Annual report of the Medical Department / Federated Malay States.

  • Federated Malay States. Medical Department.
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department / Federated Malay States. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/136 (page 8)
    The following figures may be quoted, from Perak and Negri Sembilan. Number of patients examined Total number of examinations Patients with ova of ascaris Percentage of ascaris infestation Patients with ova of ankylostome Percentage of ankylostome infestation Figures from Pahang show corresponding percentages of 11.33 and 8.62, in 12,567 patients examined. Perak. Negri Sembilan. 51.875 18,925 94,413 37,299 13,490 3,207 26.01 16.94 6.982 1,863 13.46 9.84 The records of admissions to hospitals for ankylostomiasis and ascariasis aie of little value, since there is always a tendency to make use of the discovery of ova in the faeces to provide a diagnosis for doubtful cases of disease, regardless of clinical symptoms. It is therefore difficult to determine the number of cases in which ankylostome infestation is the principal cause of illness or death. The prevailing opinion, probably well founded, is that ankylostome infestation is common, but usually only seriously harmful in association with other disease such as chronic malaria. In such association it may be the principal factor in the illness, and the direct cause of death. The pathological significance of ascaris infestation is even more obscure, and there are no ascertained facts to justify any positive statement. The rarity of tapeworm infestation is remarkable. 14.—Beri-Beri. The number of cases treated in hospitals was 1,640 with 197 deaths, as compared with 2,098 cases with 239 deaths in 1928. The total number of deaths registered as due to beri-beri throughout the country was 636. There is thus evidence of a further satisfactory decrease in the incidence of this disease, after the comparatively heavy incidence which followed the 1926-1927 floods. The pity is that a disease so easily preventable should be present at all. The remedy lies in education in the elementary principles of nutrition. 15.—Chronic Ulcer. Attention may be called to the large number of cases of chronic ulcer always to be found under treatment in hospital. The total number recorded during 1929 was 3,521. No figures for previous years are available for comparison. This figure for total cases treated represents a very great amount of invaliding and, incidentally, a corresponding expense for maintenance and treatment in hospital, since most cases remain in hospital for a period of many weeks or months. An indication of the relative incidence in different races is given by the following figures, from three States only: Indians ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,233 Chinese .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,949 Malays ... . ... . ... 313 This condition of chronic and intractable ulceration is difficult to explain. Deficient nutrition is a tempting hypothesis, but direct evidence is lacking. The figures of racial incidence do not seem to support such a hypothesis. There is no doubt that most of the cases could be prevented by early attention to trivial injuries. Any practicable measure for the prevention of these ulcers, and any improvement in methods of treatment, would result in great economic gain, the total disability in the working population from this cause being at present very great. 16.—Cirrhosis of the Liver. Another condition to which attention may be directed is cirrhosis of the liver. This is comparatively frequent. The causation is obscure : only a few cases can be explained as being due to alcohol. The total number of cases reported during the year was 388. A proportion of these cases have been analysed to show relative racial incidence, as follows: Admissions. Deaths. Indians 56 ... 33 Chinese . 136 ... 64 Malays 6 ... 3