88 SANITATION AND HYGIENE ON TROPICAL ESTATES 



Kuala Lurnpur, the capital of the Federated Malay 

 States, suffered in common with all other similarly 

 situated towns, and the death-rate from malaria for the 

 five years 1907 to 1911 averaged 9*56 per 1,000 per 

 annum. As a large number of officials live in the town, 

 and these were continually attacked by malaria, their com- 

 plaints were sufficient to cause Government to take action. 

 The splendid results obtained from the anti-malarial 

 campaign on the Isthmus of Panama showed that 

 thorough work properly directed was capable of effecting 

 the desired improvement. Kuala Lumpur has a population 

 of about 50,000 inhabitants, there are some swamps situated 

 along the banks of the rivers, but the principal breeding 

 places of malaria-carrying mosquitoes were found to be 

 in the ravines among the hills surrounding the town. 

 Apart from these places the town was fairly well drained. 

 In 1908 funds were provided to enable the Public Works 

 Department to attempt thorough drainage as an anti- 

 malarial measure in the ravines. The work proceeded 

 in a desultory fashion until 1911 without success, and in 

 that year Government, at the instance of the Principal 

 Medical Officer, appointed a Malaria Advisory Board to 

 control and direct measures to be taken against malaria 

 throughout the Federated Malay States. 



In addition to various general decisions the Board 

 decided, first, completely and thoroughly to drain a 

 section of Kuala Lumpur, which was typical of malarious 

 hill-land, and which could serve as an example. The 

 work was rapidly carried out, and by the end of 1911 a 

 large area of Kuala Lumpur had been thoroughly drained. 

 The work was continued, and at the end of 1913 an area 

 of about 3,100 acres, including almost the whole of the 

 hill-land, had been drained. The swamps are now being 

 dealt with, and by the end of the current year (1914) work 

 on all these should at least be well in hand. 



Before discussing the results of the work it will be as 

 well to understand what are the requirements of anti- 

 malarial drainage. Malaria is carried by certain varieties 

 of anopheiine mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will not breed in 

 running water; hence if all water in any district flows 

 with a fair velocity in channels free from obstruction, 



