4
unhealthiness of Kathiawakum is of peculiar interest to the Revenue Board as it is
the head-quarters of the Assistant Commissioner, Salt Department, Chingleput
Sub-division, and of the Inspector, Ennore Circle. These officials have been obliged
to abandon their quarters as almost every one who lives in them contracts a very
serious type of malaria which is endangering to life. The fever season begins
about the end of November and often continues with great severity up to May.
In September 1907 I had the opportunity of visiting this place with the Sanitary
Commissioner. A careful search was made for Anopheles mosquitoes and
the harmless species rossii was alone found. It was at once evident that quite half, if
not more, of the population of these villages had suffered from malaria and 8 per
cent. of children had parasites in their peripheral blood. As this was not the fever
season it was impossible to form an adequate idea as to what the conditions are in
the months from. January to May. Many recommendations have been from time to
suggested but unless a thorough investigation of the exact breeding grounds
of the particular species of Anopheles be made during the whole of the fever season,
and an exhaustive study of other conditions favouring its propagation together with
a careful study of the disease it is impossible to formulate any measures which
would with certainty render this district healthy. It therefore offers an excellent
opportunity for the Government to test scientifically antimalaria measures.
3. Water Samples.—There has been a great increase in the number of water
samples submitted for bacteriological examination-172 as opposed to 95 of the
previous 'year. in connection with this work I wish to point out that a certain
amount of trouble has been caused by certain authorities who have forwarded
samples of water from the same source at short intervals. Although the first
sample of water in more than one instance was reported upon as being polluted, it
was evident from subsequent specimens that no steps whatever had been taken to
improve the condition of the water ; under these circumstances such frequent
-
examinations are valueless.
A special apparatus for collecting water has been designed by Captain
Christophers. It has several advantages over the bottle used during .the previous
year ; it can be more easily handled by the class of people who are employed in the
collection of water samples in the mofussil towns and further it is less likely to
become contaminated with extraneous organisms. The bottle is fixed in a tin frame
which has a leaden plummet inserted in the bottom. There is a long chain attached
to the neck of the bottle and a small portion of it is passed round the stopper, so
that it can be removed automatically when the bottle is lowered into the water.
The whole is placed in a tin case and. after being sterilised is packed in a wooden
box. Detailed instructions as to the method of using this apparatus are forwarded
with each bottle.
4.
Tumours.—One hundred and forty-one morbid growths sent for
e x a m i n - a t i o n w e r e s e c t i o n e d a n d a m o u n t e d s p e c i m e n f o r w a r d e d w i t h e a c h r e p o r t . T h e
following is a classified list of the tumours and tissues received for examination
during the last two years.
Two hundred and fifty-eight tumours have been reported upon, of which 114 or 44 per
cent. were of innocent type and 144 or 56 per cent. of malignant type :—
:
No.
Type.
Total
No.
Typical and
. non
No.
Atypical and malignant.
No.
1
2
Epithelia
...
Connective
tissue.
77
70
Keratoma
..
...
Pa pilloma of skin
..
Do.
of intestine 1
of bladder.
Fibroma recurrent fib-
roids 1
Cellullar fibroid 2
. . .
Myxoma
...
...
Lipoma
...
...
Chodroma
...
. . .
Osteoma
...
...
Odontoma
...
...
Angioma
...
. . .
Gliome
...
. .
3
7
2
21
3
2
Nil.
2
3
Carcinoma, squamous celled
(Epithelioma).
,,
Columnar
...
„
Spheroidal
. . .
Sarcoma., round celled
... , ,
spindle-celled ...
„
cylindrical
...
,,
irregular
" '
„
myeloid...
„
pigmented
...
„
alveolar
. . .
„
psammoma
...
Endothelioma
...
. . .
. . .
...
...
...
...
...
"'
".
. . .
...
..
6 5
Nil.
Nil.
11
'
14
2
1
4
7
Nil.