154 Timehrt. 



Harrison, C.M.G., Director of Science and Agriculture, and Mr. W. M. 

 B. Shields, attorney of Messrs. Davson, drew up regulations, which were 

 approved by the Governor and published on the 5th May, 1917. 



3. From these it will be seen (I) that the medal will be awarded 

 every three years ; (2) the first award will be made in September, 1917, 

 and thereafter in September, 1920, ami successive triennial periods: (3) 

 the first award will be adjudged on work presented or published during 

 the previous five years, whereas the subsequent awards will be adjudged 

 on work presented or published during the previous triennial periods ; 

 (4) the award is limited to Government Medical Officers or those acting 

 wholly or in part in the Government Service : (5) the award will be 

 adjudged ou papers presented to the British Guiana Branch of the British 

 Medical Association, or on contributions to the British Guiana Medical 

 Annual or other medical journals, or on reports to the Surgeon General or 

 on a special thesis written for the purpose of the award ; (6) the award 

 is vested in a committee of three appointed by the Governor-in-Couucil, 

 one of whom must be the Surgeon General or acting Surgeon General. 



4. In accordance with these regulations, the above-mentioned Com- 

 mittee hare had a considerable amount of very valuable work presented 

 to them in the way of medical essays and reports, and after carefu 1 con- 

 sideration have unanimously decided that Dr. J. E. A. Ferguson's work 

 on ankylostomiasis and malaria on the sugar estates in the Peter's Hall 

 Medical District entitle him to be the first recipient of the medal, as 

 the on) who had done most for the colony by medical research into the 

 health and hygiene of its inhabitants. (Applause). 



5. Taking charge of the Peter"s Hall district in 1904 Dr. Ferguson 

 found that the great majority of the coolies harboured the dread hook- 

 worm. The resulting anaemia greatly impaired their efficiency as 

 labourers and reduced their resistance to other diseases. In women its 

 effects were manifested by sterility, premature birth and often by the 

 death of mother and child. Thus not only was the mortality of the 

 estates increased but the birth-rate was diminished. 



6. By years of persistent effort, by the use of large doses of thymol 

 and other anthelmiuthics which necessitated treatment in hospital, Dr. 

 Ferguson was able to deal with the more severe cases of the disease. At 

 the same time by improved sanitary measures and more particularly the 

 provision of sufficient latrine accommodation, re-infection through a 

 sewage contaminated soil, especially in the neighbourhood of the rang* s, 

 was to a large extent prevented. 



7. Gradually by these methods a noticeable improvement in the 

 estate's population became apparent and the labour supply correspond- 

 ingly improved. 



8. But although many of the severe cases were thus cured, the 

 majority of the coolies continued to harbour the parasites in a miuor 

 degroe not interfering to any great extent with their efficiency as 



