( 57 ) 
Although there is telephonic and telegraphic communication between 
Corosal on the one side and Punta Gorda on the other with the centre at Belize, 
nevertheless I have been struck with what appears to me to be the medical 
isolation of these two places. These frontier posts for the preservation of the 
health of the Colony , and therefore of its commercial prosperity , are not in 
sufficient touch with what is going on in other places , there is not sufficient 
central inspection , and therefore correlation of the medical resources of the 
Colony. The result is the disheartening of the young medical officer, and as 
a consequence the tendency to relax the vigilance and interest necessary to 
safeguard the interests of the Colony. 
STANN CREEK. 
This town is the second largest in the Colony. It lies between Punta 
Gorda and Belize, and is some 30 miles from the latter town. It contains 
about 2,800 inhabitants, 90 per cent, of whom are Caribs. It is the centre 
of the fruit industry. Although the second largest town in the Colony and 
a centre of trade for Carib settlements in the neighbouring Republics, it has 
no medical man and no quarantine arrangements. During the present infected 
condition of neighbouring states, it is true that boats are not allowed to 
disembark their passengers or crews, but as very many of these are small 
boats they can effect an entry at other places on the sea front, in the 
vicinity for example. It would certainly be to the interest of the preservation 
of the health of the Colony, and to the promotion of trade if proper 
quarantine arrangements were carried out, and a medical man appointed, 
and boats encouraged to enter the regular ports. 
The place is at present medically unprotected and most vulnerable, 
and severe cases of injury have to be transported by boat 30 miles to the 
hospital at Belize. 
As in the other towns of the Colony which 1 have visited the Stegomyia 
fasciata is readily found in the water barrels. I examined with Dr. Harrison 
a large number of the compounds and found larva; present in almost all 
instances. There is no attempt at screening. The total number of vats and 
barrels is not, however, by any means as great in proportion as at Belize. The 
inhabitants do a very great deal of their washing on the sea front or in the 
river, thus using far less water. A very large proportion of the houses are 
roughly thatched and unsuitable for receptacles, and the women prefer to go 
to the river with their pitchers to draw the day’s supply of drinking water. 
It would be quite feasible to provide well screened public tanks, and screen 
the few large vats at present existing, and to do away with the barrels 
and odd receptacles. 
The Carib population is very cleanly and it takes care of its water — 
public tanks would be sufficient for their wants. 
Although there are numerous marshy places I was unable to find 
Anopheles larvte, they are no doubt abundant as malarial fevers are common 
in young subjects. 
8 
