Volume 2

Report to the Government of British Honduras upon the outbreak of yellow fever in that colony in 1905, together with an account of the distribution of the Stegomyia fasciata in Belize, and the measures necessary to stamp out or prevent the recurrence of yellow fever / by Rubert Boyce.

  • Boyce, Rubert W. (Rubert William), Sir, 1863-1911.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the Government of British Honduras upon the outbreak of yellow fever in that colony in 1905, together with an account of the distribution of the Stegomyia fasciata in Belize, and the measures necessary to stamp out or prevent the recurrence of yellow fever / by Rubert Boyce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    opinion that the infection was brought into Xi-Be by some strange Indian who had crossed the Rio Hondo from the Yucatan side. Corosal is surrounded by swamp, and there are numerous pools and street drains overgrown with weeds which afford a very favourable ground for the breeding of the Anopheles. I found Anopheles larvae, the species of which I was unable to determine, in the street puddles, and Malaria is the prevalent disease. (See Medical Reports of Corosal, Chapter VI.) The water supply of the town consists of some large water vats, and numerous odd receptacles and wells. I found larvae abundant in all of those which I examined, and I was able to identify the Stegomyia fasciata in several yards. With the exception of the houses placed immediately on the sea front, and which have the advantage of a very refreshing breeze, the lots like those at Belize harbour the Stegomyia in large numbers, and if therefore a case of Yellow fever were introduced, the suitable mosquitoes are at hand to propagate the disease. There has been no attempt at screening the cisterns, and there appeared to me to be many more barrels in proportion to regular cisterns than at Belize. In view of the fact that the inhabitants who for the most part are annual tenants have little interest in erecting suitable water reservoirs, the remedy of providing a properly screened water supply rests with the property owners of Corosal. A properly protected water supply system is undoubtedly needed, for in its present state Corosal is a very vulnerable spot in the Colony. It is considered that it would be an easy matter to patrol the front of Corosal, and so prevent the introduction without quarantine of persons coming from infected districts, and it is also stated that the three “roads” which enter from the back of the town could be guarded in times of danger. I am of opinion, however, that if Yellow fever should break out on the Mexican side close to the British frontier the greatest difficulty would be encountered in preventing its introduction. Not only should the water supply be remedied, but as Corosal is a port of entry into the Colony for shipping, liable to come from infected parts, there should be in addition a properly screened quarantine station. There is, it is true, a small general hospital, but it is of even greater importance to the prosperity of the Colony that there should be a small properly screened infectious diseases isolation hospital for the reception of real or suspicious cases. The Medical Officer in charge of Corosal ought to be furnished weekly with the health returns of other parts of the Colony, of Mexico and of adjacent Rebublics. In return the Medical Officer should furnish the Senior Colonial Surgeon at Belize with a weekly report of the health of the district. There should be far more communication between the 7nedical head of the Colony at Belize and the Medical Officers at the extreme forts of the Colony, Corosal and Punta Gorda than exists at present. CoNSEJO AND FaYO-ObISPO. Consejo is a very small village, some nine miles by sea to the north of Corosal on British territory, at the mouth of the Rio Hondo. It is thought