Report on the small-pox epidemic in Barbados 1902-1903. /[By John Hutson & others].

  • Barbados. Board of Health.
Date:
[1903]
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report on the small-pox epidemic in Barbados 1902-1903. /[By John Hutson & others]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    r 33731 REPORT Hrc^ -Peg' iO SEP 051 On the Small-Pox Epidemic in Barbados ] 1)02-1903. JBArtBADOS. Till* Hon. \S. K. Ch.\ndi,ii;i!. C.IM.Ct., Colotiiiil Scoretarv, -Sir, I have the h(>noiu- to fonvard. for the lufoniiation of Hi.i E.vcellenc;.' the Hoii. S. VY. Kua^g'S, Acting (toveriior, the following-report on the re«'oiit epidemic (>f simill-pox in Barliados, wliicli commenced with a case imported from Canada and notified ou hVfiruarv ‘dol'd, lf>02. and.ended on Ajn-il 20th,-ld0;;, witli the discharge of the last two patients from the Pelican Island hospital. During this perio<l there were two apparent outbreaks ; but it is probable that the se<-oud was directly continuous witli tlie first, although from ]\Iav‘2ord to .Julv 14th, 1002. it was not known to the sanitary authorities that the disease existed. The total number of cases was 1.4-t>b with 11'.» deaths. Iteiuif. 1. 1 regret the delay in issuing tliis report. Five days .-ifter the official iiotiticatiou of the termination of the epidemic I forwarded a circular to the eleven boards of poor law uardians in (he colony, asking the favour of reports from their medical officers on th«- epideiuic in each parish. 'I'lie co-operation of the boards was cordial : but in some parishes the re|X'rta wmre delayed, and the lust one was received on July '21st. Up to the pre.sent date no I'ej'ort has been received from the parecliial medical officer of district N'o. r, St. iMichael. Dixli’icf Mi'ihcal 2. The district medu-al ,service of file <‘olouy is uoui-r the sui>renie ctuitrol of the local authorities in eacli parish. Tlie vestries and tlic l>>ards of jM)or law guardians hav.- authoritv over the medical officiu's in jmor law matters, l>ut not iu sanitary work: while the boards of Sanitary Commissioners (who are a.ppointed by, but quite independent of the vestries, to the extent of lieing al>Ie to requisition from the vestries the sums of moue\ necessary for sanitary purposes, and who are responsible for sanitary administration including the management,of epidemics), have no control or authority over the medical officers, wdiose sanitarr duties luuler the Poor Relief Act are confined to quarterly reports to the ]ioor law guardians on the sanitary condition of their parishes. finite recently these reports have been liy legislation ordered to be forwardc<l to the sanitary board in each parish. o. It will be seen therefore that the prel'aratlou of those s^X'cial sm.ill-pox refiorts has been entirely an act of grace on the jiart of the medical officers, and I desire here to express my thanks to those gentlemen who have prepared them, and my inilelitedness to the boards of poor law guardians for obtaining the reports from the medical officers. iVll the reports received arc attached to this report as appendices, and many of them will )»• rtnid with interest. ,]lijinffienii’iif of the TJi-ideitur 4. Tlie supreme sanitary authority in the colony is vested in tile Ch.merul Board (.-f Health appointed liy eoramisslon from the (lovernor with the consent of the Executive Committee. 'I'his Board has extensive legislalive authority under the Piddic Health Act. exerted (1) by means of rules and regulations for ju'emoting the public health and (2) l*v spei ial orders and directions for the prevention and mitigation of infectious diseases, which all have the force of law, subject to the approval of the Governor-in-Executi ,c Committee in the case of the former and of the Governor in the cas(* of the latter. The Bt>ard of Health liowever possesses ik> direct executive authority. The sums of momw voted by the legislature for the control of this epidemic were however vested in the Board of Health and disbursed by its authority, so that the Board was iu a jxisitiim to assume general advi.sury powers and a certain amount of executive control. 5. The direct management of the epidemic devolved upon the Sanitary Commissioners in each ])arish, who are legally responsible under the Public Health Act ; but at the out- set some confusion existed as to the authorities respousilde. A timely memorandum issued by His Exeelleuey the Governor, Sir E. M. Flodgsou, clearly and ably defined the relative responsibilities of the central and li'eal boards in accordance with the existing law, and a critical situation was thereby averted. This memorandum is attached as Ai>|ieudix xm. d. This is tlie first oceasiou in the history ot the colony when an epidemic of thi.s