. The type of Leprosy in the males was 4 nerve cases, 6 mixed cases, and 4 nodular, in the females there were 2 mixed cases and 2 nodular. The treatment was carried out as in the past with Chaulmoogra oil in emulsion, and all nodular cases appear to benefit from the drug, in one bad nodular case the nodules have practically disappeared from the face. In addition to the 18 Lepers at Bound Island we have under strict segregation 33 male ^and female lepers and 5 observation cases which are under inspection and control. Mali Island ... ... ... ... ... 21 La Digue Island ... ... ... ... ... 5 Praslin Island ., ... ... ... ... 4 Total ... 30 In addition new cases diagnosed but guardians not yet appointed ... ... .. .. ... 3 In Leper Camp ... ... ... ... .. 18 Total ... 51 There are kept under observation as suspects ... ... 5 The segregated Lepers are inspected several times a month to see that they comply with the regulations, and in case of none-compliance their guardian is prosecuted. All segregated Lepers are in charge cf a relative, or next of kin who is responsible if the precautions for the mitigation and prevention of the disease laid down by the Chief Medical Officer are not carried out. During the year there were 2 prosecutions for failing to carry out the regulations, in addition two segregated Lepers that would not obey the regulations were gent to the Leper Asylum at Bound Island. Attached to this report Appendix D. are regulations for segregated lepers. These regula¬ tions are made in French as the bulk of the native only understand Creole French. English being a foreign language to them. These regulations have been amended since last report by the addition of paragrahs preventing the lepers from bathing in rivers, or washing the flothes of lepers in public rivers or streams.