The medical report for the State of Selangor.

  • Selangor.
Date:
[1905]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The medical report for the State of Selangor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/26 (page 11)
    1904. 1905. Number Number Percent- Number Number Percent- examined. infected. age. examined. infected. age. Klang and Port Swettenham 260 2 .76 195 1 .51 Elsewhere in district 298 101 33.89 247 59 23.8 The only child found infected this year in Klang and Port Swettenham was one who con¬ tracted the disease when on a visit to Malacca. “ The improved health of Government officers is shown in the subjoined table, which sets forth the number of certificates and of days of sick leave given to Government officers suffering from malaria and resident in Klang and Port Swettenham. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. “Certificates ... ... 236 ... 40 ... 23 . .. 14 ... 4 “ Days of leave ... 1,026 ... 198 ... 73 . .. 71 ... 30 The four certificates were given to an officer transferred from Jugra on account of his suffering severely from malaria. No officer has contracted malaria in Klang and Port Swettenham since 12th July, 1904. These figures show that by drainage leading to a des¬ truction of the carrier of malaria, the disease can be completely controlled in this country. On a smaller scale work has been continued at Kuala Selangor, some ten acres have been reclaimed from the sea and other improvements made. At Jugra a drain has been run round the foot of the hill and has drained an almost continuous chain of hill-foot springs and swamps, the breeding places of anophelines. There still remain the mangrove breeding places at Jugra. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to estimate the value of the work as the number of inhabitants round the hill is small, and there are probably not more than 30 children under the age of ten. These, however, have been examined on two occasions, and the results pre¬ served for future comparison. “ Where drainage is not possible there is possible the method of mechanically preventing mosquito bites by wire gauze. Certain observations made at Jeram were so encouraging that a proposal for an experiment on a considerable scale with mosquito netting was forwarded to and approved by Government. It was to have been carried out on the extension of the Klang Waterworks at Ayer Kuning, a notoriously unhealthy place, but as the question of exten¬ sion is still under consideration the experiment has not yet been possible. I look to this method to displace the systematic use of quinine, to enable us to control malaria on engineer¬ ing works and estates. The third method of dealing with malaria is that which aims at destroying with quinine the malaria germ when once it has gained access to the human body. Until the practicability of mosquito-proofing cooly lines has been demonstrated, the quinine method is the only method possible on estates and engineering works. It has the great disadvantage as compared with drainage and probably of the mosquito-proof gauze method of requiring constant personal supervision on the part of the superintendent. On a number of estates in the district various preparations and doses have been tried, and a large number of observations both microscopic and otherwise have been recorded bearing on this matter. “ Generally it may be stated, that the quinine method is a practical one; that several estates which were seriously affected by malaria have since the adoption of the systematic use of quinine within the past year obtained almost complete control over the disease, while neighbouring estates where quinine was not systematically used have continued to suffer severely. By means of quinine it should be possible to carry on work with Tamils even in very unhealthy localities with little loss of labour; but it is a method which requires much patient supervision.” Dr'. Delmege, District Surgeon in charge of Ulu Selangor, reports as follows on the hospitals in that district: “ Number op Cases.-—The total number of cases treated during the year shows an increase in in-patients and a decrease in out-patients, but this year I have not included any repetitions amongst the latter: 1905. 1904. In-patients. Out-patients. In-patients. Out-patients. Kuala Kubu 1,605 6,205 1,543 6,319 xiid.Sd «t ( ••• ... 3,258 4,750 Serendah 1,013 2,279 952 3,831 Kawang 1,037 1,680 931 3,236 Total ... 3,655 13,422 3,426 16,826