HEALTH AND MEDICINE — GENERAL 483 



tors. There are 9 hospitals for Europeans. For natives there were, 

 in 1936, 48 government general hospitals, 2 mental hospitals, 297 

 tribal dispensaries, and 37 medical department dispensaries. A 

 map showing medical stations is included in the annual reports. 



In addition to the government service, medical branches of the 

 several missionary societies maintain eighteen hospitals, with a 

 staff of about 1 8 qualified doctors, who spend nearly all their time 

 on native work. 



In 1936 government hospitals had 73 beds for Europeans, 1 18 for 

 Asiatics and 2,012 for Africans; European in-patients numbered 

 1,609, ^^^ Asiatic and African 36,412; European out-patients were 

 3,108 and Asiatic and African 594,908. The tribal dispensaries 

 treated 529,954 cases. The population was stated to be: Europeans 

 8,228, Asiatic 32,792, natives 5,022,640. 



In Kenya the Medical Department, under the direction of Dr. 

 A. R. Paterson, is arranged in administrative, medical, sanitary, 

 and laboratory divisions. There are proportionately more Euro- 

 pean medical officers, nurses, and health visitors, but fewer quali- 

 fied Asiatics, than in Tanganyika. The Medical Research Labora- 

 tory at Nairobi was completed in 1 93 1 and is one of the foremost 

 centres in the colonial dependencies. It does all the routine work 

 for Kenya and also serves the neighbouring colonies. The staff 

 consists of 3 pathologists, 2 entomologists, and a biochemist. 

 Much research has been directed to entomological problems [see 

 Chapter X) and interesting results have been obtained from 

 investigations of the physiology, brain-structure, mental condi- 

 tions, and blood morphology and chemistry of Africans [see Chap- 

 ter XVII). The hospital system makes provision for Europeans 

 by three principal hospitals at Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, 

 and one or two smaller hospitals in townships, as well as a number 

 of private nursing homes. For Asiatics and Africans there are 6 

 hospitals in the towns, some 23 in native reserves and 6 small 

 hospitals in the northern parts of the colony, including Turkana, 

 the northern frontier province, and Lamu. 



In the department's activities, questions of general welfare have 

 received considerable attention, and strenuous efforts have been 

 made to improve the native housing and village sanitation. Much 

 importance is attached to the provision of sanitary inspectors, who 



