European standards on height, weight, centres of ossification and date of onset of puberty are not applicable to Asiatic girls in Malaya. " Asiatics " could not be grouped together, racial groups showed differences, especially the three main groups-Chinese, Indians and Malays. Nine tables are furnished showing the average and maximum and minimum heights and weights of the four main groups examined, as well as of some of the minor groups, arranged according to ages from 5 years to 19 years. The conclusion is drawn that the European standard of height and weight is higher than that of any of the Asiatic races in Malaya; a greater difference is noted in the weight than in the height and there is a much greater range in the weight of Asiatics but a smaller range in the height. Onset of menstruation tended to be earlier in the local Asiatic groups than in Europeans. The date of eruption of permanent teeth appeared to be earlier among Asiatic races. No deciduous teeth were found at the age of 12-13 years, the lower second molar was seen in all those examined at that age and the whole lower set was present, excluding the third molar. Earlier efuption of the canine teeth was also noticeable. Details should be consulted in the original by all those interested in medico legal work in tropical countries. P. A. Clearkin.
The data here published were collected [presumably in Malaya] in 1941. The average diet of South Indian labourers was found to be ill-balanced and deficient in protein, especially animal protein, vitamins, especially fatsoluble, Ca and P. Many conditions generally accepted as being due to dietary deficiency were prevalent, particularly among children and pregnant women. Suggestions for improving the diet include the increased use of millet, maize, legumes, leafy vegetables, fruit and red palm oil. The value of milk is stressed, and it is suggested that the estate should supply this. Dietetic education of the labourers is considered essential.-A. Synge.
This presidential address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the Malaya Branch of the British Medical Association deals with the history of the impact of western medicine on Malaya. In the early years curative medicine monopolized attention. A Port Quarantine Service was established in 1900 but serious attention to preventive medicine had to wait till 1911 When the Health Service of the then Federated Malay States was founded. Rubber had brought amazing prosperity and disease prevention yielded increased dividends. The address provides much interesting information about Malaya, its peoples and their diseases, and the efforts made by research workers and health departments to control disease prevalence during the last 28 years: this does not lend itself to summary. For the future, outstanding tasks include the application of recently acquired knowledge and techniques to the control of malaria; an allout attack on tuberculosis; much more attention to nutrition and deficiency diseases, and an orientation of the work of the Health Services towards social medicine. Norman White.
Although this paper makes a special appeal to workers in Malaya it will be found interesting and instructive by the many medical men elsewhere who have been perplexed by the confusing nomenclature of rats and related animals. The author describes the following, which are the six common house and field animals of Malaya popularly called "rats ". A. Rodentia: Muridae. (1) Rattus rattus (Sp. R.r. diardi; R. r. argentiventer; R. r. jalorensis. (2) R. norvegicus. (3) R. exulans. (4) Mus musculus. (5) Bandicota bengalensis. B. Insectivora: Soricidae. (6) Suncus caeruleus, the musk shrew which is grossly slandered by being called a rat; it is an insectivore and the author states that there is no evidence of its being concerned in the transmission of any disease. A clear description is given of the habits, external appearance, skull characters, and association, if any, with disease, of each of the above animals. The animals chiefly concerned in the transmission of disease in Malaya are stated as being R. r. diardi (murine typhus), and R. r. argentiventer, (scrub typhus and probably leptospirosis). Plague is not occurring at present in Malaya. Medical men in Malaya are fortunate in being provided in this and other papers with simple practical guides to the local fauna which are important from the public health point of view. [See also this Bulletin, 1949, v. 46, 245, 247.] John W. D. Megaw.
This paper from the Malaria Research Division, Institute for Medical Research, Federation of Malaya, summarizes the results of studies on the suppression of malaria by synthetic drugs. Such studies began 25 years ago, and, in spite of interruptions in the work due to the Japanese invasion and due to banditry, studies are reported here on the effects of giving mepacrine in doses of 0.3 gm. once a week; proguanil in doses of 0.1 gm., 0.2 gm., 0.25 gm. and 0.3 gm. once a week; chloroquine in doses of 0.25 gm. once a week; and amodiaquin [camoquin] in dosos of 0.4 grn. base once a month. The populations upon whom the studies were made were labourers and their families-Tamils, Malays, and Javanese, on 3 estates in Selangor, and Negri Sembilan, Federation of Malaya, between December, 1946, and February, 1949. Each population was divided into 3 comparable sections, 2 of which received test drugs, while the third received a placebo and so formed a control group. Drugs were issued under the supervision of a Malaria Research Officer. Those people who developed fever wore supervised and treated by a hospital assistant resident on each estate. Thick blood films from such patients were studied. Parasite and spleen surveys were done every 3 months. Malaria transmission was assessed by the incidence of malaria in unprotected infants, who were not given suppressive drugs until after their first attack; and by the results of mosquito dissections. The commonest vectors woreA. letifer, A. maoulatus and A. umbrosus. The results of the tests of suppressivo drugs are shown in a series of tables, charts, and diagrams. Malarial transmission was considered light during the period of these trials. Chloroquino 0.25 gm. base once weekly proved the most effective drug in suppressing malarial attacks. There was little difference between proguanil in various doses, or between proguanil and mepacrine, but these two drugs were much cheaper than chloroquine or amodiaquin. All the drugs reduced the parasite and spleen rates. No significant toxic symptoms were observed with any of the drugs used. S. Bell.
The use of ‘Gammexane’ P 520 as a practical larvicide is briefly described. A suitable rate of application is indicated, and the need to train spray operators and supervisors is indicated. Results suggest that the cost of this larvicide for routine control is likely to be one third or less that of oil.