Annual medical report / East Africa Protectorate.

  • East Africa Protectorate. Medical Department.
Date:
[1913]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical report / East Africa Protectorate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    134/138 (page 128)
    APPENDIX III. EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE. MEDICAL DEPARTMENT.—SANITATION DIVISION. Circular No. 158. PLAGUE. Plague is a dangerous disease and every case of sickness should be immediately reported to the Health Office or Medical Officer. Plague shows itself in three forms, viz., Bubonic, Septicsemic and Pneumonic. In the Bubonic there are swellings or buboes in the groin, armpit, or neck. In the Septicoemic and Pneumonic there are no buboes or swellings. The two latter forms without buboes or swellings are the most fatal. The Pneumonic form attacks the lungs. All forms of plague take their origin from a disease in rats, and it is by rats that the Bubonic or Septicsemic forms of plague are spread. The rats spread the disease in two ways. The fleas on the sick rat bite human beings and infect them with plague. The sick rats also infect food and those who eat this food are attacked with plague. Bugs also spread plague. On the other hand Pneumonic plague is directly contagious and is spread by the breath of those who suffer from the disease. PRECAUTIONS. 1. Inoculation Against Plague.—Inoculation gives an extraordinary protection against an attack of plague, and in those exceptional cases where an inoculated person is attacked he or she has twice the chance of recovery over that of one not inoculated. Everyone should be inoculated against plague. {a) This will be done in the Health Offices or Government Dispensaries daily, between half past eight and noon, and again from two to four, Sundays excepted, free of charge by a Medical Officer. There is a special room in the Health Office at Mombasa where ladies and women can be inoculated privately by a lady inoculator. The inoculation is perfectly harmless and is much less painful than vaccination against small-pox. (b) Arrangements can also be made in Mombasa for inoculation by a lady inoculator of parties of Purdah or Zenana ladies provided they assemble at a private house or place. (c) Inoculation in private houses with Haffkine’s prophylactic will be only performed under conditions noted hereafter. 2. Destruction of Rats.—All rats inside and outside the house should be destroyed and the bodies burnt. 3. Protection of Foodstuffs.—All food should be kept in covered vessels so that rats may not infect it. 4. Removal of Waste and Rubbish.—All accumulations of unconsumed foodstuff and of rubbish in and outside the house, also in court yards and back yards, should be collected and placed in covered kerosene oil tins or baskets and should be put outside the house, whence they will be removed by the conservancy staff. Any complaints of non¬ removal should be addressed to the Health Officer. If this rubbish cannot be removed by a conservancy staff, it should be destroyed by burning, or buried in pits. 5 Clearing of Bush.—Bush or undergrowth around houses and in compounds should be cleared in order to avoid the harbouring of rats. 6. Cats.—Each householder should keep a cat on his premises. 7. Admission of Air and Sunlight to House.—Every door and window in each house should remain open for not less than 8 hours daily, so that as much light and air as possible may be admitted into every portion of the house.