Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius.

  • Mauritius. Medical and Health Department.
Date:
[1921]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/26 (page 5)
    The following table shows the seasonal prevalence of the disease in each of the districts : — Total District Jan. Feb. March Apri May June J uly Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov Dec . 1921 1920 Port Louis o O 6 2 UJ 3 6 1 4 4 • , , 4 1 34 24 Pamplemousses ... . * . . . . 1 . . • . • • 2 1 2 . . . 3 • • • 6 7 Riv. du Rempart... • . . 1 1 3 3 1 ... . . . 1 11 6 Flacq ... , , i 2 2 1 1 .. . . . . 1 *6 1 1 70 8 Grand Port ... 4 3 , 2 1 2 4 O O 0 O . . . 28 25 Savanne 3 rr 1 2 . , 1 11 4 o 2 5 2 . . . 40 13 Black River 1. ... • « • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... • • • . . . 1 2 LJ Plaines Wilhems... 5 2 11 6 14 8 • 5 17 36 21 4 3 132 55 Moka ... 2 6 1 O o 1 1 1 1 5 0 O 2 26 28 Total 12 16 32 1 2 27 33 14 32 47 37 19 7 288 1 68 The figures for the past ten year s are as follows :— 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1910 1920 1921 189 172 234 188 227 244 169 190 168 288 Leprosy.—Not notifiable. -The nu mber of inmates at St. I vazare L eper Asylum on 1st January 1921 was 43 (Males 30, Females 13). There were 15 admissions during the year (12 males and 3 females),. 11 deaths and 10 discharges. There remained 37 lepers at the end of the year (24 men and 13 women). Of the 15 admissions, 5 were new cases. They were in the following stages of the disease : Tubercular 2, Anaesthetic 2, Mixed 1. The new admissions came from : Long Mountain 1, Port Louis 2, Camp de Masque 1 and Rodrigues 1. Leprosy in Mauritius is not classified as an Infectious Disease and therefore not notifiable, but that the disease is common in the island is undoubted. Every day cases are met with in the streets of Port Louis and other villages. No restriction is made except as regards Mendicant and Criminal lepers. There is no law compelling compulsory segregation of lepers. They wander about at liberty living with their families and transmitting the disease. There is nothing to prevent marriages between lepers ; here the hereditary taint continues. I found several lepers working and handling food stuffs in Port Louis and it was only by persuasion that steps were taken to stop these people. That leprosy is a contagious disease is certain and 1 strongly urge that leprosy be made notifiable and that as soon as the Powder Mill Leper Hospital is ready every inducement should be made to get all paupers who are receiving Government Relief to enter that institu¬ tion and if necessary to compel them to do so. Treatment.—During the year patients have been classified and photos taken, injections of ethyl esters of the Chaulmoogra oil have been given. Dr. David and I are interesting ourselves in the matter, but it is still too early to state definitely the results of the treatment. Plague.—That plague is a disease endemic to Mauritius is easily shown by going over the available statistics since 1899. The figures are 1899 ... 919 case* 1905 ... 202 cases 1911 ... 61 cases 1900 ... 733 „ 1906 ... 403 „ 1912 ... 445 „ 1901 ... 815 „ 1907 ... 126 „ 1913 ... 194 „ 1902 ... 337 „ 1908 ... 138 1914 ... 72 „ 1903 ... 978 „ 1909 ... 250 „ During War ) No official records 1904 ... 354 „ 1910 ... 376 „ Period ) available 1921 ... 375 cases I annex statements showing the number of plague cases in the Colony during the year 1921, their classification according to place of treatment, the race, sex and age incidence and the number of rodents caught in Port Louis and Country districts. (Annexures B, C, D.) From observations it would appear that Port Louis is one of the endemic plague spots of the world. The epidemic started in May and increased with advent of hot weather, reaching its maximum in November and finished at end of December. The greatest number of cases were in proximity of the numerous grain stores in Port Louis. The epidemic was confined for several months to Port Louis but slowly spread up country (1) by the inhabitants removing to other villages their bedding and contents, often infected and harbouring fleas, in the endeavour to conceal cases; (2) by the conveyance by rail of grain from Port Louis. Prompt measures were taken to deal with shipping and to prevent rats gaining access to the land from ships from foreign ports. Coasters form an important link, as they convey goods to and from Port Louis to different parts of the island. Yet not a single case was found in coasting ports. Steamers, sailing vessels and coasters alongside wharves and docks were daily controlled with the view of ascertaining whether they were provided with rat guards and tarred canvas.