Tropical Diseases And Their Cure

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6520, 8 April 1931, Page 2

Tropical Diseases And Their Cure

DR. SAYERS’ WORK IN THE SOLOMONS. The thrilling story of three years ’ medical effort among the native people of the Solomon Islands was told by Dr. E G. Sayers, a pioneer medical missionary of the Methodist Church of Now Zealand, with a brilliant record of successful work, in Cuba Street Methodist Church, Palmerston North last night. The Rev. W. A. Sinclair, general secretary of missions was also present. Mr. R. H. Billens presided and briefly introduced Dr. Sayers. ' The remoteness of his station was not fully realised by most, Dr. Sayers said. Though tho group of islands was only a week’s journey from Sydney, the voyage from the chief port of the group to his station took a fortnight in a small vessel which went from island to island with cargo and passengers, so that he was actually four weeks from New Zealand. Thousands of islands, wnall and large, composed the group, in the western part of which his work was performed. The remainder was under the care of tho Melanesian Mission. Describing the common diseases of the islanders, their sufferings and their treatment, the speaker paid a tributo to tho work of the four trained nurses with the mission, without whom the task of the two doctors would be impossible. The disease of malaria was probably as old as civilisation and extended through the greater part of the tropics, where conditions woro idea, tor its spread. Records taken had shown that over a long period the lowest temperature was 73 deg. at night and the humidity over 90deg, Ram feb eveiy day and in the record drought of three weeks there was a serious shortage oi attacked every child in the first few weeks of its life and medical attention the child would have sn almost life-long struggle against- the disease, which recurred at. giaduaby longer intervals until at, adult ago im munity through great suffering was acquired. With early medical tre utment for a fow weeks in hospital the child was able to leave fit and if a relapse occurred treatment was easy. El mu n a tion of the disease by the destruction of the carrier mosquito was not as ea. > as at Panama, where great sums of money were available. There were 34 varieties of mosqiiitoes and onlj qnP-PIOS aVctS EL t ~ P Thc next dread disease the growing child encountered was yaws, Dr Sayers continued. There was probably no more pitiful sight than to see a six months’ child completely covered m sores. Many of the children died and if after many months their sores « . they were loft in all manners of crippled conditions. The disease was st 11 fn the system and had _ its effects u later years in excruciating corns, af fected bones or a crippling Autism. Fortunately there was no other disease for which so much treatment could be given. Injections cured the young an alleviated the suffering of the oild I one year the two doctors had given "s' sStao area t.ives suffered from every disease that could affect New Zealanders, hat in factious disease was gradual!} being overcome. Many children were grow ; r i , to udult years without ever having "‘Dvscntery caused hundreds of deaths dr <r iutg K ic ?ceM p ?ss. J Tenfosy had to be contended with. ° C I fnt riiev Readily 'allowed^themt°r soon f P- f ’ whom he had the natives were wall* g ! T they demand .Pe apparent when D *- 7 y keen was no longer dying out as it h when the « rk ™ life was “» rt "S‘eV'ooi lation. Now hospital S^t Cn vMVero subsequently paid to the hospital.