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.

    11/38 (page 5)
    (B) ASIATIC OFFICIALS. The total number of new cases treated was 5,154 (4,469) of which 2,113 (1,554) were in the Police Force. IV. HYGIENE AND SANITATION. (A) SPECIAL DISEASES. The number of prevailing diseases treated during the last five years have been:— Disease. 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 Malaria 5,408 6,180 10,718 12,965 16,931 Fever unspecified 862 574 1,695 1,019 658 Diseases of respiratory system (excluding influenza) 1,357 1,676 3,109 4,608 3,407 Influenza 1,820 2,070 2,278 2,986 3,933 Yaws 2,601 3,434 4,789 4,400 4,334 Beri-beri 1,181 433 782 968 1,176 Intestinal parasites 3,539 4,940 8,561 11,080 15,484 These figures represent the total number of new patients treated, both in-patients and out¬ patients. They are a better guide to the incidence of diseases in Trengganu than the alleged causes of death which are so unreliable. (1) MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES. Malaria.—The incidence varies widely in different parts of Trengganu. The coast-line, which is the most densely populated part of the State, is fairly free except in certain parts where the flat, sandy plain is broken up by hills. It is considered that there is no malaria in Kuala Trengganu which is the capital and largest town in the State though the Medical Department is always watching for cases. The incidence of enlarged spleen among 1,111 school-children was only 0.72% (0.26). Anopheline mosquitos are not very numerous although they are found in increased numbers after the monsoon rains and in many parts of the town it is possible to sleep all the year round without a mosquito- net. The following varieties of mosquitos are found:—A. barbirostris, A. hyrcanus, A. kochi, A. rossi, A. sinensis and A. vagus. The incidence of enlarged spleen among the school-children at the other towns on the coast is as follows:—Kuala Besut—3.01%, Kuala Setiyu—0%, Kampong Panjang, Setiyu—1.18%, Kampong Penarek, Setiyu—0%, Marang—10.0%, Kuala Dungun—4.76%, Paka—3.85%, Kretir —19.35%, Kemasek—8.0%, Kijal—14.89%, Kuala Kemaman—4.44% and Chukai, Kemaman— 1.76%. The most malarious places on the coast are Batu Rakit, Marang and Kretir. Anti¬ malaria oiling was done on a small scale at Marang during the year. The further inland one goes, however, the higher becomes the incidence of the disease although the two inland schools did not show a high rate; at Kampong Raja, Besut the rate was 2.04% while at Kuala Brang, which is about twenty-five miles inland, the rate was 3.45%. The Medical Officer has found on his visits to the upper reaches of the various rivers in Trengganu that malaria is extremely prevalent and that in the most distant villages practically all the children with the exception of some very young babies have enlarged spleens; fortunately the population is very sparse in these parts. The Dungun river seems to be less malarious than the other rivers. The islands are highly malarious especially Pulau Perhentian but the population on these islands is small and probably does not amount to 800. The Medical Officer attempted to find the breeding-places of the anophelines concerned. Numerous larvae of culex and stegomyia were found in pools especially on rocks and in coconut husks but the Search for 'anophelines was disappointing, only two specimens being found, one—unidentified—in water among the roots of a tree and one—A. maculatus—in a water-jar.