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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON.
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place only through the bites of mosquitoes; but the following facts may be accepted as being indubitable :—
(a) Malaria is propagated only by the agency of certain species of insects (probably only mosquitoes).
(b) If these species of morquitoes can be exterminated from a given malarious locality, the disease must cease to exist there.
5. It follows, then, that in order to extirpate malaria from a given locality all that is requirel is to exterminate the malaria-bearing species of mosquito.
6. It is, therefore, a question of the utmost importance to determine whether these mosquitoes can or cannot be exterminated on a large scale.
7. On the conclusion of my preliminary studies in India' I was obliged to return to England without attempting to obtain an answer to this important question. I now propose that the subject be taken up by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and be energetically pushed to a practical conclusion.
8. While not yet being certain as to the possibility of exterminating any species of mosquito, I am strongly in favour of the view, after five years' study of mosquitoes in India, that the malaria-bearing species can be eradicated from the more populous and civilised towns, settlements, and plantations in the tropics. My reason for thinking so is that, so far as we are at present informed, the malaria-bearing species belong only to a certain genus of mosquito (anopheles) which, unlike the coramon kinds of mosquitoes, seem to breed only in small isolated puddles. Thus, in several parts of India, I could find the larvæ of these species only in one or two puddles in several square miles of country; while the common mosquitoes bred in almost every pot or cistern or well of water. If these observations of mine be borne out by more exhaustive investigation, it may follow that we shall be able to eradicate the malaria-bearing species of mosquito simply by filling-up or draining away one or two puddles in every few square miles of country. If these few square miles are covered by houses, as in the case of towns and villages, it is possible that we inay be able to rid populations consisting of thousands of souls of malaria at the cost of a few shillings-that is, simply by filling-up two or three puddles in which the insects are compelled to breed by the laws of their nature, obvious that if such a thing ultimately proves to be feasible, the boon to our tropical colonies, and indeed to the whole empire, will be enormous.
133
extirpation of malaria. But I do think that it is very probably practicable-that it is, indeed, promising enough, not only to justify an expedition of the nature referred to, but to call imperatively for it.
12. At all events, whatever the issue may be, I think Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Diseases will deserve the thanks of the country for undertaking such a work. How greatly success-if we are fortunate enough to attain it will be estimated, can be judged better from the recent eloquent words of Mr. Chamberlain than from any of my own.
"The man, " he said,
"who shall successfully grapple with this foe of humanity, this malaria, these fevers desolating our colonies and dependencies in many tropical climates, who shall make the tropics livable for white men, and shall reduce the risk of disease to something like an ordinary average, will do more for the world, more for the British Empire, than the man who adds a new province to the wide dominions of the Queen."
I need scarcely add that Liverpool is, perhaps, more nearly concerned in this work than the rest of the country.
15365.
It is
SIR,
9. It remains only to indicate briefly the steps which should be taken, if the Committee adopt my suggestion, to put the work in hand. They are as follows :—
(«) A small malarious area should be selected for the first experiments. It should.
I think, be situated on a near part of the coast of Africa, say Sierra Leone.
(b) A small scientific expedition, fitted out by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, should be sent there as soon as possible, that is, during the present malaria
season.
(e) The expedition should first determine, by the methods employed by me in India, which are the malaria- bearing species of mosquito in the locality.
(d) It should then proceed to ascertain whether there is any prospect of our being able to exterminate them in that locality.
(e) If this be judged feasible, the breeding pools of the insects should be at once filled up or drained away.
(f) The assistance of the Local Government should be invited, and they should be asked to watch the effect of the measure on the health of the people residing within the malarious locality selected for experiment.
4
(4) If the result prove successful, the School will be justified in offering its services on a large scale to other tropical colonies of the empire.
10. I think it advisable that the labours of the expedition should be initiated by
myself; and I, therefore, beg to volunteer my services for the purpose.
I have also much pleasure in stating that Dr. H. L. Annett, M.B., D.Ph., Demonstrator of Tropical Pathology in the School, has volunteered to accompany me. No one better suited for the work could be selected.
As, however, our uucies in Liverpool will compel us to return here after two or three months in Africa, and as it is advisable that the work of the Expedition should be as continuous as possible, we should like to have, if funds will allow of it, the assistance of one or two students who will remain in Africa if necessary after our departure. We shall be able perhaps to rejoin the Expedition for one or two months early next year, in order to watch progress,
11. Before concluding I should like to reiterate my statement that I am not yet by any means certain as to the practicability of the method proposed above for the
I beg to remain, &c,
RONALD ROSS, D.Ph., M.R.C.S..
Lecturer in Tropical Medicine, University College.
No. 213.
SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETY to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received June 16, 1899.)
[Answered by No. 225.]
Seamen's Hospital Society,
Dreadnought Hospital,
Greenwich, S.E., June 15, 1899.
I AM directed to inform you that the Medical Council of this Society are prepared to recommend to the Board of Management that men in the service of the Colonies who are prepared to pay for their Medical attendance be admitted to the wards of the Hospitals at the following rates :—
6/- per diem if a single man. 4/- per diem if a married man. -
No person to be admitted whose pay exceeds £200 per annum.
I am further to inquire whether these payments would be guaranteed by the Government. The Medical Council would be glad of any suggestions in this matter that the Colonial Office may see fit to make before the subject is laid before my Board.
14298.
GENTLEMEN,
No. 214.
I am, &c.,
P. MICHELLI,
Secretary.
COLONIAL OFFICE to CROWN AGENTS.
Downing Street, June 15, 1899.
WITH reference to the letter from this department of the 26th ultimo,* I am directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to request you to be good enough to pay into the Bank of England, to the credit of the Secretary of State for India in Council, the further sum of £91 13s. 2d. on account of the salary, travelling and hotel expenses of Dr. Daniels in India, and to charge the amount to the Malaria Investigation account.
2. The Receivable Order supported by vouchers which were forwarded by the India Office are enclosed.
• No. 203.
I
am, &c.,
R. L. ANTROBUS.