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July 27, 1903.1
to oppose openly all remedial measures and progressive movements, but secretly dis approving of everything in the shape of reform. Her Majesty is not, however, wholly blind to the handwriting on the wall; she is evidently fearful that some new outbreak will presently make Peking an undesirable place of residence, and is making arrangements to leave open retreat to Kaifeng fu, the capital of Houan province, which she would like to nake the new inetropolis of the Empire, It is stated that she has recently again sent special orders to the provincial | authorities at Kaifeng to keep the quarters occupied by the Court there in 1901 in the best of repair and to be ready to receive her at any time. For this reason also the harges that were specially built in 1901 to carry the Court personnel and baggage | across the Yellow River near Kaifeng | have been recently repaired and repainted, while the road between the river landing and the city has likewise been mended ani placed in a condition to admit of com fortable and easy transport over it. It is evident that, in the event of fresh troubles in Peking, the Court would not linger long in the centre of danger! Altogether it is becoming increasingly pparent that the Government of Ching lacking in every element of stability, while it at the same time has no sympathy with progressive Measures, The outlook for the future in China is therefore singularly devoid of encouragement. It seems impossible either to place any trust in the pledges of the Imperial Government, or to endeavour to holster it up and stop the process of disintegration which the policy now being developed by Russia in Manchuria effectually provoking||
TROPICAL MEDICINE AND THE MALARIA RESEARCIT;
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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The
of schools of tropical medicine," commencing | so much the case that in these regions the with a circular despatch addressed by native is a prime agent in the infection of Mr. CHAMBERLAIN to the Governors of all Europeans with malaria, and that the segrega- British Colonies on the 28th May, in which tion of the white man from the native and the the progress of malaria investigation and of avoidance of native huts, which are nests of the training of medical officers in the infected anopheles, form a potent means treatment and prevention of tropical disease for the prevention of the disease. is reviewed. It was owing largely to Dr.importance of this discovery from a pro- PATRICK MANSON, whose name is very phylactic point of view is of the first order, familiar in Hongkong, that the attention remarks Sir MICHARI. FOSTER. secretary of of Mr. CHAMBERLAIN was definitely directed the Royal Society, in a letter to the Colonial to the importance of scientific enquiry into Office covering the two doctors' report. the canses of malaria and of special This infection of the blood of native children ednetion in tropical medicine for the was found equally in Africa and India, and medical officers of Crown Colonies. This the researchers maintain that in any district was toward the end of the year 1897. In the percentage of native children infected pursuance of the second of these objects, with the parasite may be taken as the index says the Colonial Secretary, it seemed of the prevalence of malaria in the district. advisable (1) that a special training school or, as they term it, of malarial endemicity; in tropical medicine should be established; and they have determined the connection of (2) that the leading British medical schools this index with the presence or nearness of should be induced to give greater pro- the breeding-places of the species of minence in their schemes of study to anopheles serving as carriers of infection tropical medicine; (3) that the periodical It would be interesting to know what reports sent in from the tropical Colonies support Hongkong, which suffers so severely and Protectorates should be recast on one from malaria, furnishes for the theory uniform type designed to throw light on which Africa and India seem conclusively the prevailing tropical diseases. The result
to prove. of the Colonial Office's negotiations was the opening in November, 1899, of a tropical selinol in the branch_hospital of | the Seamon's Society at the Albert Docks. Shortly before, an excellently equipped school of tropical diseases had been established at University College, Liverpool, which has been placed on the same footing
(Daily Press, 25th July.) Dr. CHALMERS MITCHELL, the well-known medical and biological writer who has lately been elected Secretary of the Zoological Society in London,, discussed recently a tendency in mankind, which he ventured to forecast, to press forward from the tem- perate regions toward the tropics. The two vital considerations necessitating this move- went Dr. MITCHELL sees in the question of fuel and food. The fuel question is still 8 far a matter for the distant future that we have no need to think of the day when we must look to the sun for our supply of heat and energy; bit already the reserve of food is so small that the world may be said to be living on its food income. The latter being directly dependent ou the sun, argues Dr. MITCHELL, man may at no distant date be driven to those regions where the supply of solar energy is greatest and most constant. What, he asks, will be inan's conditions of life and well-being when he gets to the tropics? At present fevers, malaria, and diseases of the liver the blood, and the skin attack the white man who ventures to the tropics; but, after all, why are these worse than tubercle, the pucumonia, the rheuma- tism which afflict the black nian who comes to the white man's country? A few generations of natural selection would render the white man as immune to malaria, for example, as the megro. This brings us to an interesting subject, that of the battle with malaria, which of all the ills mentioned above must be considered the most serious against which the white min has to fight. A Parliamentary paper has just been issued containing papers re- lating to the investigation of malaria and other tropical diseases and the establishment
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as the Loudon school. The result of the
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establishment of these schools is alrendy that medical men selected for foreign appoiat ments enter now upon their duties with special knowledge of the maladies with which they have to deal. Naturally such success could not be attained without considerable expenditure of money, and now the managers of the London school contemplate improve ments and extensions which are estimated to cost about £12,000. Of this, says Mr. CHAMBERLAIN, no more than £3,000 is at present available. “The Governments of Ceylou, the Straits Settlements, the Fede rated Malay States, and Hongkong have each promised a subsidy of C100 per annum for five years toward the revenue of the school." But these, even backel by private munificence, are insufficient to meet growing requirements. "It is clear," says the Colonial Secretary toward the end of his despatch, that the work cannot stand still, and as long as those who can speak with the authority of science are confident that by human effort the rate of mortality from malaria and other tropical diseases can be greatly reduced and the strength and efficiency of Europeau residents in unhealthy climates can be sensibly increase 1, so long, in my opinion, ought funds to be forthcoming for carrying on what has been so well begun.”
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Included in the papers of which Mr. CHAMBERLAIN's letter is the first is a report by Drs. STEPHENS and CHRISTOPHERS, Who made an elaborate investigation into native malaria and malarial prophylaxis, as well as into the nature of blackwater fever, by observations in Central and West Africa and India. Into the details of their report (which fully confirms the theories of Major Ross) we do not propose here to go. There is, however, one point of special interest which they and at about the same time Pro. fessor Koch discovered, to which we must not omit to draw attention. This is that while the native adult in malarial regions is in great measure immune towards malaria, the disease is exceedingly prevalent among the native children. Drs. STEPHENS and CHRISTOPHERS showed, indeed, that this was
THE LAW COURTS AND THE
POST OFFICE.
(Daily Press, 22nd July.) The discussion raised by the Hon. GERSHOM STEWART in
the Logislative Council on Monday last will, though perhaps not directly, have some useful effect. When we say not directly wo have regard to the official replies given, which were not wholly satisfactory. The questions put elicited the facts that, after a long delay, a tender for erection of the new Law Courts has been accepted and it is hoped that the work will soon be gone on with." Also that the cost of the site for the new Post Office was 8508,280, and it was paid in March, 1902. One of the designs sent in at the recent competition by local architects has been accepted, and it is anticipated that tenders for the foundations will be called for in about a month. Why all this unnecessary delay? Why not call for tenders for the Post Office at once, and why is not the erection of the Law Courts proceeded with? The Government seem to have absolutely no conception of the value of either time or money. They are, from a business point of view, the merest habes and sucklings. Perhaps, as some assistance to the understanding of the officials, it may be as well to point the moral with au illustration. The sum of $503,280 has been paid for the site of the Post Office, Tunt capital amount has been already increased by interest on it to 3546,529; in other words the interest on the sum, reckoned from 31st. March, 1902, to 31st July, 1903, at 6 per cent. per annum, amonuts to $41.240, from which deduct $3,000, the rent paid by the contractor, who has made a lumber-yard of the site, and pays, we believe, $200 per month for his occupation. This little fact should ba sufficient illustration of the necessity both of saving time and getting on with the work of construction. The Colonial Socretary made a weak endeavour not to defen- the Government procrastination so much as to palliate its effects. He pointed out that during the delay the value of the property had been increasing all the time. ` This is true enough, but it does not affect the argument in the least, as the Government has no intention of selling Moreover, there was the chance of the opposite tendency: the property might have depreciated in value. In any case, as Mr. STEWART
We