'Field notes: Aden Protectorate' [‎18r] (35/56)

19
MEDICAL.
—From wells or from rivers.
Purification of water. —Should be boiled for drinking pur
poses or sterilized with chemicals.
Alum will clear it a good deal and must be used before it
can be sterilized.
River water is more contaminated than that of wells. It
is also likely to be more muddy.
When taking water from a river it should be taken from
centre of stream.
Irrigation channels should be avoided. The water they
contain is always highly contaminated.
See also " Water."
Malaria.
Mosquito Nets. —Very prevalent and is certain to cause a
good deal of sickness. Mosquito nets should always be used, but
more especially within a mile of any village. It should be
remembered that feet and ankles are liable to be bitten about
sun-down. If shoes are worn, the ankles could be protected
by wearing two pairs of fairly stout socks.
Avoid camping near river beds and villages. In camping
the vicinity of a river bed should be avoided and high and
open ground chosen. It is particularly important to avoid
camping in vicinity and to leeward of a village. All the
inhabitants are potential carriers of malarial infection.
Quinine parades—Malaria also occurred among troops,
employed in the Hinterland in 1903-04, stationed near Hardaba
and at Sulaik in the Sailat Hardaba as well as among those
employed in the Kotaibi expedition, where camping near the
river beds was a necessity, but to a less extent. Mosquitoes are
common in all these parts. Little is known about the Bana
the upper Bana at any rate does not bear a malarious repu
tation, but the lower reaches are, no doubt,.unhealthy.
With regard to the Yeramis valley, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore
Bent, who' passed up it in 1897, were brought back to Aden
quite prostrated by malaria, and lay ill in hospital for several
weeks. Mr. Bent's death, immediately on returning to-