Annual medical report / Southern Nigeria.

  • Nigeria, Southern. Medical Department.
Date:
[1907]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical report / Southern Nigeria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/24 (page 5)
    supply,—either from improved wells or from the Ilo Aaalley, or other Source—cease to be the potent factor it now is in the causation of the large amount of preventable bowel diseases among them. The boiling of drinking water in all Prisons has been instituted during the vear. 3. The water-supply of Calabar continues to merit its good repu¬ tation. It allows of the abolition of tanks and of eave-gutters, (where Mosquitos breed so freely), from all the Government buildings with the result that Mosquitos are rarely found there. 4. Tanks and Wells supply, more or less satisfactorily, the require¬ ments of the rest of both Eastern and Central Provinces in the majority of cases, hut in a few there is good spring water, 1. Drainage.—Efficient drainage is of course a difficult matter in so very flat and sandy a place as Lagos Town is. 2. The cleaning of drains Avas, as usual, performed by Contractors, under the control of the Public Works Department, the Health Officers and Sanitary Inspectors reporting to the Public Works Department any offences against sanitary requirements noticed by them. 3. The surface1 drains of Lagos, especially the ends of those that cross the Marina and empty into the Lagoon, continue to give off most offensive odours at times.—especially during the dry season, Avhen the flushing action of the rains is not present, and are a source of anxiety to those responsible for Public Health, and are a real grievance to European residents and others in that neighbourhood. Eortunately, so far as health is concerned, they are open drains, exposed to sunlight and air, and do not contain excreta. But the very rapid decomposition of the vegetable matter that accumulates even in a day, at the ends, causes the offensive effluvia,—especially at the time when the inflowing tide prevents the contents of the drains from passing freely into the Lagoon,— and calls for constant cleansing and flushing. I understand that pari passu with road construction in the Town, the surface drainage will be entirelv reformed, and the above mentioned nuisance,—which even if not dangerous to health by causing actual disease, is a source of serious discomfort and malaise,—be removed. jRoads as ati aid in Sanitation. The trvo excellent roads through the town made during the year enable one to form an idea of the great im¬ provement in surface drainage that Avill occur Avhen more such shall have been made. The good effect on general sanitary conditions will be most important. V. ANTI—MALARIA WORK. 1. The reports show that in all places, the usual action has been continued. The main features of the work are:— Use of Quinine as prophylactic. Destruction of Mosquito-breeding grounds and larvae. Use of kerosine oil for collections of water which cannot be otherwise treated. Clearing of “Bush. Killing of SAvamp-land and surface depressions. Use of Anti-mosquito wire-gauze for rooms and houses.