Rural Sanitation in the Tropics
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Rural Sanitation in the Tropics Being Notes and Observations in the Malay Archipelago, Panama, and Other Lands by Malcolm Watson M.D., C.M., D.P.H. Originally published in 1915 by John Murray, London Electronic edition 2015 prepared by Michael Palmer, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Contents List of Figures vii List of Tables ix Foreword 2015 xi Preface xiii 1 Introductory1 2 British Malaya: malaria control in Klang district2 2.1 History.............................................2 2.2 Klang and Port Swettenham..............................4 2.2.1 Klang.......................................4 2.2.2 Choice of anti-malaria method....................4 2.2.3 Port Swettenham..............................5 2.2.4 Results......................................6 2.3 Rural malaria.........................................7 2.3.1 Malaria easily controlled on flat land................7 2.3.2 Hill land; persistence of malaria...................9 2.3.3 Subsoil drainage and its problems.................. 10 2.3.4 The area to be drained.......................... 10 2.3.5 Stone covering................................ 11 2.3.6 Spleen rates and death rates...................... 13 3 British Malaya: malaria control in the Federated Malay States 14 3.1 Malaria Advisory Board, Federated Malay States............... 14 3.1.1 Quinine..................................... 16 3.1.2 Pictorial Card................................. 16 3.1.3 Research.................................... 17 3.1.4 Terentang Estate Experiment...................... 17 3.2 The Anti-malaria Committee of the Straits Settlements.......... 18 3.3 Rice Fields and Malaria................................. 19 3.4 Water supplies in the Federated Malay States.................. 21 i Contents 3.4.1 The Coast Water Scheme......................... 21 3.4.2 Private Schemes............................... 22 3.4.3 Surface Wells................................. 22 3.5 Rules for Sanitation on Estates............................ 22 3.6 Beri-Beri............................................ 24 4 Quinine prophylaxis in Italy 27 4.1 Distribution of Malaria in Italy............................ 27 4.2 Physical Conditions Favouring Malaria...................... 28 4.3 Experience with quinine................................. 29 4.4 Report to the Superior Council of Health..................... 29 5 Malaria in India 31 5.1 The Identification of Anopheles maculatus ................... 35 5.2 The Duars........................................... 36 5.3 Jeypore Agency, Madras................................. 37 5.4 Ckota Nagpur........................................ 37 5.5 Ceylon.............................................. 38 6 Notes on Sumatra 40 6.1 Travel to Sumatra...................................... 40 6.1.1 Belawan..................................... 40 6.1.2 Medan...................................... 41 6.2 Tandjong Kassau estate................................. 42 6.2.1 5th March: Medan to Tandjong Kassau............... 42 6.2.2 A healthy estate: A. maculatus absent............... 42 6.2.3 Mosquitoes.................................. 44 6.3 Toentoengan estate: a typical hill land estate, yet free from malaria............................................. 46 6.4 The labour system in Sumatra............................. 46 6.5 Deli Maatschappij hospital at Medan....................... 47 6.5.1 Ankylostomiasis............................... 47 6.5.2 Malaria..................................... 48 6.5.3 Dysentery.................................... 48 6.5.4 Principal Diseases.............................. 49 6.6 The Medical Institute................................... 50 6.7 Bekioen and Bandar Talu: hill land estates.................... 51 6.7.1 Bekioen..................................... 51 6.7.2 Bandar Talu.................................. 52 6.7.3 Sumatra’s profile............................... 52 6.7.4 Kuala Namoe Estate—formerly malarious............ 53 6.8 Tandjong Morawa and Rantan Pandjang..................... 53 6.8.1 Tandjong Morawa.............................. 53 6.8.2 Rantan Pandjang.............................. 54 ii Contents 6.8.3 Method of obtaining children for spleen examination.... 54 6.8.4 Summary of findings............................ 55 6.9 The Sumatra highlands................................. 56 6.9.1 Brastagi..................................... 57 6.10 List of the Anopheles of North-east Sumatra................... 59 6.11 Conclusions.......................................... 59 7 Hong Kong and Philippine Islands 61 7.1 Hong Kong.......................................... 61 7.2 Anopheles and malaria in Formosa......................... 61 7.3 Anopheles species of the Philippine Islands................... 63 7.4 The distribution of Anopheles in South and East Asia............ 65 8 Panama: history and overview 68 8.1 History............................................. 68 8.1.1 Why the Americans began the Canal................ 69 8.1.2 Preparation for the Labour Force................... 69 8.2 My Failure to understand the Sanitary Work.................. 70 8.3 Criticism of Sanitary Work in Panama....................... 73 8.4 First Impressions...................................... 74 8.4.1 “Esprit de Corps”.............................. 74 8.4.2 Historical significance of the work.................. 75 8.5 Yellow Fever and Malaria in the Past........................ 75 8.5.1 Yellow Fever among the French.................... 75 8.5.2 Highest officials not exempt...................... 76 8.5.3 Doctors and Nurses Attacked...................... 76 8.5.4 Death rate of French Labourers.................... 77 8.5.5 The Americans begin in 1904...................... 77 8.5.6 The Last Yellow Fever Epidemic.................... 77 8.6 Malaria............................................. 78 9 Panama: sanitary provisions and local conditions 79 9.1 The organization of the department of sanitation.............. 79 9.1.1 Significance of the name......................... 79 9.1.2 The three sub-departments....................... 80 9.2 Geography and climate of the Isthmus and Canal.............. 80 9.2.1 Geography................................... 80 9.2.2 Climate..................................... 83 9.2.3 Rainfall..................................... 83 9.3 Sanitary Inspection.................................... 83 9.3.1 Division into Sanitary Districts.................... 83 9.3.2 Guidelines for sanitary inspectors.................. 85 10 Panama: visits to sanitary districts 89 iii Contents 10.1 Ancon and Balboa..................................... 89 10.2 Gatun.............................................. 92 10.2.1 A Sanitary Inspector’s Office...................... 98 10.3 Miraflores........................................... 99 10.4 Gorgona............................................ 101 10.5 Matachin............................................ 104 10.6 Empire............................................. 108 10.7 Culebra............................................. 110 10.8 Pedro Miguel......................................... 112 10.9 Paraiso............................................. 114 10.10 Colon. Cristobal. Mount Hope............................ 115 10.11 Corozal............................................. 118 10.12 Frijoles............................................. 119 10.13 The City of Panama.................................... 119 11 Panama: antimalarial strategies 121 11.1 Drainage............................................ 121 11.1.1 Open drains.................................. 121 11.1.2 Tile Drainage................................. 121 11.1.3 The Wire Drain................................ 122 11.2 Oiling.............................................. 126 11.2.1 Sprayers..................................... 126 11.2.2 Drip Barrels.................................. 127 11.3 Larvicide............................................ 127 11.4 Screening........................................... 128 11.5 Quinine............................................. 133 12 Panama: on mosquitoes 135 12.1 Aedes calopus (Stegomyia fasciata) and yellow fever............. 135 12.2 Asia’s Danger......................................... 135 12.3 Anopheles and malaria.................................. 138 12.3.1 The species of Anopheles on the Zone............... 139 12.3.2 Anopheles albimanus ........................... 139 12.3.3 Other Anopheles species......................... 141 12.3.4 On Anopheles adults............................ 142 12.3.5 Flights at Gatun............................... 143 12.3.6 Flight at Miraflores............................. 148 12.3.7 Flight at Corozal in 1912......................... 148 12.3.8 The effect of wind on, and the diffusion of, mosquitoes.. 149 12.3.9 Mosquito traps................................ 150 13 Panama: sanitary inspection reports; logistics 152 13.1 The weekly and monthly inspection reports.................. 152 13.2 Monthly report of sanitary inspections...................... 152 iv Contents 13.3 Water supplies........................................ 153 13.4 Sewage System........................................ 154 13.5 The Commissary and Subsistence Department................ 155 14 Panama: local malaria research 156 14.1 The Board of Health Laboratories.......................... 156 14.2 Feeding Mosquitoes.................................... 157 14.3 The malaria-carrying mosquitoes.......................... 158 14.4 Human carriers of malaria............................... 158 14.5 Fish...............................................