3
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
TTT]
Reference :-
TC.O. 885
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
(No. 5.) MY LORD,
No. 3.
GAMBIA.
GOVERNOR SIR G. C. DENTON to THE EARL OF ELGIN.
(Received January 18, 1906.)
در
Government House, Bathurst, Gambia, January 4, 1906. WITH reference to the despatch from Your Lordship's predecessor in office numbered 127, and dated the 21st of November last,* I have the honour to forward, for your consideration, a report by the Protectorate Medical Officer on the subject. of "Anthrax.”
2. Whilst Dr. Hopkinson does not express a strong opinion on the point of the prevalence of this disease in the Protectorate, all he says is certainly in favour of its being almost, if not quite, unknown amongst the cattle grazing on the banks of the Gambia River, and in this view I concur.
3. Your Lordship will notice that he considers that a visit from an expert veterinary surgeon would be a great help, and I hope it may be possible to arrange this with as little delay as possible.
I have, &c..
GEORGE C. DENTON,
Governor.
Enclosure in No. 3.
McCarthy Island, December 26, 1905.
SIR,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the correspondence respect- ing anthrax in the Gambia, together with the two Board of Agriculture pamphlets on the disease.
2. These I have carefully read, and will keep the matter in mind in my monthly reports.
3. As regards the report asked for now, such evidence as I can at present give is purely negative. I give it, therefore, with reserve, quite realising the com- paratively small value of such a series of negatives. My impression hitherto, at any rate, has been that anthrax did not exist here, and I still think it must be rare if it does occur, though in this case, as I mention later, it is difficult to understand how such a contagious disease can occur only rarely, if it does occur at all.
4. I am quite sure that I have never seen a case of human anthrax in this country. I have just looked through my record of the 3,000 odd cases of all kinds, which I have treated during 1904 and 1905 in the Protectorate; among them there is not one which even suggested to me the possibility that it might be malignant pustule, the commonest form of anthrax in man, and a condition which I think may safely say is one not likely to have been missed. This list does not include the patients I saw at Kwinella in 1902, nor those I have treated at different times at the Bathurst Hospital; as among these (say) 5,000 cases not a single case has occurred nor has the disease ever been seen, at least as far as I know, in the hospital at Bathurst. Human anthrax, at any rate, must be extremely rare here.
5. As regards the disease in cattle, I have myself never seen any disease here so acute as anthrax appears to be. Of this disease in cattle I have no personal experience, never having seen a case to my knowledge anywhere, but of the cattle- diseases which I have seen here none have the symptoms described in the usual text- books and in the Board of Agriculture circulars. "I should say that the commonest cattle-disease here is that of which animals die in and after the rains, a com- paratively chronic illness, attended by wasting and emaciation. Mr. Stanley, on the other hand, tells me that there is a severe cattle-disease here of an infectious nature, which, it is possible, may be anthrax. This occurs at the end of the dry season (May), when the area of good grazing is becoming limited, so that the cattle are crowded together on the few remaining patches of grass and when, therefore, there would be more chances of contagion. The animals die after being ill for a very short time, but it is not always fatal. The cow-owners isolate the diseased animals
No. 55 in African No. 774.
may
as soon as they recognise the disease. At present I know nothing further about this disease, but be able to ascertain more about it later on this season. If, however, this disease is anthrax, it seems to me a difficult thing to explain why it is not more prevalent than it is, as everything would seem to favour its spread To begin with, the cattle are in many places almost too plentiful, while the first paragraph of the Board of Agriculture leaflet No. 28 is particularly applicable here, the cow-keepers almost invariably slaughtering an animal sick unto death for the sake of its hide, leaving the carcase to the vultures and dogs, which may well be regarded as additional means by which contagion might be spread. It is possible that in this particular disease, which the natives recognise as undoubtedly con- tagious, the dead animals are not skinned. On this I will make enquiries, and also whether such beasts are ever used for food, as I know is sometimes the case among Mandingo cow-owners, who want to get some return for the loss a dead cow is to them.
6. A visit from an expert veterinary surgeon would, indeed, be a help here for other reasons than this anthrax question, as the animal diseases of this country are numerous and very baffling to a non-expert. One particularly interesting and important point which requires investigation being the cause of the high mortality among the horses during the rains.
7. I should suggest that if a visit from a veterinary surgeon is arranged he should be advised to bring with him only a small supply of the stains (made up) which he requires for microscope work, and arrange to have further small quantities sent out by post, say every month, as I know from personal experience how unstable such stains are in this climate.
To the Honourable Colonial Secretary, Bathurst.
2617
I have, &c.,
No. 4.
EMILIUS HOPKINSON,
GOLD COAST.
Protectorate Medical Officer.
ACTING GOVERNOR BRYAN to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received January 24, 1906.)
(No. 9.) MY LORD,
Government House, Accra, January 5, 1906. In continuation of Sir John Rodger's despatch, No. 120, of the 20th of March last,* I have the honour to transmit to you, herewith, a copy of a report from Dr. Rutherford on the health and causes of death of horses in Ashanti.
2. The number of deaths among fifteen horses brought to Kumasi during the present year was eleven, and two more were reported to be suffering from Trypano- some disease.
Of the two reported alive and well, one has been taken to Mampon, leaving only one in a healthy condition at Kumasi. The result is disheartening, and the loss to the officers who have bought horses considerable. I can say from personal observation that every effort was made by Lieutenant-Colonel Tidswell during his tenure of command to instruct officers in the care of horses, but even Colonel Tidswell's own ponies died, though properly housed and well looked after in every way.
3. With reference to Dr. Rutherford's suggestion that horses might be brought by sea (to Sekondi) and thence conveyed by train in fly-protected trucks to Kumasi, or other station with large clearings, I would point out that Sekondi itself is thickly infested with tsetse fly, and I may mention that a pony of my own which, owing to a mistake on the part of the shipper, was kept for four days in a vessel lying at Sekondi, subsequently developed trypanosomiasis and died here about six weeks after being landed.
4. As you are aware from my despatch, No. 405. of the 1st of August, † Dr. Chaplin died at Salaga on the 2nd of July last while engaged in investigating
† 29789 not printed.
No. 15 in African No. 774.
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