166
2. Although the infection spreads freely among animals, still it is not a The fact that infected animals question to be dealt with by veterinary surgeons. do not usually manifest objective symptoms of the disease puts the veterinary surgeon at a great disadvantage, and the only way to discover if an animal is infected is through bacteriological examination and through that alone.
3. I have, together with our veterinary surgeon, examined many goats, both before and after slaughtering, and the animals were found healthy-looking, fat, and with all organs in a normal macroscopical condition.
The infected goat usually feeds well, is frisky and gives abundant and appa- rently normal milk, as I have repeatedly proved by chemical examination.
During the work of the Commission we have never been able to pick out a healthy goat in an infected herd, even though we were aware that there was one.
4. The question, therefore, remains for the present restricted to pure bacteri- ology, and it is only through the repeated examination of the milk or the blood of the milch-animals that the infected individuals can be discovered and dealt with.
5. This work is already being done by the Public Health Department and, herd after herd, we propose to go through all the goats and sheep.
As Lia showed a high incidence of fever this year, we have examined the herds of Lia, Balzan, and Attard, and out of 430 in those villages, 5.3 per cent. showed signs of infection, and 2 only yielded the coccus in their milk.
The animals which showed a reaction are now being examined weekly and the two badly infected ones we have managed to take from their owners.
More goats have been examined in other centres.
6. What is really required, to deal effectively with the question, is power to seize and isolate animals which react to the fever, and power to destroy animals with the coccus in the milk.
When we can legally do all this, a small staff, consisting of a bacteriologist and two intelligent sanitary inspectors, with an adequate number of attendants. will be enough to examine all the goats twice in a year and to keep suspected animals under constant supervision.
A larger staff could deal with more goats, up to, say, 100 a day, a rate which cannot be pushed further, for obvious reasons.
7. The study of acquired immunity in goats is also in hand and will be reported upon shortly.
It is possible that this investigation will further simplify the problem of freeing these islands from infected milch-animals.
TEM ZAMMIT.
July 6, 1907.
25399
SIR,
No. 123.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE ROYAL SOCIETY.
Downing Street, July 22, 1907.
I AM directed by the Earl of Elgin to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th of May last,* reporting the completion of the labours of the Commission appointed to investigate Mediterranean fever.
2. am to request you to inform the Royal Society that His Majesty's Govern- ment and the Government of Malta desire to express their grateful appreciation of the skill with which this difficult piece of work has been carried out under the direc- tion of the Society, and the satisfaction which they feel at the successful result of the investigation.
3. I am to enclose a copy of a despatcht which has been addressed to the Officer Administering the Government of Malta on the subject of the steps necessary to give effect to the recommendations of the Commission.
You will observe that the Society's appreciation of the value of Dr. Zammit's services has been conveyed to the Colonial Government.
4. Lord Elgin regrets the delay in answering the Society's letter, which was due to the necessity of communicating with the other Departments concerned, viz., the War Office and the Admiralty.
I am, &c.,
H. BERTRAM COX.
25993
167
No. 124.
COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE, ADMIRALTY, and THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.
SIR,
[Answered by Nos. 126, 125, and 9130 in Miscellaneous No. 224.]
Downing Street, October 19, 1907. WITH reference to previous correspondence, I am directed by the Earl of Elgin to transmit to you, for any observations which the [Army Council], [Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty], [Board of Agriculture and Fisheries] may desire to offer, copy of a despatch* from the Officer Administering the Government of Malta on the subject of the question of the elimination of goats suffering from Mediterranean fever.
40031
SIR,
No. 125.
I am, &c.,
H. BERTRAM COX.
ADMIRALTY to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received 15-November, 1907.)
Admiralty, 14 November, 1907.
I HAVE laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter (No. 25993) of the 19th ultimo,t forwarding a despatch from the Acting Governor of Malta on the subject of the elimination of goats infected with Micrococcus meli- tensis, the cause of Mediterranean fever.
2. The question is one which their Lordships regard as of the greatest importance to the welfare of His Majesty's Naval and Military Forces in Malta since at present men are always liable to infection conveyed by food consumed while on leave.
3. My Lords understand that the conclusions of the Commission of Investiga- tion have been generally accepted by the medical profession as convincing, and they have been so considered by their medical advisers, who are of opinion that the principles laid down in the memorandum issued by the Commission are in no way outside the range of practical administration, if the latter be carried out with patience, tact, and resolution by those to whom the working of the proposed regu- lations is entrusted.
4. Their lordships observe, however, that the Government of Malta does not propose to adopt the ('ommission's recommendations in their entirety, but has decided only to carry out an inspection of goats in any locality in which an unusual prevalence of Mediterranean fever is observed.
5. In their Lordships' opinion, success in a campaign against endemic or epidemic disease depends entirely upon the thoroughness with which it is conducted. and anything falling short of this can only result in continued trouble and expense. without producing that permanent decrease in the number of cases of Mediterrancan fever which may reasonably be hoped for in the future, and eventually the final extinction of the scourge.
6. My Lords fully realise the obstruction and difficulties which the Govern- ment of Malta would encounter if a thorough system of inspection were adopted. but, as advised, they are convinced that no less stringent methods will suffice to eradicate the disease or even to effect at once a satisfactory reduction in its attacks. 7. I am, therefore, to request that the Secretary of State for the Colonies may urge upon the Government of Malta the necessity of carrying out the recom- mendations of the Commission in a thorough and systematic manner.
I am, &c.,
C. I. THOMAS.
* No. 116.
† No. 119.
• No. 122.
† No. 121.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
6
mmimmim C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TOPage 91
PUBLIC
3
RECORD OFFICE
། :། །
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
40299
SIR,
168
No. 126.
WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received 18 November, 1907.)
/ War Office, London, S.W., 14 November, 1907. Ix reply to your letter, No. 25993/1907, dated 19th ultimo,* I am com- manded by the Army Council to submit the following observations on the measures adopted by the Government of Malta for the elimination of goats suffering from Mediterranean fever, and referred to in a despatch dated 17th July, 1907,7 from the Officer Administering the Government of Malta.
The investigations of the Malta Fever Commission showed that the prevalence of Mediterranean fever among the inhabitants of Malta is attributable to the presence on the island of infected goats; furthermore, that the germs of infection are conveyed to man through the medium of these infected goats. The Commission also demonstrated that the presence of the disease in the goats may be detected by the two following bacteriological tests:-(1) Presence of Micrococcus melitensis in the milk; and (2) Agglutination re-action of the blood and milk to the Micrococcus melitensis.
The measures adopted by the Government of Malta, although dealing effectually with those cases under Class (1), propose to neglect the recommendation of their sub-committee against the dangers connected with the presence of infected goats under Class (2) until such time as prevalence of Mediterranean fever is observed in some particular locality. The steps to be then taken, in the opinion of the Army Council, would prove too late, and it is feared that unless repressive measures of a more drastic nature are undertaken, Malta fever will be as prevalent in the future as in the past.
The continued presence of a large number of diseased goats as foci of infection in Malta must remain a standing menace to the health of the troops against which it will not always be possible to afford protection. It is true our efforts to protect the garrison from Mediterranean fever have so far met with very considerable success, but experience has shown that large bodies of individuals, including officers, women and children, are present among the garrison who, in spite of warnings to the contrary, frequently expose themselves to the risk of infection by the consump- tion of "forbidden" milk, either in its natural state or as a component part of foods, such as ice creams, &c., and as long as infected milk is permitted to be sold by milk vendors, it is difficult to ensure their protection from disease.
While the Army Council appreciate the action already taken by the local autho- rities towards the elimination of infected goats from Malta, they believe that the only effective and satisfactory means of eradicating Mediterranean fever from the island is by the complete removal of all animals affected with the disease. The measures undertaken by the Government of Malta do not appear sufficiently rigorous
King fun,) Away əyi qanoque più ‘sodand my page difficulties connected with the adoption of more radical measures, they consider that in the interests of the general population-Civil, Naval, and Military-no effort or reasonable expense should be spared to remove Mediterranean fever from the island.
36730
I am, &c..
R. H. BRADE.
IV. ANKYLOSTOMIASIS IN THE WEST INDIES.
No. 127. MEMORANDUM.
ANKYLOSTOMIASIS IN THE WEST INDIES.
Ankylostomiasis has no doubt been long prevalent in the West Indian Colonies, but until recent years cases of the discase were classed in statistical returns under
↑ No. 122,
• No. 121.
169
some such heading as "Pernicious Anæmia," and its connection with the parasite unchylostoma duodenale was not generally recognised.
The connection was, in 1896, brought to the notice of the Colonial Office by Dr. Galgey,* Colonial Assistant Surgeon in St. Lucia, who had studied the researches of Dr. Sandwith on the prevalence of ankylostomiasis in Egypt. Dr. Galgey found that pernicious anæmia was very prevalent in St. Lucia, and on investigating the cases in hospital he found the parasite present in all, and that treatment with the drug thymol was invariably efficacious. Dr. Galgey's report was subsequently published in the "British Medical Journal."
The nature of the disease is now generally understood in the West Indian Colonies, and its prevalence is the subject of serious anxiety, particularly in those Colonics which depend for their labour supply on the importation of East Indians ; though the disease is not confined to those of East Indian origin.
In British Guiana the annual reports of the Immigration Agent-General con- tain frequent references to ankylostomiasis. From 1901 onwards the Medical Inspector has drawn attention to the enormous loss of labour caused by the disease. Dr. Godfrey had no doubt that the disease had been and was being introduced by East Indian immigrants, amongst whom it was especially prevalent. Until last year the disease was reported to be on the increase; but as a result of the sanitary precautions continually advocated by Dr. Godfrey it is now reported to he decreasing; and cases of a severe type are now rarely found on estates which have adopted his recommendations.
In Trinidad ankylostomiasis is widely prevalent amongst the East Indians. The Committee appointed by the Governor in 1905 to consider the labour question made special reference to the disease and advocated the adoption of the preventive measures carried out in British Guiana.
In Jamaica the disease is very prevalent among the East Indian immigrants. In Grenada and St. Lucia ankylostomiasis is widespread, although the intro- Mr. P. C. Cork, the duction of East Indian coolies into these Colonies has ceased. Administrator of St. Lucia, has suggested that the disease is brought by labourers returning from the gold mines in Cayenne.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
The nature of ankylostomiasis and the ordinary methods of treatment are now generally known in the medical departments of the West Indian Colonies. The publication of Dr. Galgey's report has already been referred to; reports on the disease by Dr. Godfrey, of British Guiana, and by Dr. Leonard, of Grenada, and a lecture on the same subject delivered by Dr. Oliver Lefore the Royal Society of Edinburgh have also been made widely known in the Colonies.
Though ankylostomiasis is not confined to the East Indians, yet it is being constantly introduced by coolies imported from Calcutta under indenture. Pre- ventive measures may, therefore, be divided into three classes :--
(1) Measures taken in India.
(2) Measures taken on board ship.
(3) Measures taken in the Colonies.
The measures possible in India and on board ship are necessarily somewhat limited in scope, and the preventive measures in the Colonies have so far appeared most necessary and most effective. In this connection the Secretary of State wrote
Secretary of State, No. 275, October 20,
1905.
to the Governor of British Guiana in 1905:-
"I am inclined to think that better results are to be expected from local action than from the necessarily limited measures which it is possible to take while the immigrants are awaiting embarkation."
MEASURES TAKEN IN THE Colonies.
In British Guiana, through the co-operation of the estate owners, measures for reducing the prevalence of ankylostomiasis have been attended with a grati- fying amount of success. These measures include: (a) the diagnosis and treatment of every case; (b) the prevention of the contamination of the soil by the provision of proper latrine accommodation and the destruction of focal matter. The last reports showed that many of the estates authorities had been convinced of the
• See West Indian No. 78.