But  obviousl}/  this  measure  is  one  of  limited  application.  The 
mass  of  the  general  native  population  cannot  provide  themselves  with 
mosquito  nets  on  account  of  the  expense,  nor  can  it  be  expected  that 
the  Government  should  do  so. 
2.  The  same  consideration  applies  to  some  extent  to  the  next 
method,  the  use  of  houses  or  rooms  made  mosquito  proof  by  means 
of  wire  gauze.  1  his  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  effective  of  the 
methods  of  mechanical  prophylaxis,  and  has  been  adopted  extensively 
in  Italy,  and  to  some  extent  in  West  Africa  and  other  highly 
malarious  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  out  of  the  question  applying  it 
generally,  but  there  are  certain  directions  in  which  its  use  would  be 
of  value,  and  would  eventually  result  m  an  economy  to  the 
Government. 
Police  Stations 
Among  these.  Police  Stations  may  be  mentioned.  It  has  already 
been  tried  at  Port  Henderson,  but  it  should  be  universally  adopted 
at  all  police  stations  where  the  percentage  of  malarial  attacks  among 
the  constables  is  high.  These  will  be  readily  seen  from  Table  VIII : 
Morant  Bay,  Port  Antonio,  Buff  Bay,  Port  Maria,  Annotto  Ba)  r.  Green 
Island,  Savanna-la-Mar,  Black  River,  Many  Pen,  Alley,  and  Old 
Harbour,  as  being  the  most  unhealthy,  might  be  among  the  first 
protected.  The  expense  of  wire  gauze  is  not  great,  and  the  beneficial 
results  in  increased  efficiency  would  be  most  marked. 
Public  Hospitals 
Another  series  of  public  buildings  which  ought  to  be  dealt  with 
in  a  similar  way  in  certain  localities  are  the  Public  Hospitals,  and  I 
observed  in  the  Medical  Report  for  igo8,  that  provision  has  been 
made  in  the  estimates  for  doing  this  to  some  extent.  In  Annotto 
Bay,  for  example,  it  is  almost  criminal  to  collect  and  house,  in  open 
wards,  or  worse  still  in  tents,  in  the  middle  of  a  populous  town, 
malarial  cases  from  all  parts  of  the  district,  with  an  extensive 
Ancpheline  breeding  pool  within  a  hundred  yards.  No  better  device 
for  encouraging  the  spread  of  malaria  can  be  conceived,  and  it  is 
hardly  fair  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  in  addition  to  their  own 
malaria,  should  have  extraneous  sources  of  infection  brought  to  their 
very  doors. 
