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.

    8/38 (page 4)
    III. HEALTH BRANCH. (a) STAFF. The staff engaged in the health work was the same as in 1938, except that an addi¬ tional Health Officer was appointed in North Kedah during the year. The title of Senior Health Officer was abolished and that of Deputy State Surgeon was substituted, the office of whom adjoins that of the State Surgeon in Alor Star. In the last quarter of the year the duties of the State Surgeon were performed by Dr. S. W. Eveson. (6) VITAL STATISTICS. The total population of the State of Kedah is estimated at 484,933 persons. There were 18,975 births and 9,675 deaths registered during the year, producing rates of 39 and 20 per mille respectively. Last year’s figures were 44 and 22. The total deaths among infants under 1 year was 2,543 and the infantile mortality rate was 134 per mille as compared with 131 in 1938. This relatively big drop in the birth rate for 1939—as compared with 1938 can reasonably be ascribed to faulty registra¬ tion in Malay births. The births amongst Chinese showed an increase of 369 whilst those registered for Indians showed a decrease of 310 births. The reason for ascribing the drop in birth rate amongst Malays to faulty registra¬ tion is that the infantile mortality rate amongst Malays increased appreciably in 1939 (8 per mille) whilst that of the other two races decreased per mille—the Chinese by 11 per mille and the Indians by 38 per mille. The death rate for Malays was 2 per mille lower than in 1938 whereas that for Chinese was 1 per mille higher while that for Indians 7 per mille lower. Decreases in Malay and Indian deaths together account for the decrease in the general death rate, whereas the lowered Malay death rate gives further evidence of what has been pointed out in the foregoing with reference to registration of Malay births. (c) PUBLIC HEALTH. This work has been extended in Malay. Villages, and Villagers, who formerly dis¬ liked the idea of latrines, are now keen on their construction. Latrines constructed in 1939 number 4,186 as compared with 769 in 1938 giving an average of 2—-3 houses to 1( latrine. During the year a new problem arose in the erection of small rice mills run by machinery in the district of North and Central Kedah, with a concurrent outbreak of beri-beri in these districts. On investigation these mills were found to overmill the rice to such an extent, that experiments revealed in some instances, the removal of pericarp to the extent of less than 1% content as estimated by vedder’s test. These mills were subsequently stopped by legislation, and their further importation prohibited. There was a big decrease in incidence and death from Malaria in the year. The following figures are interesting in regard to the Mortality Deaths from Malaria. 1938. 1939 Deaths from Malaria 364 267 Deaths from undiagnosed forms 4,325 3,997 Cases of Malaria . . 11,006 6,767 QUARANTINE STATION, PADANG BESAR. No occasion arose for using the station during the year. 10,452 passengers were examined from Thailand however—as compared with 12,962 in 1938. Although an alarming and prolonged epidemic of typhoid fever occurred in Penang during the year, it did not spread to Kedah. The total number of Malarial cases in 1939 (including estates) was 17,245, whereas in 1938 the total amounted to 25,258, deaths from Malaria numbered 276 in 1939 against 429 in 1938. The expenditure on Anti-Malarial Measures for the year was $19,196.36 from a vote of 20,000 dollars; besides this a sum of $2,548.96 was expended from a vote of $3,000 allowed for clearance of swamps in Alor Star. Laboratory Work on Malaria. 13,219 mosquitoes were caught, identified and dissected 10 out of 2,612 A. umbrosus and 1 out of 43 A. maculatus were found to be infected. The number of Anopheline larvae collected and identified totalled 14,691.