Annual report on the Medical Department / Sierra Leone.

  • Sierra Leone. Medical Department.
Date:
[1915]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Medical Department / Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    12. Apart from minor improvements here and there the streets and street drains are, in general, in the same condition as before ; they give the Sanitary Department much anxiety. Y.—BROOKFIELDS DR AIN AGE, FREETOWN. 13. The boreholes referred to in the last two Annual Reports were commenced. VI.—WELLS, FREETOWN. 14. No well was compulsorily closed during the year, action being deferred until experience of the augmented water supply had been gained. VII.—EXCAVATIONS, STONE QUARRIES, ETC., FREETOWN. 15. Undesirable stone quarrying noted in previous years still continues. The draft new Public Health Ordinance is still under consideration. VIII.—WATER SUPPLY, FREETOWN. 16. The water supply of Freetown has given rise to much enxiety and dis¬ cussion : various methods of preventing pollution have been under consideration, but a final decision has not yet been arrived at. It was understood that an outbreak of dysentery amongst the prisoners at the new gaol was attributed to the water supply, but the question of remedial measures was not referred to the Sanitary Department. The fact that there have been within the catchment areas amongst other squatters, charcoal burners, woodcutters, farmers, a new military road and watchman’s dwelling have added to the difficulties of the subject. The question of re-afforestation within the catchment areas is also still under consideration. IX.—MEAT SUPPLY, FREETOWN. 17. Towards the end of the year an agreement was come to with the Imperial Military Authorities by which they granted permission to Officers of the Sanitary Department to inspect meat slaughtered in the Imperial Slaughter House ; the anomaly of meat not required by the Imperial Authorities being sold to the public without such inspection, which had given rise to comment, was thus done away with. The agreement wTas intended to come into force on the 1st January, 1916. 18. The following animals were slaughtered during the year in the Public and Imperial Slaughter Houses :— Bullocks ... Sheep Goats Swine ... 6,355 ... 837 20 67 57 whole carcases, 24 quarters, and one piece were condemned on account of Cysticercus boms. 19. Reference wTas made in the Annual Report for 1913 to the loss incurred by butchers through the destruction of meat infected with Cysticercus bovis. They have been advised at various times to insure against loss or to “ pickle ” infected meat; neither scheme has so far found favour with them. 20. The proposed building by the City Council of a new meat and fish market in the East Ward and of a new slaughter-house is under consideration. The question whether meat should be sold only in public markets or whether sale should be allowed in private butchers’ shops is also under consideration. The subject is complicated by reason of a small number of butchers having been allowed in the past to sell in their own private premises, although such sale is illegal.