10
2
The representatives of the University of London were then introduced to the Chairman by Sir T. Barlow. They were:--Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alfred Pearce 'Gould, K.C.V.O., M.S., M.B., F.R.C.S., R.A.M.C. (T.), Vice-Chancellor; Professor M. J. M. Hill, M.A., LL.D. Sc.D., F.R.S., Chairman of the Academic Council; Sir E. Cooper Perry, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P., M.R.C.S.; with Mr. P. J. Hartog, M.A., B.Sc., Academic Registrar.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Alfred Pearce Gould stated that, owing to the death of the late Professor Minchin having occurred soon after the beginning of the late session, the University had about £500 in hand of the grant made from the Tropical Diseases Research Fund for 1915, which, with the £600 now promised from the fund for 1916, would make a total of about £1,100 available for the professorship, apart entirely from the grant made in respect of the salary of the assistant. He asked whether, on the assumption that it would not be possible to obtain the services of a suitable candidate for the professorship, the Committee thought that the accumulated fund could properly and wisely be used for a reader- It might reasonably be hoped that by the ship, say for the next three years or so. end of that time the war would be over, and they would be able to see their way was to be more clearly. Moreover, it was essential, if a really first-rate man secured, that they should be able to promise him security of tenure, and the doubt in regard to the ability of the fund to continue its support might be removed.
Sir A. Pearce Gould added that when the chair, was first established the Lister Institute had assisted very materially by offering three rooms for laboratory The purposes and £200 a year towards the expenses of necessary assistance. Institute had taken steps towards establishing a departmental library there. Recently the University had been informally approached by the London School of Tropical Medicine, with a view to a joint arrangement.
Sir Patrick Manson said that the School were very desirous of getting a The high-class man, and quite willing to subsidise the professorship, and to pay for any increase in the salary that might be necessary to secure such a man. School could be relied on to secure the permanence of the post. Their idea in this, as in other subjects, was to have two men engaged in work, one of whom might go He thought the abroad from time to time while the other remained at home. professor should have a laboratory in central London somewhere, not necessarily in any particular place.
Šir Havelock Charles said that it would be inconvenient to students from University College, for instance, to have to go down to the docks for work or lectures.
Sir Patrick Manson said that the clinical opportunities and facilities of access to material that the professor would enjoy would be invaluable. But he thought the actual appointment to the post could be deferred until after the war. Only it would be a great loss if a good man was left on the market to be snapped up elsewhere, perhaps to leave England altogether. The man he had in his mind was at present abroad on war work.
Sir David Bruce said that there was no tendency on the part of the Lister He doubted the Institute to change its attitude towards the Department. possibility of good research work being done by a professor who had to spend a large part of his time going to and fro between central London and the docks. On the other hand, Professor Minchin's work had been academic, whereas, if the new professor were attached to the London School of Tropical Medicine, his work would assume a very practical character.
Sir Patrick Manson said that he did not suppose the professor would have to deliver more than thirty lectures in the whole year at the London School; there' would be a reader or assistant to do most of the teaching. The professor's teaching work would be for advanced students.
Sir Cooper Perry asked what salary Sir Patrick Manson had in mind, and whether the School would definitely undertake to support the chair. Sir Patrick Manson replied that he thought £750 would be enough, and that the School would support it, if an acceptable candidate were selected.
Sir Cooper Perry said that it did not appear that any change in the arrange-. What was suggested was that, in ments with the Lister Institute was called for. return for what the London School of Tropical Medicine were prepared to do for the Department, the professor should have some definite duties to carry out at the School.
8
The Chairman suggested that the best course would be that the University and School authorities should confer with a view of arriving at some satisfactory arrangement, and that the Lister Institute should be similarly consulted.
Sir A. Pearce Gould said that the accumulated funds could provide £350 a year for three years towards the emoluments of a reader, in the absence of the selected professor, or in the event of the chair being left vacant.
The representatives of the University then withdrew.
After further discussion, in which Sir Thomas Barlow explained the circum- stances in which the late Professor Minchin had originally been appointed to the Chair of Protozoology, the Committee decided to put on record their approval of the principle of appointing a professor who would serve the purposes both of the University and of the School. The Acting Secretary was directed to communicate with the Academic Registrar of the University in this sense, and to suggest that the whole question should be discussed by representatives of the University with the authorities of the London School of Tropical Medicine and the Lister Insti- tute. Informal communications to the same effect were to be addressed to the Secretary of the School and the Deputy Director of the Institute.
The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed.
The Committee agreed that, in the interests of public economy, the annual report of the Tropical Diseases Research Fund for 1915 should not be published this year, but be combined with that for 1916.
The report of the Wellcome Tropical Research Laboratories, Khartoum, for 1915, and the half-yearly report of the Government Bacteriologists, Jamaica, for March-September, 1915, which had been circulated to the professional members of the Committee, were brought before the meeting. The Committee expressed the view that both reports afforded evidence of very good work. They especially commended the valuable work carried out by Dr. H. Scott and Dr. Catto in con- nexion with vomiting sickness. It was suggested that, as the reports would not be published, special steps should be taken to see that the results attained were adequately brought to the notice of the scientific press.
55459
SIR,
No. 2.
THE LONDON SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE to COLONIAL
OFFICE.
(Received 20th November, 1916.)
[Answered by No. 10.]
London School of Tropical Medicine (University of London),
Royal Albert Dock, E., 17th November, 1916.
I HAVE the honour to present reports from two of the special departments
of the London School of Tropical Medicine, Entomology by Colonel A. Alcock, C.I.E., and Helminthology by Dr. R. T. Leiper.
There is again no report from Dr. J. G. Thomson, the Protozoologist, who is still on active service.
C
Since Dr. Leiper's last report he has been again attached to the Army in Egypt. He returned to England in May, resigned his commission, and devoted himself to the completion of his report. He resumed his full duties at the School at the opening of the winter session in October. To his report are attached the following publications:-
Report on the Results of the Bilharzia Mission in Egypt, 1915." Observations on the mode of Spread and Prevention of Vesical and
Intestinal Bilharziasis in Egypt, with additions to August, 1916." As a result of the continuation of hostilities the number of students attending each session continues to decrease, as will be seen from the following figures:-
October to December January to April May to July
1913: 71
1914: 40
1914: 57
168
1914: 23
1915:
9
1915: 14
1915: 15
1916: 7 1916: 11
27
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52
B
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