Vol. XVIII. No. 454. 



THE ASEICCXTITRAL NEWS. 



311 



VENEREAL AND OTHER DISEASES. 



Public health is all-important in the tropics On its 

 ntaintenance depends the happiness of the people, and the 

 standard and efficiency of productive work. The principal 

 diseases affecting people in the Wes-t Indies are tuberculosis, 

 malaria, hookworm disease, and venereal diseases. The loss 

 tif efficiency caused by these diseases is enormous. 



Tuberculo.sis could to some extent be prevented by better 

 housing, particularly in regard to ventilation at night. It 

 could also be checked if it were possible to secure a perfectly 

 pure milk, and a perfectly sound meat supply. 



The prevention of malaria depends principally on 

 protection from Anopheles mosquitoes. Quinine is of no 

 value as a prophylactic; it is only of value as a temporary 

 cure. 



Hookworm disease, which is frequernly referred to in 

 the Agricultural News, can be easily cured, and could be 

 prevented altogether by the general adoption of sanitary 

 measures amongst the labouring classes. 



Venereal diseases are the most difficult to deal with, and 

 at the same time the most perilous and insidious diseases 

 in their effects. It is almost impossible to gauge the loss 

 of efficiency caused by these diseases. For a plain statement 

 of facts the reader is referred to Council Paper No. 89 of 

 1919, issued by the Government of Trinidad This is 

 a report of a Committee appointed to enquire into the 

 prevalence and to recommend measures for the control of 

 venereal diseases in the colony of TrinidaJ and Tobago. 



A great proportion of the high infantile mortality 

 in these colonies is caused by venereal diseases These 

 diseases, chiefly syphilis, are also the principal cause of 

 blindness, deafness, thickening of Hie arteries, locomotor- 

 ataxy, general paralysis of the insane, and many other 

 afflictions. 



Given be'ow are the recommendations put forward by 

 the Committee in Trinidad ; but every reader is advised to 

 study the report, which la a very able one, in full 



KECOMMEXD.VTIilN.S. 



1. The systeiuatic education .«f the public as to the 

 nature and perils of venereal diseases by t-he Government as 

 well as by voluntary organizations formed f©r the purpose of 

 preventing these diseases. 



2. The provision by the Government, free of cost 'o 

 the public, of the most modern means for the early 

 diagnosis of venereal diseases. 



.3. The provision by the Government of suitable 

 literature on the question of venereal diseases and their 

 prevention to all medical practitioners in and out of the 

 Government medical service for distribution to patients 

 suttering from venereal diseases. 



■4. The establishment by the Government of sjjecial 

 evening clinics at the Colonial Hospitals in Port of-Spain and 

 San Fernando, and in other populous centres, on the lines 

 adapted in .Jamaica, for the gratuitous treatment of venereal 

 diseases by the most modern methods. 



5. The rigid enforcement of the provisions of the 

 Summary Convictions (Offences) Ordiijance relating to women 

 who loiter on the streets and solicit passengers for immoral 

 purposes, and the appointment of Policewomen to prevent 

 this form of traffic. 



6. Compulsory medical treatment during the period of 

 their incarceration of women found, after conviction for the 

 offences referred to in the next preceding recommendation, 

 to be suffering from venereal disease, and their further 

 detention in Hospital if. on the expiration of their .sei-.ter.ce. 



they are still uncnred and in i condi'i'r, dangerous to the 

 public health ; other infected prisoners to be treated daring 

 incarcerition and, if necessary, encouraged after liberation 

 to attend regularly at th- nearest health otfice or hospital to 

 con:plete their cure. 



7. The introduction of legislation for preventing the 

 treatment of venereal diseases otherwise than by registered 

 medical oractitioners. 



8. The addition of ophthalmia neouatorura to the list 

 of infectious diseases notifiable ui:der the provisions of the 

 Public Health Ordinance, 1915 



9. The provision by the Government ir. Constabulary 

 Barracks and similar esiablishments, and compelling the 

 provision by employers on estates and other labour centres, 

 of facilities for obtaining calomel ointment and perman- 

 ganate of potassiuji, free of charge, for use in anti-venereal 

 prophylaxis. 



10. The Government to request the Medical Board to 

 include in the regulations issued for the observance of mid- 

 wives (1) the taking of all necessary prophylactic measures 

 against ophthalmia neonatorum when attending on a par- 

 turient case, (2) the obligatory duty of summoaiig a medical 

 practitioner immediately in every case of ophthalmia 

 neonatorum. - 



11 The Board to be further requested to urge upon, 

 medical practitioners the importance of including, when possi- 

 ble, the cause of death on certificates of death issued by 

 them in respect of still-born children. 



Weathei' in St. Croix. — The weather which had 

 been somewhat disturbed in the early part of the week, is 

 again normal, the cyclonic disturbance having fortunately 

 passed us without touching this island. On the early morn- 

 ing of Wednesday the town was aroused concerning the 

 weather which had appeared disturbed from Tuesday 

 afternoon. The Weather Bureau at San .Juan re- 

 ported moderate disturbance formins over Leeward 

 Islands, apparently moving northward, lowest baro- 

 meter at 8 p.m 2nH. 2976 at St. Kitts ; caution 

 advised. The barometers in this town which had been 

 gradually falling, the lowest record being as far as we kwow, 

 29'7.3, commenced to rise again at 6 a.m. ; 32i lines of rain 

 were'measuted at the Fort nn Thursday morning (1 lice 

 = ('..inch). (From the St. Croix ,-fwV,' Saturday, Sep- 

 tember 6, 1919.) 



The Value of Cultivating.— The Trinidad cane 

 field, reported in .\ui.'ust to the Hoard of Agriculture, as 

 showing distinctly the beneficial effect of forking the land, 

 .continues to show the same differences ic favour of the 

 cultivati d part. The canes on this part of the field which 

 were at first a little smaller than th'se on the unforked .areas 

 are now as big if not bigger ihan the latter, and much 

 healthi'^r. This indicat-s the value of increased cultivation 

 as a remedy against fr ghopper and other maladies of the 

 sugar-cane in Trinidad. 



The rainfall in Trinidad wrfs slightly deficient during 

 the early part of Ang'ist in conUmia'ion of the somewhat 

 dry weather of .July-. Heavy rains fell towards the end of 

 the month. (Pnrt-cf-S-'in Gawtif.) 



