§ MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Camborne)asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether it is the fact that, within the last six months, a malignant fever, called the "Blackwater fever," has, owing to the want of proper sanitary arrangements and good water, broken out on the Gold Coast, and proved fatal already to about 50 per cent of the European residents; whether it is a fact that the Natives of Cape 352 Coast Castle have recently elected representatives to act as a Local Board of Health, and have petitioned the Governor to approve of such appointments, and to grant them the necessary powers to deal with the present insanitary condition of the town; what answer the Governor has given to such Petition; and, whether, if such Petition has been refused, he will instruct the Gold Coast Executive to grant the necessary powers and recognition of such Elected Board as has been petitioned for, and otherwise encourage the formation of Local Boards in the other towns of the Colony?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON) (Middlesex, Ealing)(who replied) said: "Blackwater fever" is not a specific disease, but is a name given by certain doctors on the Gold Coast to a specially severe form of the ordinary remittent fever of West Africa. The rainy season this year has, no doubt, been more than, usually unhealthy; but there is no reason to attribute this in any special way to want of good sanitary arrangements and good water. Indeed, the Papers recently laid before Parliament (C. 5,071, pp. 104 and 241) show that a great deal has been done in the way of improvement in these matters, and the efforts of the Government are being continued. The statement that 50 per cent of the European residents have died is, I have every reason to believe, greatly exaggerated. I have received no Report of the election of a Board of Health at Cape Coast, or of any Petition to the Governor on the subject. I will, however, make inquiries. It has been the policy of the Colonial Office to encourage the formation of Local Bodies for district administration, especially in regard to sanitary matters, as the hon. Member will see by referring to the passage printed in Papers laid before Parliament in 1884 and 1885 (C. 4,052, p. 101, and C. 4,477, p. 141).