Report of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services / [Ceylon].

  • Ceylon. Civil Medical Department.
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services / [Ceylon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    58/80 (page 56)
    out of cement and sand,’ most of these pots are sold and the patients deiive some pecuniary benefit. Patients trained as barbers work among the patients and receive a small sum from the Government for work done for the Asylum. There aiv some who do vegetable gardening and others occupy their time in flower gardening. However, the patients who work are only a minority when compared with the large number who lead a more or less lazy life. Special Treatment uf Leprosy.—During the year 1930 the drug E. C. C. 0. was largely used. The drug was injected intra-muscularly usually into the gluteal or deltoid muscles. The injections were given twice a week. The initial dose was £ c.c., increasing by £ c.c. each time to a maximum dose of 5 c.c. Occasionally coughing, dizziness, and tightness of the chest followed the injections but these symptoms disappeared in a few days under symptomatic treatment. On two occasions an abscess followed the injections and had to be lanced. Of the 600 inmates in this institution only 278 males and 88 females volunteered for treatment during the year. The table below shows the progress of treatment: — No. of Marked Slight No No. of Injections. Patients. Improve¬ Improve¬ Improve¬ ment. ment. ment. Males:— Over 50 34 . . 20 10 4 25-50 76 . . 10 40 26 1-24 . . 168 5 57 106 Females:— Over 50 • • 3 .. 1 . . 1 . . 1 25-50 • • • . 30 . . 9 . . 11 . . 10 1-24 • • • • 55 - • • 11 . . 44 Total 366 45 130 191 Hie patients have not been regular in coming for injections, but they seem to be taking an interest in the treatment which is a hopeful sign. There has been an increase of patients receiving injections as compared with last year figures. Appreciable improvements were also noted in early cases and in young indivi¬ duals. Our results would be more encouraging but for the fact that most cases are admitted to this institution after they have progressed for many years. Fifty-nine were discharged on parole after being examined bacteriologically three times with negative results. Of the 70 discharged in 1929, 44 have returned with a fresh outbreak of ulcers. Mantivu Leper Asylum.—The institution which has been in existence only ten years is situated on an island of about 160 acres in a large lagoon near Batticaloa. Male patients are housed in twenty-four two-roomed cottages each with its own kitchen, and in a number of hospital wards. The female patients all live under hospital con litions in wards. There is accommodation for 176 patients. Although it was originally intended that the institution should be conducted as a leper colony, a large staff of attendants, garden coolies, &c., is maintained and little attempt so far has been made to encourage the patients to engage in useful work and to become to some extent self-supporting. At the end of 1929 there were 144 lepers (109 males and 35 females) remaining in the Asylum. There were 44 admissions (38 males and 6 females) during 1930. and 7 cases (5 males and 2 females) were discharged. There were 18 deaths (14 males and 4 females) and the percentage of deaths to total treated was 9.57. ^ Treatment.—About half the patients only volunteer for treatment with E. C. C. O. injections and about 15 per cent, of those who undergo this form of treatment show definite improvement.