U6 



drastic, and it would not be wise to treat the coolies for hook worm 

 in the quarantine station, but it might be done as a routine measure 

 after their arrival on the estates. 



Dr. Day said that they had no experiments to show the real 

 value of prophylaxis. When coolies got to hospital it was difficult 

 to diagnose the cases. He agreed that a big hospital had advantages, 

 such as more complete equipment, over the small hospital, but it was 

 to be remembered that cases did not come into hospitals until they 

 were really bad. The main question was to catch the patients 

 early. A man who got ill would never be sent off at once to a 

 hospital that was seven or eight miles away. He, therefore, thought 

 that there was, after all, a good deal to be said for the small hospital. 



Dr. Lucy in reply said that there was no doubt that the 

 concensus of opinion was that where quinine prophylaxis was carried 

 out thoi-oughly and systematically they not only got less malaria, but 

 malaria was less virulent in type. He could not help thinking that 

 quinine prophylaxis had fallen into disrepute to a great extent 

 because quinine was not given as it should be. In nearly every case 

 where he had gone into the question closely he found there were 

 loopholes, a large number of coolies and dependents (including 

 children, who were particularly dangerous) having escaped the 

 quinine pi'ophylaxis. As to the experiments suggested, one would 

 like to see them caiTied out. But he did maintain that the concensus 

 of opinion was in favour of continuing the quinine ration in areas 

 of infection. 



As to group hospitals, on the question of discipline Dr. Lucy 

 did not think that an argument against them. That was a question 

 of administration. As to coolies a distance away not being willing 

 to go into hospital, it was not a question of coolies walking into 

 hospital but of being sent there. That was for the manager to see to. 



The Chairman (Mr. L. Lewton-Brain) concluded the proceed- 

 ings by heartily thanking Dr. Lucy for his interesting paper. 



