306
54
The Congo Floor Maggot. This peculiar blood-sucking larva has been found in Freetown, the Colony and Protectorate, and the adult has also been collected. The morphology of the various stages from egg to adult have been studied.
A New Biting Insect from Sierra Leone.—It has been observed here that a plant-feeding bug which lives in the cotton tree Bombax sp. is capable of biting man. The observation was made so recently that it has not been possible to make full investigation of the insect's habits and the extent to which it exhibits the power of biting human beings. It is a large winged insect when full grown, in its earlier stages it is wingless and bright red in colour. Its habitat appears to be inside the hard-cased fruit of the cotton tree, where it can be found in its early stages among the silk cotton; it feeds freely on the seeds. After the rupture of the fruit the silk cotton is blown about, carrying the insects with it. On reaching the ground they feed on the seeds and can be seen in groups around them with the long proboscis fixed in the seed. In the gut, hind gut and rectum flagellate parasites of the genus Leptomonas are present, sometimes in enormous numbers. On one occasion flagel- lates were found in the coclomic fluid. The importance of such an observation as this is chiefly to be sought for in connexion with the disease Kalaazar, of which disease there is so far no known transmitter. The existence in these or similar insects of flagellates like those which form a stage in evolution of the parasite Kalaazar may conceivably prove of importance in the elucidation of this disease. The infection of plant bugs with Leptomonas has long been known, and attention has been drawn to the similarity of some of the flagellate parasites of such bugs to the parasite of Kalaazar. The observations and results obtained so far have been communicated to Dr. Maplestone who may find time to investigate the matter further.
59364
No. 13.
I have, &c.,
J. MIDDLEMASS HUNT,
Honorary Dean.
THE LONDON SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 6th December, 1923.)
SIR,
Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich, 3rd December, 1923, HEREWITH 'have the honour to submit the half-yearly reports of the following Special Departments in the London School of Tropical Medicine :— Entomology, Helminthology, Protozoology.
Dr. J. Gordon Thomson, the Protozoologist, has just returned from Rhodesia where he has been continuing the work he commenced in the previous year in regard to the causation of blackwater fever.
As mentioned in the last report,* Dr. H. B. Newham, the Director of Tropical Pathology, and Warden of Studies, has been in British Honduras investigating the undiagnosed fevers present in that Colony A report dealing with the result of his work is now in course of preparation, and will be forwarded to you in due
course.
Dr. P. A Buxton, accompanied by Mr. G. H. Hopkins, B.A., sailed for Samoa on the 15th November, where he will carry on the investigations commenced by Dr. F. W. O'Connor in regard to filariasis and elephantiasis. Sir James Allen, the High Commissioner for New Zealand, has taken a personal interest in this expedition and has arranged for facilities to be afforded to the Investigator and his colleague on their arrival, laboratories, etc., having been placed at their disposal. The investigation will probably occupy a period of two years.
Mr. Cecil Cook, M.B., Ch. B., Sydney, D.T.M. & H., an old student of the School who has been awarded the Wandsworth Scholarship, has just left to under- take investigations in Northern Australia, Rabaul and New Guinea in regard to leprosy, filariasis, and other diseases prevalerit there.
The number of students taking the course in the School is increasing, and during the present session 62 are in attendance.
Colonel R. H. Elliot, I.M.S., one of the lecturers, has presented to the School a valuable collection of stereoscopic photographs illustrating tropical diseases of the eye. It is felt that this will prove an important acquisition.
I am, &c.,
P. J. MICHELLI,
Secretary.
55
P.S.-Enclosed with the above-mentioned publications :-*
reports are the following
Journal of Helminthology, Vol. Nos. 3 and 4.
F.R.S.
Professor R. T. Leiper,
Common Occurrence of Pseudospirochetes in the Blood of Blackwater
Fever, by Dr. J. G. Thomson, Protozoologist.
Note on a case infected with Dientamoeba fragilis, by Dr. Andrew
Robertson, Assistant in Department of Protozoology.
Enclosure 1 in No. 13.
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT IN CHARGE OF THE PROFESSOR OF MEDICAL ZOOLOGY FOR THE HALF-year ending 31st October, 1923.
THE Department has been in charge of the undersigned during the period of report, with Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. Walton,, I.M.S. (retired) as assistant, and a temporary demonstrator for the summer session.
The usual course of lectures and laboratory work in Medical Entomology, and the short course of lectures and demonstrations on snakes and snake venoms were conducted in May and June, the number of students attending the classes being 59. Living specimens for class-work have as usual, been bred at the School, but attempts to maintain a breeding stock of Anopheles in London have still been unsuccessful-though they are being continued. Explorations have been made in Romney Marsh, and the marshes north and south of the Medway, with the aim of establishing a field entomology-station-a thing that must be done if medical entomology and methods of experimental work are to be studied and taught well in the middle of London. At present, we are on friendly terms with a small farmer in Romney Marsh, who has been most obliging, and we hope for developments in that eminently favourable locality.
The permanent stock of teaching preparations has been maintained and amplified. Some fine exhibits have been added to the School museum.
Identifications have been supplied and advice has been given to correspondents in many parts of the world.
Dr. P. de Boer of Kenya Colony worked in the laboratory through the greater part of the summer session. Accommodation was given to Dr. Ll. Lloyd of Northern Nigeria in connexion with his report on the local tsetse-fly survey, and also to Mrs. Helen Adie in working at some of her interesting Indian material. Donations have been coming in rather more freely, and include the following:- Europe From Mrs. E. M. Christie, specimens of Anopheles from malarious districts in Russia. From Dr. G. M. Vevers, and Mr. C. L. Walton, bot-flies and their living larvæ of three species.
Mosquitoes
Asia. Various microscopic preparations from Mrs. H. Adie. ticks of the district around Tehran, from Dr. A. R. Neligan.
Africa. Unfailing supplies of living eggs of Stegomyia fasciata, from Dr. A. Connal of Lagos. Mosquitoes, tsetse flies, and other insects, from Dr. W. E. Glover, Northern Nigeria. Venomous snakes and scorpions from Dr. E. Hindle, Cairo. Enlarged photographs of Nigerian breeding-places of tsetse flies from Dr. Ll. Lloyd. Venomous snakes and rats from Dr. Froilano de Mello, of Portuguese West Africa. Plague rats from Dr. A. R. Paterson, Kenya Colony. Mosquitoes from Coomassie, Dr. W. G. Watt. Also a specimen of Madura foot from Dr. C. G. Timms, and Dr. J. A. Young, Somaliland.
America. Fine specimens of venomous snakes, scorpions, and insects, from Dr. H. E. K. Fretz, Trinidad. A particularly fine and comprehensive collection of the snakes of Colombia, as well as scorpions, ticks, and blood-sucking flies, from Dr. E. J. Pampara; this is one of the most interesting collections that the Department has ever received. Blood-sucking and parasitic flies, and ticks, from Dr. H. B. Newham's expedition to British Honduras.
Fifteen tubes of Nematode parasites collected by Dr. F. W. O'Connor in the course of his investigations in the islands of the Western Pacific, in 1921-22, have been made over to the Department of Helminthology; one of the tubes is reported to be empty. A few specimens, including those of the two new species Crassisoma samoense and Elobicephalus conor-filii, have still to be handed over to the Helminthology Department..
19th November, 1923.
A. ALCOCK, Lt.-Col., I.M.S. (retired), Professor of Medical Zoology in the University of London.
* No. 11.
*Not printed here.
111 113" 885/26
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE |LUPTRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-