Page 172 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

20
sequche are all too apparent throughout the island :— in the schools approx : 17% of
boys showed soarring from small-pox). A fairly high proportion of cases of blindness
result from this cause.
Vaccination against small-pox is available at the clinics but it is rarely
requested, except by the more intelligent or as the result of the passport regulations
of other countries.
Compulsory vaccination would eradicate this disease almost entirely, but
would presumably arouse the opposition which seems invariably to accompany the
introduction of this reform into any country.
Gyncecological & obstetrical conditions. Women make use of all the
government dispensaries fairly freely (about one patient in five is a woman), but they
rarely request treatment for disorders peculiar to their sex, except at the two especial
clinics which are under the care of nurses : the treatment available at these clinics
is of necessity very limited, although the number of labour-cases attended (135) is a
considerable advance on that of last year (10).
The introduction of a lady-doctor and the construction of a special hospital
for women, should, therefore bo of the greatest value in this wide field.
2. THE MALARIA REPORT.
At the beginning of last year, Major Afridi I M.S. au expert of the Malaria
Institute, India, instituted a very thorough examination into the problem of malaria
in Bahrain. The results of his investigation are embodied in a detailed and
extremely valuable report which includes suggestions for a practical scheme of
malaria-oontrol. In brief, the report assesses the amount of malaria which is present
throughout the island, and indicates clearly the high incidence of the disease in
Manama, particularly in the area known as Naira, and the area adjacent to the Fort.
The relative freedom of Muharraq island is shown.
The species stephensi of the anopheline mosquito is incriminated as the chief
and probably only, carrier-species of mosquito on the island. This mosquito, which
conveys tertian, quartan and intermittent fevers, breeds in the shallow domestic
wells, which are present in nearly all the native dwelling places in Manama and other
towns, in the irrigation channels of the gardens, and in the edges of the swamps of
water which occur particularly in the neighbourhood of Manama.
Measures of control include the filling-in of the domestie wells (with provision
of an alternative water-supply) re-organisation of the irrigation systems in the
gardens and eradication of the swamps. Temporary measures of control are by the
use of larvicidal chemicals and by encouraging the spread of the local fresh-water,
fish, aphanius dispar which is actively larvicidal.
It is suggested that anti-malaria measures should be oommenoed in Manama,
whioh is most in need of attention, and be spread gradually to the rest of the island.