Annual medical and sanitary report / Trengganu.

  • Terengganu. Medical Department.
Date:
[1935]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical and sanitary report / Trengganu. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (C) DEATHS. 4,619 (4,590) deaths were registered during the year giving a rate of 24.04 (24.27) per mille; of these 2,515 (2,463) were males and 2,104 (2,127) were females. The highest number of deaths in any one month was 420 (in October) and the smallest 362 (in April). (B). A table showing the deaths according to sex, nationality and age-group is given in appendix Infantile Mortality.—The number of deaths of children under the age of one year was 1,465 (1,401) or 31.72% (30.52) of the total number of deaths of which 803 (790) were males and 662 (611) were females. The infantile mortality rate was 207.65 (221.33) per mille. Deaths of children under five years of age numbered 2,109 or 45.66% of the total deaths. Maternal Mortality.—Seventy-seven (51) women died as the result of childbirth giving a rate of 10.91 (8.05) per thousand live births. Causes of Death.—The main causes of deaths, as reported, during the last five years have been:— 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 Unspecified fever and malaria (v. i) 2,525 2,814 2,061 2,529 2,557 Convulsions 730 778 786 1,031 996 Bowel diseases 203 225 154 273 264 Beri-beri 58 76 64 68 76 Respiratory diseases 43 48 45 134 143 Maternal mortality 86 108 56 51 77 Old age 254 287 214 308 238 Accidents 79 96 70 63 50 Other causes 345 368 169 133 218 Total 4,323 4,800 3,619 4,590 4,619 It must be pointed out, however, that these figures are far from accurate for the deputy registrars are persons possessed of little or no medical knowledge and in just over 2% of the deaths was the certificate signed by a qualified medical practitioner. Instructions issued to deputy registrars have met with only limited success for although the diseases are differentiated to a greater extent than formerly it is only the most prominent symptom that is recorded such as fever, hot” fever (deman panas” — which usually means malaria), cough, abdominal colic, convulsions and so on. Instructions were issued that fever per se was not to be accepted as a cause of death and that the nature of the fever was to be recorded as it was thus hoped that more accurate information about the number of deaths due to malaria would be obtained. Of the 2,557 cases of fever recorded above, 194 were due to malaria, 1,933 were due to deman panas” which usually means malaria and 430 were due to vague or undetermined kinds of fever. It will be a long time before Trengganu can furnish accurate information in this respect. Spirits and other malign influences are still held by a large section of the Trengganu people to play a great part in disease and of the 218 deaths due to other causes” mentioned above, 4 were ascribed to kelintasan” and 41 to badi.” Kelintasan” is believed to be caused by the Spirits of the Forest or other places who resent the intrusion of a traveller or wood cutter into some special preserve of theirs; it usually befalls a man journeying in the heat of the day in some lonely spot. It is accompanied by loss of speech or incoherent speech and paralysis; in fact, it is sudden death caused by a stroke and is found in middle-aged and old people. Badi” are the ghostly influences haunting the scene of the slaughter of human beings, of animals such as tiger and elephant, and of certain birds while apparently even trees may have this power of retaliation. Of the 41 cases, all but 6 were under 2 months of age and the oldest was 2 years. Jengi” appears to be the the same as badi” when only an attempt to kill has been made.