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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O.8
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COMMUNICABILITY OF YAWS. DO INSECTS PLAY A ROLE IN THE TRANSMISSION OF THE DISEASE?
As is well known the disease is in most cases conveyed by direct contact from person to person, usually by absorption of the virus through some pre-existing abraded surface, or small wounds or ulcerations which are frequently present on the skin of natives. The simple contact of the virus on normal skin is not sufficient to cause the infection; but very slight abrasions--as, for instance, those due to scratching are sufficient for the entrance of the virus.
Women are frequently infected by their children, the primary lesion appearing often on the mammae. In the native women of Ceylon the primary lesion frequently develops on the skin of the trunk just above the hip. This is due to their habit of carrying the child astride of the hip, as shown by accompanying photos. Any yaws element present on the scrotum and nates of the child will, therefore, be continually rubbed against the skin of the mother and infection will take place through any slight abrasion already present, or that may be caused by the friction.
In my opinion, however, there can be little doubt that, in certain cases, insects may carry the disease.
It is very noticeable that flies eagerly crowd on the open sores of yaws patients. In the hospitals, as soon as the dressings are removed, the yaws ulcerations will become covered with flies, sucking with avidity the secretion, which they may after- wards deposit in the same way, on ordinary ulcers in other people. Ants also are occasionally seen to go on the yaws ulcerations as well as on ordínary ulcers.
In the classical work of Nuttall on the role of insects as carriers of parasitic diseases, several authors are quoted (Alibert, Hoish, Cadet, Wilson) who believe that the infection may be conveyed from one individual to another by flies.
Wilson states that this belief prevails also among the natives of the West Indies.
I may quote some of the experiments I have made to prove that flies are instru- mental in the dissemination of the disease:-
Experiment I. (November 10, 1906.)
Some scraping was collected from slightly ulcerated papules of a yaws patient. The Spirochete pertenuis was present, together with various other thicker spiro- chates (S. obtusa, S. acuminata), but no bacteria. The scraping was placed in a sterile petri dish. Ten flies (Musca domestica and allied species), caught in the rooms of the Bacteriological Institute, were placed inside the petri dish and left there for half an hour. They fed greedily on the material; then the proboscis and buccall organs as well as the legs were examined for spirochetes, making extracts and films; in nine flies the spirochetes of the thicker type were found; in two also the Spirochete pertenuis. As control, five flies were caught the same day, in the same room, and examined at once with negative results, as regards the presence of the spirochetes.
Experiment II. (January 12, 1907.)
Twenty flies were collected from the rooms of the Bacteriological Institute. The buccall apparatus and legs of five of them were removed and examined by making extracts and films; no spirochetes of any kind were present. The other fifteen flies were divided into several groups, and placed on various semi-ulcerated papules of three yaws patients presenting the Spirochate pertenuis, and spirochetes of the thicker type as often found in semi-ulcerated lesions. The flies were kept in place by covering the papules with a piece of gauze made to adhere to the skin by means of collodion all round the margin. All the flies fed greedily on the ulcerated papules. After two hours the proboscis and other parts of the mouth organs, as well as the legs, were removed, extracts and films made and stained. Out of the 15 flies so examined, in 14 it was possible to detect the coarse spirochetes, and in two the Spirochete pertenuis, as well as the thicker ones.
Transmission of Yaws to Monkeys by means of Flies fed on Yaws Material. Experiment III. (November 15, 1906.)
Thirty flies were fed in a sterile petri dish for half an hour on scrapings taken from non-ulcerated papules of a case of yaws containing only the Spirochete per-
25
tenuis. Three monkeys of the genus semnopithecus (S. pria.), and two of the genus macacus (Mac. pil.) were then inoculated in this way: over the left eyebrow of each monkey very numerous deep scarifications were made; then five flies deprived of their wings, were applied to the scarified spots and kept there by means of a piece of gauze smeared with collodion at the margins. The monkeys had their legs tied together to prevent their removing the gauze. After two hours the gauze and the flies were removed. Of these monkeys, one, Semnop. pria., after 45 days developed a small infiltrated spot, which soon became enlarged and covered with a thick crust. The microscopical examination of the lesion showed the presence of the Spirochete pertenuis. The other five monkeys gave negative results.
Experiment IV.
Twenty-eight flies (Musca domestica and similar species) were caught in ong of the rooms of the Bacteriological Institute. The legs and buccall organs of five were removed and examined for spirochetes, making numerous preparations, with negative results. The remaining flies, deprived of their wings, were placed on two slightly-ulcerated elements of a yaws patient. The flies were kept on the ulcers by means of pieces of gauze, the margins of which were made to adhere to the skin with a little collodion. The flies sucked readily the secretion of the ulcers. After one hour the flies were removed, meanwhile seven monkeys of the genus semnopi- thecus (Semno. pria.) had deep scarifications made over their eyebrows, and several flies which had fed on the ulcerated yaws lesions were placed on the scarified spots of each monkey, and kept in place there for two hours by means of the device already mentioned.
One of the monkeys, 46 days after, developed a slightly infiltrated spot, which slowly enlarged into a framboetic nodule covered by a thick crust; the microscopical examination of films taken from this nodule showed the presence of the Spirochete pertenuis. In another monkey, 67 days after inoculation, three tiny papules developed at the place of inoculation; they soon fused together into an infiltrated mass covered by a thick crust. Films made from scrapings of the lesion contained the Spirochete pertenuis.
The remaining five monkeys so far (March 15, 1907), have given negative
results.]
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(No. 91.)
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No. 31.
HONG KONG.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received May 15, 1907.)
Government House, Hong Kong, April 15, 1907.
[Printed as No. 7 in Appendix VII. to [Cd. 3992], March, 1908.]
No. 32.
THE LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
DEAR MR. KEITH,
(Received May 25, 1907.)
B 10, Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, May 24, 1907.
I HAVE pleasure in enclosing account showing how the Government grant to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for the year ending 31st December, 1906, has been spent. The account has been audited by the Auditors of the School.
Thank you for the three copies of the School's report, which I have sent to the writers for their correction.
A. B. Keith, Esq.,
Colonial Office,
London, S.W.
I am, &c.,
A. H. MILNE.
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18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TOPage 691
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.885
Reference :-
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
26
Enclosure in No. 32.
THE INCORPORATED LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE.
Expenditure of the Grant from the Tropical Diseases Research Fund for the Year ending
31st December, 1906.
垒 s. .
£
ફ. .
To Grant to Special Workers on
Trypanosomiasis
125 0 0
By Grant from the Tropical Disease
Research Fund
500 0 0
£ 3. d.
Towards purchase
of animals
60 0 0
Towards upkeep of
30 0 0
same
Towards share of
attendants' wages 15 00 Towards purchase
of instruments,
chemicals, &c. ... 20 0 0
portion of salary of the Lecturer
in Tropical Medicine, January
to December, at £31 58. 07. a quarter
125 0 0
1. salary
of the January to December, at £62 10. Od. a quarter
Entomologist,
250 0 0
Total
500 0 0
Total
500 0
Examined and compared with the books and vouchers, and found correct.
CHALMERS, WADE AND CO.,
Chartered Accountants. Auditors to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Liverpool, 24th May, 1907.
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No. 33.
MINUTES OF THE FIRST ORDINARY MEETING OF THE TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE, HELD 30TH MAY, 4 P.M., 1907.
AGENDA.
(1.) To pass the Minutes of the Second Ordinary Meeting of the 27th Novem- ber, 1906, and of the Extraordinary Meeting of the 8th of April, 1907 (copies annexed).*
(2.) To receive the reports and accounts of the Liverpool and London Schools of Tropical Medicine for the period November, 1906-April, 1907 (copies annexed). † (3.) To receive reports of work done in the laboratories of British Guiana, Trinidad, the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, Ceylon, and Hong Kong.
(4.) To approve the grant of £1,000 to the London School and £500 to the Liverpool School for the year 1907.
(5.) To discuss the question of the appointment of an entomologist in connection with the London School.
(6.) To consider the application for a grant in aid of entomological work at Cambridge (letters annexed).‡
(7.) To consider proposals for modifying the course of study at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (papers annexed). §
(8.) To receive correspondence respecting the Report of the Board for 1906 (correspondence annexed).|||
(9.) In view of the large amount of material now available, to consider the
* No. 117 in Miscellaneous No. 173 and No. 23.
† No. 1 in Appendix VI. and No. 1 in Appendix V. to [Cd. 3992] March, 1908. Nos. 3 and 18.
§ No. 122 in Miscellaneous No. 173 and No. 20.
Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 15.
27
question of sending a circular half yearly (instead of yearly, as at present) to the Colonies, giving an account of the progress made.
PRESENT:
Sir West Ridgeway (in the Chair).
Sir T. Barlow.
Surgeon-General Branfoot.
Dr. Rose Bradford.
Sir P. Manson.
Sir R. Moor.
Mr. T. W. Holderness,
Mr. C. P. Lucas.
Mr. Read, and
Mr. Keith (Secretary).
1. The minutes of the ordinary meeting of 27th November, 1906, and of the extraordinary meeting of 8th April, 1907, were approved.
2.
It was decided that the reports of the Tropical Schools should be acknow- ledged with an expression of interest, and that the accounts should not be printed, but that a note should be made in the London School account explaining the reason for the balance shown.
3. Sir P. Manson urged, and it was agreed, that in sending out (see para- graph 9) the reports of the various laboratories stress should be laid on the import- ance of supplying good reports.
4. The grants of £1,000 to the London, and of £500 to the Liverpool, School were approved.
5. Sir P. Manson urged that the sum of £500 released by the grant of that amount from Uganda funds to the Royal Society should be employed in a grant for an entomologist at the London School. It was agreed, after discussion, on Mr. Holderness's suggestion, to grant £1,000 in all to be paid by instalments, to be arranged by the Colonial Office representatives, in three years. Sir P. Manson explained that the salary proposed was £250 by £25 to £300 as only thus a good man could be obtained. He considered, and the Committee agreed, that the grant should be made conditional:-
6.
(1) On the entomologist making collections of flies dangerous to men or animals, a separate collection being made for each Colony, and such collections being available for reference by colonial officials;
(2) On his undertaking to be available for consultation on any point on which
the Government might desire to have his advice.
It was agreed to grant £100 for two years for the purpose of entomological work in Cambridge, on the understanding that the work done should so far as possible bear directly on a matter of importance to the Colonies, and that half yearly reports would be furnished.
7. The Committee recommended that it should be explained to the Liverpool School that while the Colonial Office sympathized in principle with their proposals for a more extended course of instruction, yet it was not considered practicable to put their proposals at once into force. Sir P. Manson pointed out that on some men an elaborate training was really thrown away, and Ŝir T. Barlow concurred in this view. Both, however, insisted on the value of the present training.
8. The Committee read the correspondence as, to the report for 1906, and approved the terms of Mr. Lucas's letter to Mr. Milne.
9. After discussion it was agreed, on the proposal of Sir J. West Ridgeway,
to continue to publish an annual report, but to send out in a circular at the end of the first half of the year, the reports received to that date, with a request for any observations which the Principal Medical Officer of the Colony might desire to offer.
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