984 Timehri. 
worst features in the rice-fields near the villages ; some of the villages are kept 
in a bad state of drainage owing to this, and thus local foci for anopheles breed- 
ing may be developed and kept up. 
Fourthly, the rice should be planted in each field or fields under the same 
common drainage or irrigation at the same time, so that it would be reaped 
at the same time, and the water could be regulated accordingly ; thus there 
would be fewer pools about and these would exist during shorter periods. 
Fifthly, at the time of reaping everybody working in the rice-fields should 
take a daily dose of quinine, and in the rice settlements, if not abolished, they 
should commence this earlier and continue for a little time after the rice- 
reapmg. 
These methods I am sure would do away with a good deal of malaria in con- 
nection with the rice-fields ; they would not do away with it altogether as there 
would still be the other influences unconnected with the rice-fields in operation. 
I think, however, they would have the effect of restoring the Corentyne Coast 
to its previous reputation of having little malaria, and with an increased popula- 
tion, better drainage and other general anti-malarial precautions, this should 
be one of the first parts of the colony to get rid of the disease. As I have already 
said, I have dealt with the Corentyne Coast as it is particularly known tome, 
the other parts of the colony must be affected by their rice-fields in the same 
way and require the same precautions. 
