PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
mmimmimC.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
64200
206
No. 135.
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH FUND HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE ON 19TH NOVEMBER. 1915.
Present:
SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY (Chairman).
SIR PATRICK MANSON.
SIR DAVID BRUCE.
SIR HAVELOCK Charles.
MR. READ.
MR. BLECH.
MR. FIDDIAN (Acting Secretary).
THE minutes of the meeting of the 14th of July, 1915,* were approved.
The reportt of the fund for the year 1914 was laid on the table.
The reports from the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical Medicine for
the half year ended the 30th of September, 1915, were received.
Sir Patrick Manson expressed the opinion that Dr. Leiper's work on bilharzia was of first rate importance, not only from a scientific, but from a practical point of view, as he had solved a problem that had been before the medical world for years, and his solution was capable of being put into immediate effect.
On the suggestion of the Chairman, the Committee placed on record their appre- ciation of the excellent work done by Dr. Leiper, and expressed their earnest hope that it would be vigorously pursued.
A report from Professor Nuttall§ on the work done in the Quick Laboratory, Cambridge, during the year ended the 31st of October was received; and in con- nexion therewith letters] from Dr. (now Lieutenant) Hindle and Lieutenant Cave It were considered by the Committee, who decided that no action need be taken. was decided that Professor Nuttall should be informed that such savings as had accrued on account of the grant from the fund should be set off against the require- ments of the Laboratory for next year, or be refunded.
A report on the work of the Department of Protozoology in the University of The Committee London during the year ended the 30th of June last was received. took the opportunity to express their deep regret at the loss that the cause of tropical disease research had sustained by the death of Professor Minchin.
The Committee received reports and returns** on measures against mosquito- borne diseases in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, the Solomon Islands, the New Hebrides, the Straits Settlements, Mauritius, Nyasaland, and British Guiana. It was decided that these returns might be suspended during the continuance of the war. Correspondence relating to yaws in Jamaicaft and the administration of quinine‡‡ to school children in the Southern Provinces of Nigeria was received.
The Committee considered the question of the grants to be made from the fund during 1916. The opinion was expressed that the margin between the income and the expenditure of the fund was too narrow, in view of the financial situation; and it was decided that the grants to the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical` Medicine should be reduced from £1,200 to £1,000 each.
In connexion with the grant to the University of London, a letter|| addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by Sir Edwin Ray Lankester was read to the Committee. It was pointed out that the work of the late Professor Minchin had had a very definite practical relation to tropical disease, and that there was no guarantee that his successor would follow the same lines; the tropical dependencies of the Crown, which provided so large a proportion of the income of the fund, paid their contributions with the object of promoting research in connexion with tropical diseases, and might justly complain if the money were devoted to objects having no On the suggestion of the direct bearing on the causes, etc., of tropical disease. Chairman, it was decided to recommend that a grant of £600 should be made next year, in addition to another £100 for the salary of the Assistant; but that, as the
See Nos. 131 and 138.
See No. 132.
Not printed.
* No. 122. No. 134.
| [Cd. 7796.]
++ See Nos. 63, 98, 101, and 120. ** See Nos. 64, 121, 123, 124, 125, 128, and 129.
Nos. 45 and 47 in African No. 1037.
207
grants from the Imperial Government and the Government of India were not promised beyond the 31st of March, 1917, no continuance of the grant should be guaranteed beyond that date; and the University authorities should be reminded that the money was given on the understanding that it would be expended on the study of protozoology in its relation to tropical disease.
Subject to the reservation indicated above, the Committee agreed to Professor Nuttall's proposals and recommended the continuance of the grant to the Quick Laboratory at the rate of £290 during 1916.
A letter was read from Sir Ronald Ross suggesting that a grant should be made from the fund towards the investigation of dysentery. The opinion was expressed that, the object of the investigation being to assist the military authorities, the money should be found from Army funds and it was decided to express regret that the state of the fund precluded the Committee from rendering assistance to the War Office in this matter.
The grants recommended for 1916 were therefore:--
London School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine University of London
66874
University of Cambridge
£1,000
1,000
700
290
Total
£2,990
No. 136.
WESTERN PACIFIC.
THE ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(No. 503.)
SIR,
(Received 7th December, 1915.)
[Answered by No. 143.]
Office of the High Commissioner for the Western Pacific,
Suva, Fiji, 1st November, 1915. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch Miscellaneous, of the 31st of August last,* on the subject of mosquito-borne diseases in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.
2. Mr. Eliot, who is now in Suva, has written the enclosed minute submit- ting his observations on the remarks of the Senior Medical Officer's preliminary report with regard to the prevention of the introduction of filariasis into the group, and making suggestions as to the steps which he considers should be taken to that end.
3. Mr. Eliot informs me that, so far as the Gilbert and Ellice and Union groups are concerned, the restrictions proposed by him can be imposed without additional legislation, but that it will be necessary to invite the co-operation of the Government of Samoa to restrict passengers' intercourse between Samoa and the Gilbert and Ellice Protectorate and Nauru, but exclusive of the Ellice group. I shall be glad to be informed whether I should address the Administrator of Samoa on the subject.
4. Mr. Eliot has also informed me that he has had an interview with Mr. Lenwood, the Foreign Secretary of the London Missionary Society, who passed through Suva a few days ago in the Mission's steamer, the "John Williams," on his way to the Ellice Islands, and that he understood that gentleman to admit that some responsibility rests with the missions as regards the spread of tropical diseases.
I have, &c.,
EYRE HUTSON, Acting High Commissioner.
* No. 126.
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