258 SIR RUBERT BOYCE — THE PREVALENCE, DISTRIBUTION AND 



and it is now a common practice to enact and put in force anti-stagnant 

 water ordinances in all countries liable to yellow fever. They have in 

 practice been found to work admirably and to cause no ill-feeling. At first, 

 of course, there is liable to be some opposition, but that soon dies out, and 

 the wisdom of the precautions becomes generally recognised, provided the 

 laws are properly enforced ; any weakness in this respect being fatal, as 

 also any great delay in punishing offenders. In other words, magistrates 

 should be expected to co-operate with the sanitary authority in a matter 

 of such vital importance to the health and welfare of the community. If 

 this is not done, then the medical officers, sanitary inspectors and others 

 co-operating lose heart and tend to become slack. 



In framing anti-larval measures, it must be remembered that the object 

 is to prevent the keeping of stagnant water in any receptacle, whether tins, 

 barrels, crocks, cisterns, etc., and the presence of larvae must be taken as 

 proof of stagnant water. 



Measure III. 



It has been found all over tropical and subtropical America and the West 

 Indies, that the reform which strikes at the root not only of yellow fever, 

 but of a great number of other diseases also, is the introduction of a pipe- 

 borne water supply. This system does away with the necessity of 

 storage-barrels, cisterns and wells. Therefore, it is to be hoped that in 

 all West African towns the first opportunity will be taken to institute 

 a healthy water-supply. 



Some towns have already commenced this most useful reform. If, 

 however, delay is inevitable, then the legitimate water-storage vessels must 

 be protected in an efficient manner from the Stegomyia. Cisterns and 

 barrels should be made o£ a uniform pattern and should be wire-screened 

 in a proper manner, according to the designs of the Health Board. Wells 

 should be filled in, unless absolutely necessary, or kept regularly oiled. 

 They are a terrible source of danger, and more especially in the mining 

 districts to which immigrants from other parts of Africa and Europe are 

 being attracted, and where, in consequence, cholera may at any time gain 

 a footing. The sooner, therefore, wells are abolished, the better for the 

 health of West Africa. In the native towns, the earthen vessels will offer a 

 considerable difficulty ; some endeavour mast therefore be made to offer 

 the inhabitants, at a cheap rate, a standard form of barrel or cistern. 



In the above described three measures, there is nothing insurmountable 

 or very costly. In the first place, the work of cleaning up can be started 

 at once ; next, the screening and oiling o£ all large water receptacles ; and 

 thirdly, the introduction of proper water-supplies. These measures follow 

 one another in natural sequence, and pave the way for one another. 



