I PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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(2) To consider the advisability of transmission experiments being undertaken with the human trypanosome and tsetse flies other than Glossina palpalis.
the
(A memorandum on this subject is being circulated by the Director to the scientific members of the Committee.)
(3) To receive a letter from the Agent-General for the Transvaal reporting grant of £500 towards the funds of the Bureau.
MINUTES.
PRESENT:
Sir WEST RIDGEWAY (in the Chair),
Sir RUBERT BOYCE, Dr. ROSE BRadford,
Sir DAVID BRUCE,
Sir CHARLES LUCAS.
Mr. KEITH (Secretary).
Dr. Bagshawe, Director of the Bureau, was also present, and Mr. Barton attended to represent the Stationery Office.
Sir Charles Lucas took the Chair on the departure of Sir West Ridgeway on an urgent engagement.
(1) The Minutes of the last meeting were approved.
(2.) The question of the advisability of transmission experiments being under- taken with the human trypanosome and tsetse flies other than Glossina palpalis was considered. The Director explained briefly the situation which had been set forth in a memorandum circulated to the members of the Committee. Sleeping sickness had been found especially in the Luangwa valley, which was not within the area of Glossina palpalis. It was therefore desirable that an investigation should be con- ducted to ascertain whether the trypanosome could be conveyed by the two species of tsetse flies, morsitans and fusca, which were found on the Luangwa, the former in great numbers and the latter at least in one spot. It was suggested that the investi- gation might be carried out by Mr. Llewelyn Bevan, Veterinary Bacteriologist of Southern Rhodesia, who was on the spot and-familiar with the country.
Sir David Bruce said that laboratory experiments had shown that Glossing fusca could convey the disease as a laboratory experiment. That, however, was not conclusive as to whether it could convey it in nature, and that must be decided not by further laboratory experiments, but by actual examination on the spot.
It was pointed out by Dr. Rose Bradford that to provide funds for such an investigation hardly fell within the province of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau, and that if funds were to be provided the matter should be brought before the Royal Society or the Tropical Diseases Research Fund.
On furthur consideration it was agreed that the Managing Committee should recommend the Secretary of State to call the attention of the Chartered Company to the question, to point out the danger of the spread of sleeping sickness through Rhodesia, and to suggest that investigation should be carried on on the Luangwa as to whether the disease could be transmitted by either Glossina morsitans or Glossina fusca.
(3.) The question of the proposal of the Treasury that the printing of the bulletins and other publications of the Bureau should be carried out by the Stationery Office was considered at length. Mr. Barton was satisfied that the printing could be done more cheaply through the Stationery Office than by the Bureau. Sir David Bruce and Dr. Rose Bradford were satisfied that the printing of scientific works by the Stationery Office was not merely very slow but also far from satisfactory with regard to form of production, &c., and Dr. Rose Bradford negatived the possibility of the delay being due to any fault of the editors.
After full discussion Sir Charles Lucas suggested, and the Committee approved, that the Treasury should not be asked to make good the deficit on the financial year 1909-10, but that that sum should be paid from the revenues of the Bureau, which could easily be done in view of the contribution of £500 made by the Transvaal
• No. 42.
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Government on behalf of the four South African Colonies, and that a letter should be written to the Treasury saying that this was being done, and that the Stationery Office had kindly consented to lend their assistance to the Director in getting better terms from the printers for the production of the bulletins and other publications.
(4.) The letter from the Agent-General for the Transvaal reporting the grant of £500 towards the funds of the Bureau was noted with interest. It was pointed out that in the letter it was stated that it was proposed to extend the operations of the Bureau so as to "conduct research" into all tropical diseases, which was clearly a misunderstanding of the real proposal, viz., to extend the operations of the Bureau with a view to recording research into all tropical diseases, the functions of the Bureau being record, not experiment. Sir Charles Lucas undertook to explain this privately to Sir Richard Solomon.
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No. 44.
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE OF THE SLEEPING SICKNESS BUREAU, HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE ON FRIDAY, THE 17TH OF JUNE, 1910, AT 4.30 P.M.
PRESENT:
Dr. ROSE BRADFORD (in the Chair).
Sir DAVID BRUCE.
Mr. READ.
Mr. TILLEY.
Mr. KEITH (Secretary).
Dr. BAGSHAWE also attended.
1. The minutes* of the last meeting were approved.
2. Dr. Bagshawe brought up again the question of sleeping sickness in Rhodesia. He said that it would probably be desirable to take some further steps than were contemplated at the last meeting of the Advisory Committee.
He thought it would be better if funds could be made available, and an amount set aside for that purpose under the supervision of the Royal Society. He also mentioned that the Governor of Nyasaland had sent a despatch suggesting that special research should take place. Mr. Read mentioned that Mr. Marshall had written on the subject stating that Mr. Neave was apparently exercised in his mind with regard to several cases of sleeping sickness which were supposed to have originated on the Luangwa River, in North-Eastern Rhodesia. someone should be sent to look for palpalis in all suspected areas, and he would wish He considered that to know whether the Entomological Committee would allow him to postpone his departure for that purpose.
Mr. Read pointed out how that if palpalis were discovered it would, of course, solve the question of the origin of the disease satisfactorily. After further discus- sion it was agreed that it was probably best to put pressure on the Chartered Com- pany, and suggest that they should detail the Veterinary Bacteriologist, Mr. Bevan, to conduct examinations on the spot as to the possibility of the transmission as a matter not of laboratory experiment merely, of the trypanosome by flies other than Glossina palpalis. It was also suggested that the veterinary officer appointed to Nyasaland should, if possible, be detailed to assist Mr. Bevan in the research if the Chartered Company accepted the proposal to send him for the purpose, and in the meantime, while the Company was being approached, Mr. Neave should con- tinue for a month searching for palpalis.
3. The Director laid before the Bureau certain proposals for experiments in Nigeria for transmission experiments with Glossina tachinoides. He pointed out that the fly was prevalent on the Lower Niger, and that it was more like palpalis than any other fly, and that it was desirable to get the assistance of Dr. Graham. After discussion it was agreed that it would be desirable to adopt this proposal.
4. The Committee considered the manner in which they should apply the grant of £500 made by the Government of the Transvaal on behalf of the Govern- ments of South Africa with a view to securing the repetition of the grant in future years.
• No. 43.