PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
'' य 'ग
1.9
C.O. 8
Reference :-
885
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
70
and it would be clearly to the advantage of those engaged in original investigation to have ready access to a library of this kind and to be assisted in their search for information on special points by the staff of the Bureau.
15. In order to place the present Bureau on the new basis, it would be necessary to increase its endowment from £1,300 to about £3,000 a year and some increase in the honorary Committee of Management would be required. The Indian Govern- ment have expressed their readiness to contribute a sum of £500 a year for five years and the Union of South Africa a sum of £300 a year, leaving a balance of about £1,000 to be provided from other sources. I should be glad if your Government could see its way to contributing a sum of [Ceylon, £100] [Federated Malay States, £100] [Southern Nigeria, £200] [Gold Coast, £150] [Sierra Leone, £100] [Gambia, £50] [Fiji, £50] [British Guiana, £100] [Trinidad, £100] [Jamaica, £100] a year towards this amount, the contribution to be for five years in the first instance.
16.
It appears to me that, in view of the rapid and extensive development of tropical medicine, any scheme which tends to promote a closer co-operation between the different parts of our tropical possessions deserves encouragement. By bringing together on its staff a Committee representative of the Colonies, of India, and of scientific institutions connected with the study of tropical medicine in this country, and by keeping in touch with the experts in tropical medicine throughout the world, the new Bureau would focus the efforts which are now being made to combat tropical disease in a way which has never yet been attempted.
36805
No. 62.
I have, &c..
L. HARCOURT.
MINUTES OF THE 31ST MEETING OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE OF THE SLEEPING SICKNESS BUREAU, HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE AT 4.30 P.M. ON FRIDAY, THE 17TH OF NOVEMBER, 1911.
PRESENT:
Sir J. WEST RIDGEWAY (in the Chair).
Sir J. ROSE BRADFORD.
Sir WILLIAM Leishman.
Sir PATRICK MANSON.
Mr. KEITH (Secretary).
Dr. BAGSHAWE also attended.
(1.) The minutes of the 30th meeting* were approved.
(2.) Dr. Bagshawe raised the question whether the Indian Government should receive a substantial number of copies of the Bulletin on Kala Azar which would he issued shortly. The Secretary stated that the Colonies had, so far, responded satisfactorily to the application made for funds for the extension of the Bureau, as reported by Mr. Read at the last meeting of the Managing Committee, and that, therefore, it could be anticipated that the Bureau would be, in a short time, in a position to consider a scheme and to frame recommendations on the question. It was unanimously agreed that, in view of these facts, it was desirable that the Indian Government should be asked through the India Office to what officers the Kala Azar Bulletin should be sent. Sir Patrick Manson laid some stress on the desirability of sending the copies direct to each officer-even at an enhanced cost as compared with sending them in bulk for distribution. Dr. Bagshawe mentioned that Dr. Wenyon was well advanced in the preparation of the next number of the Bulletin, and that it was hoped that it would appear before Christmas.
(3.) Dr. Bagshawe raised the question whether he should continue to main- tain the large map which it had been part of his duty to produce and keep up to date showing the distribution of sleeping sickness and of the tsetse flies by which the disease was conveyed. He explained that, while he still received full information with regard to sleeping sickness, information with regard to the
• No. 59.
71
presence of flies was dealt with by the Entomological Committee, and that he was, therefore, depending on that Committee for information. That Committee were publishing small maps showing the distribution of the flies in question, and at present, while he can keep up the map as regards sleeping sickness, as regards the distribution of flies his information must often be decidedly late. In these circum- stances the question had arisen whether the preparation of the map as to flies should not be entrusted to Mr. G. A. K. Marshall, under the supervision of the Entomological Research Committee. It was, however, thought by all the Members of the Committee that much importance attached to the maintenance of the map showing both the presence of sleeping sickness and the distribution of tsetse flies, and it was suggested by Sir John Rose Bradford that Dr. Bagshawe might be able to arrange privately with Mr. Marshall that information should be given to him as soon as possible of any fresh discoveries as to the location of tsetse flies. pointed out that the Entomological Committee had no large map such as was kept by the Director of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau, and that in any case the Entomo- logical Committee were concerned with the distribution of all varieties of biting flies and not merely with tsetse flies.
40767
No. 63.
It was
SIR R. ROSS (LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE), to MR. A. B. KEITH (COLONIAL OFFICE).
(Received December 21, 1911.)
Johnston Tropical Laboratory, University of Liverpool, MY DEAR KEITH,
20th December, 1911. THERE is a matter of some importance regarding which I think I had better write to you at once, as Secretary of the Sleeping Sickness Bureau. At the end of the last agenda sheet for the Advisory Committee of the Tropical Diseases Research Fund, it was mentioned that there is a project on foot to bring out apparently official Bulletins on the whole subject of tropical diseases, on the plan of the present Sleeping Sickness and Kala-azar Bulletins. We have been considering such a scheme for some time, but have been prevented from doing the work by delay in receipt of the Alfred Jones bequest. On considering the matter, however, I think it advisable to tell you that there may be objections raised against your proposed scheme on the ground that these Bulletins will injure, if not destroy, the sale of several expensive publications dealing with tropical medicine, such as our Annals and Professor Nuttall's Parasitology. These publications are very expensive to print, owing chiefly to the elaborate plates, and they bring out complete articles only. Now, the projected Bulletins will publish abstracts of all such articles, giving the entire gist of them without going to the expense of the printing and plates. Thus, readers will largely be satisfied with the abstracts of the Bulletins and will not buy the complete publications mentioned above. As these complete publications will still have to be brought out, this means that those who now publish them will suffer a very considerable pecuniary loss. I should like the Bulletins to appear, as I think they would be very useful in every way; but I am now merely suggesting that some plan should be devised to guard against the loss of the existing publications referred to above. The difficulty might be met by charging a good price for the Bulletins, and not issuing them for nothing, as at present. I merely suggest these points for your consideration, and there is no hurry about the matter. I think we are quite content that the Bulletins should be brought out by the Royal Society in future, and do not grudge them the publication in any way. It will release our funds for other purposes. I am writing to you now as editor of our Annals of Tropical Medicine,” which are paid for by our School Committee.
Yours sincerely,
RONALD ROSS.