The medical report for the State of Selangor.

  • Selangor.
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    25/32 (page 13)
    The order of the main diseases was as follows : Klang. Kuala Selangor. Kuala Langat, 1. Fevers 1,870 Fevers 244 Ulcers 214 2. Ulcers 611 Ulcers 140 Fevers 190 3. Ankylostomiasis * 415 Dysentery 122 Dysentery 81 4. Dysentery 334 Anaemia 82 Beri-beri 58 5. Diarrhoea 219 Rheumatism 45 Diarrhoea 53 6. Venereal disease 205 Venereal disease 29 Venereal disease 38 7. Respiratory disease 200 Debility 22 Anaemia 37 8. Beri-beri 173 Respiratory 22 Respiratory disease 27 9. Anaemia 112 Diarrhoea 20 Rheumatism 24 10. Wounds 110 Scabies 20 Ankylostomiasis * 6 Others below 100. The following table shows the fatality of the main diseases for Klang Hospital: Diseases. Number Number of Percentage treated. deaths. of deaths. Dysentery ... 334 166 49.70 Beri-beri 173 34 19.65 Malarial fever f ... 1,537 265 17.24 Anaemia 112 11 9.82 Pneumonia ... 70 31 44.28 Phthisis 50 19 38.00 Pleurisy 17 9 52.94 Diarrhoea 219 86 39.26 Cirrhosis of liver ... 16 14 87.50 Ankylostomiasis 415 155 37.34 Pneumonia is very fatal in Tamil estate coolies and I believe a great deal due to malaria per se, and might be termed malarial inflammation of the lungs. The type is frequently different from the ideal acute croupous pneumonia met with in temperate regions. The cirrhosis of the liver which occurs, I cannot help considering to be due frequently to some previous protozoal infection, the reaction after which produces a fairly typical hard cirrhotic liver with all the attendant evils of ascites, oedema, and subsequently heart failure. I can prove nothing as yet; but, if the frequency of irregular fevers, ill-defined digestive disturbances, and debility cases with no tangible lesions, be considered, I feel sure that some day we shall direct our thoughts more to biology, and further from gin, as a cause of these cases. Since writing the above, I have had the privilege of seeing Hr. H. M. Harrison’s work connected with the human liver fluke. The condition of the liver in such cases is similar, from a clinical stand point, to that which occurs in alcoholic cirrhosis, and I have now no doubt but that the fluke is the cause of some of our cases. The ulcer returns are overwhelming in every district of the F.M.S. in which I have worked, and that in the vast majority of cases they are preventible by similar means to those adopted by the more educated classes, is obvious; but the means by which we can enforce the protection of the feet and legs amongst a low class of humanity, appears at present to be the difficulty. An enormous amount of suffering, and waste of time, and labour, occurs throughout the country, solely on account of these sores. Our anaemias are due to one or a combination of the following diseases: (1) Malaria; (2) Ankylostomiasis ; (3) Food without iron ; (4) General climatic stress. The last being, in my opinion, very largely involved in the question of lack of “ Fe ” in the food. The 249 cases of respiratory diseases, which have occurred in the Coast districts, contain a considerable proportion of phthisis cases (65=26 per cent.). The vast majority of which came from the most thickly populated centre—namely, Klang. During the dry season laryngitis is prevalent, owing to the dust which we hope to be able to deal with this year with our water carts. KUALA LAN GAT HOSPITAL. The revenue realised by the sale of medicines and hospital charges for the year was §1,159.54 against §381.15 in 1907, including §50 subscribed by the Kongsis at Sepang as a fund for the maintenance of the Government Dispensary at Sepang. Eight hundred and five f No parasites seen in 278 cases. * Microscopically diagnosed at District Head-quarters only.