The annual report of the Medical and Health Departments, Kedah and Perlis.

  • Kedah and Perlis. Medical Department.
Date:
[1939]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The annual report of the Medical and Health Departments, Kedah and Perlis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/38 (page 9)
    (b) Sewage Disposal. Night soil is collected by the single bucket system and trenched in selected sites. Frequent inspections of the coolies while at work reduced the nuisance caused by the night soil being thrown into drains and streams. Transportation is still being done by “Kandars (c) Refuse Disposal. The incinerator at Jejawi has been temporarily put out of action and contrclled- tipping had compulsorily to be resorted to. This was done successfully in low lying areas in the neighbourhood of incinerator. The beehive incinerator at Kaki Bukit continued to function satisfactorily. (d) Water Supply. Work on the water supply of Kangar and Arau has not yet been completed. It is in its final stages of completion and the new sedimentation tank and filter bed will be used during the early part of next year. (e) Drainage. This is still unsatisfactory. It cannot be otherwise unless and until all the earth drains are replaced with cement drains. More cement drains were constructed during the year. (/) Housing and Town Planning. The seven shophouses in Kangar have been completed and most of those have been occupied already. Work on the construction of the other five shophouses had to be tem¬ porarily suspended. The seven shophouses at Arau will soon be completed, in Kaki Bukit, however, the great fire made the shifting of the village site fortunately compulsory. A new site near the school has been prepared and surveyed. Work on the construction of the new shophouses will, it is expected, commence towards the begining of the year. The water supply to the permanent village of Kaki Bukit has been decided upon. It is to be pipe water and the source a fresh water spring off Wang Tangga. (g) Food in Relation to Health and Diseases. (1) Eating Shops. The sanitation in all shops continued to improve; and yet there is plenty of room for improvement. (2) Street Stalls and Hawkers. The trouble in controlling hawkers still per¬ sists. Unlicensed hawkers still continue to annoy the custodians of law. Nevertheless the nuisance is decreasing slowly. (3) Rice Mills. All mills are being vigilantly watched if the paddy is being overmilled. A few samples have been examined at the Biochemistry Department of the College of Medicine, Singapore and some samples were found to be absolutely devoid of Vitamin B. 1. SCHOOL INSPECTIONS. Total number of School Children on Register was . . . . 1,589 „ „ examined .. .. .. 1,338 No. Diseases. No. of Cases. Percentage. 1 Malaria—Enlarged Spleen 174^ 13-00 2 Worms—Suspected 201 ^ 15-02 3 Anaemia, obvious 263/ 19-66 4 Yaws 41 3-06 5 TJn vaccinated 163 12-18 6 Eyes—conjunctivitis 6 0-45 7 ,, —Other Diseases ... 4 0-30 8 Ear—Otitis Media 1 007 9 „ —Other Diseases 2 0-15 10 Skin—Scabies 33b 247 11 „ —Tinea 71 t|> 0-52 12 „ —Other Diseases ... ... X 0-15 13 Respi rat ory—Pretuberculosis 93 6-95 14 Teeth—Caries 251 ^ 18-76 15 —Alveolar a bscess 3 X 0-22 16 Nervous Disorders 3 0-22 17 Enlarged Tonsils 9 0-67 110 school children (104 boys and 6 girls) had neosalversan injections for yaws.