Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg.

  • Johannesburg (South Africa)
Date:
[1939]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health on the public health and sanitary circumstances of Johannesburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    interviews with owners, architects and builders took place. Sixty-seven certi¬ ficates were issued in terms of Clause 3 (b) of the Regulations regarding the Prevention of Rodent Infestation of Buildings and Premises in Urban Areas. Stocks in grain stores and the Municipal Market have been frequently turned over,” and numbers of rats have been destroyed by trained municipal dogs. During the year, 6,418 houses were inspected, 2,232 houses were treated, 350 lbs. of cyanogas were used and 3,210 rodents found in Eastern Native Township; 6,351 houses were inspected, 4,159 houses were treated, 297 lbs. of cyanogas were used and 2,221 rodents found in Western Native Township where repairs were effected by the responsible Department to 175 dwellings to prevent the ingress of rodents. All hares coming into the Municipal area have been seized and destroyed. All rodents found dead where gassing operations have not recently been carried out and a proportion of trapped rats and “ gassed ” rats are sent to the South African Institute for Medical Research for bacterial examination. During the year 1938-39, of the 30,523 rodents killed and trapped, 3,295 or 10-8 per cent, were so examined; none was plague infected. SCARLET FEVER. In 1938-39 there were 727 White, 1 Native and 1 Asiatic cases of this disease. There were 2 deaths among the European population, the death-rate being 0-447. In the two previous years the cases notified were 487 Whites, 2 Eurafricans and 4 Asiatics in 1937-38, and 512 Whites, 2 Natives, and 1 Eurafrican in 1936-37, the mortality rate for Whites being nil and 0-008 per 1,000 respectively. The rate per 1,000 in England and Wales for 1938 was 0-009. TYPHUS. No typhus was reported in 1938-39, as against 1 imported Native case in 1937- 38 and 1 Native case in 1936-37. DIPHTHERITIC DISEASE;, INCLUDING MEMBRANOUS CROUP. The occurrence of diphtheritic disease in 1938-39 numbered 301 (275 Whites, 14 Natives, 6 Eurafricans and 1 Asiatic), in 1937-38 218 (203 Whites, 10 Natives 2 Eurafricans, and 3 Asiatics), and in 1936-37 221 (207 Whites, 6 Natives, 6 Eurafricans and 2 Asiatics). The case mortality for Whites being 4-72, 6-28 and 3-45 per cent, for the respective years in order mentioned above, and the death-rate per 1,000 was 0-05 in 1938-39, 0-03 in 1937-38, and 0 05 in 1936-37, as compared with 0-071 for England and Wales in 1938. This death-rate for 1938- 39 is unusually low. PUERPERAL SEPTICAEMIA, ETC. In 1938-39 115 local cases (70 Whites, 34 Natives, 5 Eurafricans and 6 Asiatics) were reported, as compared with 84 (51 Whites, 15 Natives, 10 Eur¬ africans and 8 Asiatics) in 1937-38 and 103 cases (52 Whites, 41 Natives, 9 Eurafricans and 1 Asiatic) in 1936-37. The death-rate for 1938-39 was 1-90 per 1,000 births for Whites, as against 0-86 in England and Wales in 1938. ANTHRAX. No case of this disease was notified in 1938-39. INFLUENZA. The number of registered deaths from influenza during the year was 35 Whites, 28 Natives, 3 Eurafricans and 2 Asiatics. ENCEPHALITIS LETHARGICA. One Eurafrican case was notified in 1938-39, as against 1 White and 1 imported Native case in 1937-38 and 2 White and 2 Native cases in 1936-37. 2 White and 1 Native deaths were registered. 4