PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
تسليا
Reference :-
C.O. 885
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
4
Aguna (Ashanti)-When at Kumasi Dr. Rice, S.M.O., showed me a specimen of G. palpalis given him by Mr. Dudgeon, who stated he had caught it in the village of Aguna.
Sekondi-This town is the chief sea-port of the Colony and the terminus of the Gold Coast Government Railway.
I was in medical charge of this station during the latter half of 1906 and made search for Glossine. I caught a single G. palpalis in the ward of the Native Hospital (4th September, 1906), but failed to find another specimen there or elsewhere.
In June, 1907, a specimen of G. fusca, caught in Mr. Hunt's bungalow, was sent me by Dr. Garland, Acting Principal Medical Officer, and on 6th September, 1907, Dr. Barker, Medical Officer, who was in medical charge, gave me two speci- mens of G. fusca which had been caught at night in the foreman of works' bungalow.
On the 17th January, 1908, while waiting to embark outside the Port Office, I observed five specimens of G. palpalis attacking the naked legs of the native labourers employed on the beach.
It is to be remarked that the Glossing appear to be increasing in numbers in Sekondi, and that the railroad passes in close proximity to all the points where the fly has been lately found.
Acera. This town, the capital of the Colony, is situated on the sea coast in an area of grass plains almost destitute of trees.
While stationed here in charge of the plague laboratory I made search but failed to find Glossing in the town or in its immediate vicinity.
I was informed, however, that horses which had remained healthy in the town had become ill and had died when driven outside the town beyond a 12-miles limit. It had been presumed that these animals had died of trypanosomiasis. The proofs of this surmise were not available and I had no leisure to undertake an investigation of the subject. I desire to draw attention to this matter, for it seems to me likely that, should the projected railroad pass through a fly region 12 miles outside Accra, it will produce conditions favourable to the dissemination of the fly, similar to those already observed on the Sekondi-Kumasi line.
The supposed fly region should be examined, and, if found, defined, and the railroad track laid outside the infested area; otherwise, with the completion of the railroad, the keeping of horses may become unprofitable at Accra.
The Cape Coast-Kumasi Road. This road runs from Cape Coast Castle through the forest to Kumasi, a distance of about 120 miles. Starting at sea-level, the road rises to a height of 1,200 feet at the Moinsi Hills and thence descends to Kumasi 858 feet above sea-level.
Running in a north-west direction the road enters Ashanti at Prahsu, where it crosses the River Prah, and then it gradually approaches the railroad, which it crosses several times between Eduadin and Kumasi. The portion of the road within Ashanti runs through dense forest and crosses numerous streams, e.g., River Fum, River Jym, River Dankrang, River Adra, and their tributaries. It was this por- tion only that was examined for fly-the northern part in September, 1907, and January, 1908; the southern part in December, 1907.
Three species of Glossina were found :—
1. G. palpalis, male and female.
2. G. fusca, male and female.
3.
G. pallicera, male only.
Glossina palpalis (R. Desv).
1. G. palpalis.-This species was found to be distributed in varying numbers over the whole length of the road between Kumasi and Prahsu. It was apparently absent from the roadway in the early morning and first became noticeable there On dull or wet mornings it did not become noticeable until 11.30, about 10 a.m.
or until the sun came out, but when once it had appeared on the roadway it was more numerous there than in the neighbouring bush. Its most common lurking place was upon the tree-roots which cross the roadway from the trees on either side: sometimes it was found upon a projecting stone or even upon a pebble upon the roadway, the colour of the fly usually corresponding with that of its support.
On being disturbed by an advancing person, the fly rises from its support and flies forward close to the ground and again settles upon a projecting root or stone. When pursued it frequently takes refuge in the bordering bush. Here it usually settles upon some withered brown stick, often in the midst of a thorny shrub, where it is well concealed. Even upon the roadway this fly is difficult to see; in the bush one can best ascertain its presence by standing still and awaiting its attack. Everywhere the flight is so sudden and the colour of the fly so unobtrusive, that it is extremely difficult, to follow it with the eye or to localize the spot where it settles. Upon roads where the traffic is great, as upon those leading into Kumasi, the hours when this fly is most numerous coincide approximately with the hours when the parties of natives from the neighbouring villages pass along the road with palm wine, or market produce.
Upon the road each party of villagers is accompanied by a number of these flies. When another party is met some of these flies leave one party and attach themselves to the other party. Such exchanges usually occur at the cross-roads, or wherever the natives sit down together to rest, or where one party passes another on the road. I have not observed such an exchange to occur when a party of natives is passed by a herd of cattle. In such case the Glossinæ remain with the human party, and the Tabanide with the cattle.. Apparently upon the roads exam- ined in Ashanti this fly prefers human blood to that of cattle.
This fly attacks by preference the feet and legs. This is easily understood, for these parts of the person are uncovered in most natives. It
also seen upon the naked arms or backs of women carrying loads along the road, or upon the baby upon its mother's back. G. palpalis is always very wary, settles cautiously, and does not bite at once, as do most Haematopote, but slowly chooses a spot, and then inserts the proboscis. When once it has begun to feed it is less cautious and can be more readily captured.
A few sheep were found in almost every village upon the Cape Coast road. They were mostly in good health but a few suffered from a discharge from the nostrils, due probably to the presence of Oestrus larvæ in the nasal sinuses. In these villages I have not observed that the sheep were accompanied by Glossing, nor could I find the fly in the pens. At Kumasi I failed to find any Glossine in the large public cattle yard. În villages the fly is most usually found under the shade trees where natives sit and talk, or in the central court of the dwellings where semi-naked women cook, or beat corn or plantain.
.
Approximately equal numbers of males and females were caught upon the roads, but no systematic attempt could be made to ascertain the ratio of male to female in the different months of the year, for this would obviously have required a residence of twelve months at one spot.
The females appeared to be more aggressive than the males. On some spots of the road the males greatly outnumbered the females. At such spots the males sometimes played about or sunned themselves upon the roadway without making any attempt to bite.
Prahsu, on the right bank of the River Prah, was formerly an important station on the frontier between the Colony and Ashanti. It was always notorious for unhealthiness. I crossed the river, therefore, to pay it a visit and camped close to the Government rest-house. Here G. palpalis was numerous and trouble- I also some, perching upon the guy-ropes and entering the tent until sunset. noticed specimens in the sitting-room of the rest-house, in the native village, upon the roadway, and at the landing places on both banks of the river.
After sunset I was not molested by any species of Glossing, though I sat for some hours outside my tent with a lighted lamp. Here, as in Ashanti, the native species of Glossinæ did not appear to be attracted by artificial light at night-time.
At Prahsu the river is crossed in a ferry boat and, during daylight, numbers of natives with their loads sit at the landing places awaiting an opportunity to cross. During the dry season it is possible to wade across, but it is considered to be dangerous, as crocodiles are numerous.
A ford is one of those places where natives usually put down their loads, to eat, drink, bathe, or talk. Previously to arrival at a ford such native parties have amassed Glossinæ during the journey over infested roads, and these flies they usually carry along with them to the spot where they sit down. I therefore