HEALTH AND WELFARE IN PLANTATIONS. 407 
Anti-Malarial Measures. 
Many planters and garden medical officers already realise the 
importance of the malaria problem. The average garden medical officer, 
however, has little time to devote to the investigation of diseases or to 
practical preventive work, and the Indian Tea Association in North India 
and the United Planters’ Association of Southern India both agreed to 
our suggestion that it would be of advantage to employ expert malario- 
ogists, We were informed, indeed, that steps had already been taken to 
obtain one such expert for a group of gardens in the Wynaad. More 
than once, however, in the evidence given to us in Assam, considerable 
doubt was expressed in regard to the results to be obtained from money 
spent on anti-malarial schemes, because the adoption of certain recom- 
mendations had failed of their promise. In reply to this objection, we 
would emphasise the great importance of detailed investigation before 
embarking on extensive anti-malarial measures. Unless a scientific basis 
has been laid by thorough examination of local conditions, large sums 
can easily be wasted without result or even with the result of increasing 
the incidence of the disease. The Indian Tea Association has made 
generous grants to the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine to assist 
its researches on malaria and hookworm and has also helped to finance 
a successful campaign against kala-azar. This attitude towards pre- 
ventive medicine encourages us to suggest that a more active policy 
should be adopted by all plantation managements in regard to anti- 
malarial work carried out under skilled advice and supervision, We are 
convinced that this would go far to eliminate one of the industry’s 
greatest handicaps, and we hope that both local Governments and 
employers’ associations will make it their close concern.: 
Water Supplies. 
The provision of an adequate supply of good drinking water is 
a primary necessity and, generally speaking, reasonably satisfactory 
arrangements are in existence. At the same time instances are not 
wanting where the supply is of a suspicious character, particularly 
where water is obtained from surface tanks or ponds—even when these 
are properly fenced—and from surface wells, which are at all times 
liable to become polluted. Tube wells may not always be practicable, 
but the water from such wells is ordinarily free from surface pollution. 
As we also have evidence that in certain plantations these have given 
satisfactory results, we recommend their adoption wherever conditions 
are suitable. The prevalence of bowel diseases is an indication of the 
argent need for the provision of pure drinking water, and expenditure on 
purification plants may be essential. This is realised by many employers, 
and on one estate we visited, the management had spent no less than 
Rs. 90,000 on a purification plant. Where supplies are drawn from hill 
streams, protection could probably be best afforded by conducting the 
Water through pipes to the house lines. In such cases a piped water 
supply need mot involve a heavy expenditure, and we recommend its 
provision wherever possible, because this ensures the minimum of poliu- 
tion and incidentally saves the women a great deal of hard work.