Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/84 (page 13)
    The following' table gives the number of cases reported and the death rate per cent, for the last 15 years:— Number of cases of blackwater Number of Mortality Year. admitted deaths rate to hospital. in hospital. per cent. 1914 . . 53 13 24.53 1915 . . 62 16 25.81 1916 . . 35 ' 6 17.14 1917 . . 48 13 27.08 1918 . . 36 11 30.56 1919 . . 37 7 18.92 1920 . . 75 10 13.33 1921 . . 53 6 11.32 1922 . . 49 14 28.57 1923 . . 64 14 21.88 1924 . . 20 1 5.00 1925 . . 51 13 25.49 1926 . . 36 11 30.56 1927 . . 36 13 36.11 1928 . . 24 4 16.50 679 152 22.20 Mosquito Survey.—The mosquito survey undertaken by the Research Entomologist of certain areas where malaria and blackwater are most prevalent was completed during the year. A special field of investigation was undertaken during the year which led to the discovery of the winter habitat of the anopheles costalis, and was of particular interest. Mr. Leeson’s report is included with Dr. R oss’s in Part II. Pneumonia and Diseases of the Respiratory Organs show no diminution, in fact rather the reverse, for the admissions to general hospitals are generally increased, as is evidenced in the following table, which gives the admission rate for the last five years on account of pneumonia, broncho-pneumonia and bronchitis :— Pneumonia Broncho-pneumonia Bronchitis Europeans Natives Europeans Natives Europeans Natives Admis¬ sions Deaths Admis¬ sions Deaths Admis¬ sions Deaths Admis¬ sions Deaths Admis¬ sions Deaths Admis¬ sions Deaths 1923 43 5 196 69 3 — 2 — 37 3 56 — 1924 69 16 381 117 12 3 25 4 47 — 48 7 1925 64 16 379 99 6 3 8 — 66 4 115 3 1926 82 18 898 296 5 1 12 3 70 4 91 5 1927 90 9 796 240 9 1 16 3 74 3 119 3 1928 109 22 1,003 295 20 3 16 10 71 5 82 3 457 86 3,653 1,116 55 11 79 20 365 19 511 21 Pneumonia, especially of the post-influenza type, is the cause of by far the largest amount of sickness amongst natives in employment, and is an increasing- cause of mortality amongst the European population. There were 42 European and 263 native deaths registered from this cause in 1928. The tobacco industry has been considered by some to be a fruitful agent in the increase of the pneumonia rate, and there is no doubt that both natives and Europeans alike who are engaged in tobacco grading warehouses have suffered in the last two years