Report of the Medical Officer of Health, Cairo City.

  • Egypt. Cairo City Health Inspectorate.
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Medical Officer of Health, Cairo City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    36/120 (page 30)
    The only way to detect such persons, is to keep them under observation and prevent them from obtaining the drug. Lack of the drug soon tells on those who are addicted to it. Xovocaine is not a habit-producing drug because it lacks the properties characteristic of cocaine, hence it can never replace cocaine as a habit-producing drug. Because novocaine is a local anaesthetic to a minor degree it may be mixed with cocaine and sold to the addicts of the latter. The Traffic Medical Board meets thrice a week to examine applicants. The work of the Board is carried on according to the Regulations mentioned in the Report for 1927. The number of drivers of motor vehicles in circulation in cairo at the end of 1928 was 1,843 public chauffeurs, 459 autobus drivers, 7,975 private chauffeurs, 2188 lorry drivers and 2,144 motorcyclists. Of these, only the first two categories, i.e. 2,302 go through the Medical and Technical Examinations. The Medical Jurisprudence Section. The work of this Section has proceeeded on the lines laid down in the Report for 1927. The medico-legal work at this office, consists of first giving First Aid to the injured and then writing out the Medico-Legal Reports. As stated in last year’s Report there are a number of trained policemen who come from the Medical Corps of the Egyptian Army detailed to do first Aid in addition to their routine work in the different Police Units. The number of those doing such work amoun¬ ted to 41 at the end of the 1928, whereas in 1927 the number was 48. The Police Author¬ ities are being communicated with on the subject. These Policemen have done First Aid to 5,514 injured persons. These men are very handy and useful. They cannot be dispensed with, for they are on the spot before any one else and can thus give First Aid on the spur of the moment. This is very, very important especially in cases of haemorrhage. Since the last Report, a Health Office has been created in Heliopolis. That Office, in its relation to the work of this office,occupies the same position as Helouan and Zeitoun. The total number of criminal Medico-legal cases for Cairo, Heliopolis, Zeitoun and Helouan, amounted to 18,688 for 1928: the same category amounted only to 16,585 in 1927; the increase being 2,103. The wave of crime appears therefore to be on the increase. The total number of medico-legal cases (criminal and non-criminal) seen by the Police Doctors in Cairo during the current year, amounted to 18,789, those seen at Heliopolis, Zeitoum and Helouan numbered 771, the total for Cairo and its environments aggregated to 19,560. The total medico-legal cases for Cairo during 1927 amounted to 16,812; those for Zeitoun and Helouan amounted to 605, making a total of 17,417 for Cairo and its envi¬ ronments. The excess of cases in 1928 over 1927 amounted to 2,143. Table XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, and XYII indicate the medico-legal work of Cairo and its environments. Preventative Medicine Section. The work of this Section has been carried out on the principles set forth in the Report for 1927, All the Regulations laid down by the Public Health Department on these matters are adapted to meet the requirements of the Police organisation. In order to facilitate the execution of the Department’s Orders without conflicting with Police regulations, it is obvious that Police Doctors should bo experienced in police work. The following observation is, I think deserving of consideration: Whilst carrying out the routine duties of attending to sick policemen, it was remarked that some suffered from neck troubles, such as boils, inflammation, and eruptions. After studying these cases it was discovered that they were due to the irritation and friction caused by the hard celluloid collers in use in the Police, especially during the summer months when they perspire and when the tissues of the neck on that account become absorbent. 30 Non-Commissioned Officers and men were thus affected during 1928; the number of days they were ill, was 250, 221 of which were spent in hospital and 29 days as out-patients with treatment and work. This condition is avoidable by ceasing the use of these celluloid collars and replacing them by the linen variety that can be washed and boiled at convenience. Linen collars are more hygienic and harbour less dirt and bacteria, because they can be washed, boiled and ironed.