PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
114
it had been agreed that the scope of the Yellow Fever Commission included a good deal more than the enquiries regarded as desirable by Major James. It was agreed that a letter should be sent to the India Office from the Colonial Office indicating the scope of the enquiries entrusted to the Commission, pointing out that they include all that was suggested by Major James, and stating the length of time, viz., three
which the enquiries were expected to occupy. years,
(2) The request* of Dr. Nuttall for a further grant of £100 was considered. It was agreed that Dr. Nuttall's laboratory was worked most efficiently and in a most economical manner, and the members concurred in recommending that the grant requested should be made. Sir Havelock Charles mentioned that excellent work was also being done by Professor Minchin, who receives a grant of £750 a year, in training workers.
(3) A letter from Professor Nuttall calling attention to certain defects in the last report of the Advisory Committee was considered. Mr. Read mentioned that Professor Nuttall had mentioned certain points to him verbally, and that he had told him to communicate his views in writing, when they would receive consideration. Sir Thomas Barlow said that he quite agreed that some of the matter included was of no value, but it must be remembered that the report was intended to show Colonial Governments and the public generally what work was being done, and for that reason it would be a mistake to discourage the investigators from sending full accounts. For example, Professor Nuttall had criticised Professor Minchin for allowing his assistant to give a full account of his work, but that was a matter of courtesy on the part of Professor Minchin, and could not be interfered with. More- over, Professor Minchin had originally supplied very brief reports and had been specially asked to send in fuller reports. Sir Ronald Ross expressed the same opinion: he had often considered, and had actually raised the question in the Com- niittee, whether something might not be done to condense the reports and bring out only what was of scientific importance, and he had himself edited reports of the Liverpool School before submission to the Committee with this end in view. He thought it was impossible to lay down any rules for the guidance of contributors. Sir Havelock Charles also held that in a report like the Tropical Diseases Advisory Committee's report it was necessary to allow the people concerned to report in their own way, and that no harm was done. Mr. Read also pointed out that no money would be saved by condensing the reports, as they had to be printed in any case for circulation to the Committee.
It was unanimously agreed that no action should be taken on Professor Nuttall's letter, it being left to Mr Read to explain to Professor Nuttall as he thought best.
(4) The report on the research work done in the Federated Malay States was received. On the proposal of Sir Ronald Ross it was agreed to ask for a report on the delay in the progress of the testing of the value of the remedial agent for the cure of beri-beri, as the reference to the question of hospital accommodation made in the report was not by itself intelligible. Sir Ronald Ross also called attention to a mistaken use of statistical evidence with regard to malaria on page 9.§
(5) The question of employing the balance of the Tropical Diseases Research Fund was considered. Mr. Read mentioned, and the Committee learned with satisfaction, that the Commonwealth of Australia had promised to renew its grant of £200 a year. Mr. Read also mentioned that there was an outbreak of cerebro- spinal meningitis in East Africa, appearing first at Nairobi and now also at Mom- basa. He reminded the Committee that after the King's African Rifles had been employed in the Ashanti campaign there had been an outbreak of the disease on the Gold Coast, which it had been suggested was due to infection from East Africa. There had also been an outbreak in Northern Nigeria in 1905 and in the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast in 1907-8. The Secretary of State was anxious to see whether in any way work could be carried on in the Colonies in investigating the matter in harmony with the work which was being done in the Rockefeller Institute and elsewhere. The Committee agreed that the investigations which were being carried on in that Institute were being so well conducted that it would be a mistake to attempt independent investigation, and that by far the best plan would be to write direct to Dr. Flexner, the Director of the Institute, to tell him of the occur- rence of the outbreak, and to ask him if he would be willing to receive material,
↑ Not printed.
No. 12 in Appendix VI. to [Cd. 7261].
• No. 86.
§ Page 210 in [Ca. 7261],
115
and, if so, to give directions for the manner in which the material should be prepared for transmission to him: Mr. Read pointed out that he could also be supplied with the report on previous outbreaks of the disease in West Africa. Mr. Read also said that the matter could be mentioned to Mr. Wycliffe Rose, who was to be shortly in this country.
Sir
The question of the use of the balance was then further considered. Ronald Ross mentioned various lines of research for which money could usefully be employed, including the cultivation of malaria, on which work was already being done by Dr. David Thompson, who had just been awarded a Grocer's Research Scholarship, the cultivation of dysenteric amabæ, or the disposal in the tropics of night soil. It was agreed after discussion that it would be best to let the matter stand over until the next meeting of the Committee, when more definite proposals might be submitted by any of the members for consideration and decision.
27337
No. 91.
ZANZIBAR.
THE VICE-CONSUL to THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH FUND.
(No. 215.)
29044
(Received 8 August, 1913.)
Zanzibar, July 9, 1913.
[Published as No. 7 in Appendix I. to [Cd. 7261], March, 1914.]
No. 92.
THE
REPORT OF THE PROFESSOR OF PROTOZOOLOGY AT
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH,
(Received 20 August, 1913.)
29474
1913.
(No. 364.)
30435
[Published as Appendix II. to [C'd. 7261], March, 1914.]
No. 93.
SIERRA LEONE.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 25 August, 1913.)
Government House, Sierra Leone, 11th August, 1913. [Published as No. 14 in Appendix VI. to [Cd. 7261], March, 1914.]
No. 94.
CEYLON.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1 September, 1913.)
(No. 518.)
33111
The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon,
13 August, 1913. [Published as No. 4 in Appendix VI. to [Cd. 7261], March, 1914.]
11 2
}
30533
116
No. 95.
LEEWARD ISLANDS.
RETURN OF MALARIAL FEVER, BLACKWATER FÉVÉR, YELLOW
FEVER, FILARIASIS AND DENGUE DURING THE YEAR FROM 1ST JANUARY to the 31st December, 1912.
(Received in Colonial Office, 2 September, 1913.)
[Published as No. 14 in Appendix I. to [C'd. 7261], March, 1914.]
THE
33135
33534
No. 96.
SOUTHERN RHODESIA.
EXTRACT FROM PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT, 1912.
(Received in Colonial Office, 23 September, 1913.) Published as No. 10 in Appendix I. to [Cd. 7261], March, 1914.]