Page 294 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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Human beings reflect singly their qualities as nations. Physically, they arc born grow up, cat,
sleep, love, work and die. Religiously, they aspire to a God. They rear families. They dwell in
houses in differing environments. They work and enter into the life of the nation. Intellectuals
apply this inter-relationship with a greater force and influence. Public minded men produce far-
reaching reforms and improvements. The construction of a satisfying economic whole depend on
these factors being rightly blended—a giving to society and receiving from it those benefits produced
by the common weal. Its highest hopes arc born out of self-sacrifice.
Medical work has to influence all these creative factors. To treat disease is always necessary but
it is starting at the wrong end. The beginning is to treat the environment, overcome prejudices,
improve houses and ways of living, remove detrimental influences and nature’s scourges and dis­
courage harmful practices. From then on it becomes a matter of permeating public bodies with ideas
for the needs of communities and the correlation of town planning with sanitation, water supply, care
of foodstuffs and general cleanliness.
Its appeal is individual, communal and national. Its aim is to maintain life at its highest.

SHORT NOTES
(a) Preventative Medical Measures.
Smallpox.—No case occurred on the Island this year which is unusual and noteworthy. I.551
males were vaccinated and a further 11,952 at the Port as will be seen.
Typhoid.—Again sporadic and chiefly seen over the first six months. Hardly a life was
lost due to Chloromycetin.

Venereal Disease.—This again has shown a substantial decrease, and patients report almost
at once for treatment.

Dysentery showed a very marked decrease due to a great deal to the number of flies exter­
minated by the TIFA, machines by weekly fogging the town with Gammexanc insecticide. The
severe heat was another fly killing factor.

Malaria.—A steady decline is taking place in the towns and their environs. Five TIFA
insecticidal machines were in action most of the year and results were spectacular in towns and places
of easy access, but a much more thorough garden control is needed where it is not so easy to operate
them even with 100 feet hosing. The old methods are still basically useful and are the major part of
the work. Examples of the effectiveness of control can be given thus :—
Mosquito Manamah and Remainder Gardens
Breeding Environs. to Rudamal
Places. Kawari Bridge.

1949 No TIFAs. 46,028 87.933
1950 1 TIFA. 30,758 70,901
1951 5 TIFAs. 1.367 27.539
It is very fortunate that culicine breeding of the non-malarial mosquito largely predominates.

The standard insecticide is Gammexane powder P. 520 used as a suspension in Kerosine.
Ophthalmia.—This very slowly improves. There is a wonderful change in children and young
adults due to improved personal hygiene and the influence of the schools which is very great.
Town Public Health.—Only a certain amount of inspection of houses for leaking drains is carried
out and not enough to be effective. New measures are coming into force. This also applies to the
markets where a higher standard of cleanliness is needed. Radical improvements are under con­
sideration. The TIFA machines in their town fogging have caused an immense diminution of flies.