42 THOMPSON YATES AND JOHNSTON LABORATORIES REPORT 
trench running behind the hospital, which has been already mentioned as being an 
excellent breeding-place for the mosquito ; the old tins, which were well battered down, 
were then covered with sand from the shore. 
After the removal of the rubbish from the larger compounds had been completed, 
a small gang of the labourers were employed in filling in two large pools near the 
cemetery, which were found breeding mosquitoes in great quantities ; the third pool 
was left for a while until it could be replaced by a well, as this pool was required for 
the purpose of watering cattle. Besides this work a few foul wells were filled in. Up 
to my departure from the Gambia^ "January 10, three hundred and sixty-three houses and 
compounds had been inspected, and from them one hundred and thirty-one cart loads of old 
tins, pots, and other rubbish were removed, and about two hundred and thirty yards of the 
trench behind the hospital had been filled in. 
On the return of the governor, Sir George Denton, K.C.M.G., about the 
middle of December, other matters in connexion with the work were considered. It 
was decided that the work which had been started should be a permanent sanitary 
measure — i.e., an inspector and sufficient labourers should be employed solely for the 
purpose of dealing with the destruction of mosquitoes. For this end the grant for 
sanitary work was increased to the extent of £200 per annum, and this annual amount 
was to be devoted to the work. 
An ordinance was drawn up and passed by the legislative council in the early 
part of January, 1902. In this ordinance, which is to amend the Public Health 
Ordinance, 1887, powers were sought to enable the Governor in Council to make rules 
and regulations for various sanitary purposes. Some of the sections are of the utmost 
importance for the carrying on of the campaign against mosquitoes in Bathurst, because 
by them certain artificial breeding-places can be dealt with in a more thorough manner. 
The sections relative to the anti-mosquito work include the following : — 
1 1 . Breeding-Places for Mosquitoes 
Making provision for the removal, filling, or covering up of all drains, ditches, pools, swamps, 
holes, pits, depressions, cisterns, wells, tanks, barrels, tins, bottles, or broken pieces of 
bottles, and generally all receptacles, things, or places whatsoever, whether of a like nature 
to those before mentioned or otherwise, which are, or may be, capable of becoming breeding- 
places for mosquitoes or other noxious insects ; and for the prevention (by the imposition 
of suitable penalties on the occupiers or owners of the premises on which the same are 
found, or other persons responsible) of the occurrence, accumulation, or continuance 
thereof. 
12. Wells 
Prohibiting or rendering, subject to conditions, the digging of wells in private compounds, and 
making provision for the cleansing, repairing, building up or re-building on proper 
principles of wells presently existing ; also for the covering and keeping covered with 
wire-gauze lids, close pumps or other contrivances, as may be prescribed, of all wells 
whatsoever. 
