5CC
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference
C.O.885
7
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
16019
No. 15.
LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
SIR,
(Received May 8, 1901.) [Answered by No. 17.]
B 10, Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, May 7, 1901.
I AM requested by the Committee of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to inform you that the School have decided to despatch Major Ronald Ross, Lecturer in Tropical Medicine, together with the suitable assistants, to West Africa, to devote himself to the extermination on an extensive scale of the anopheles mosquito in a selected town there.
No expense is to be spared to ensure, as far as possible, the success of the objects of the expedition, and no restriction will be placed on Major Ross, in the matter.
The School confidently hopes that the experiment will have most important results in the direction of improving the conditions of health throughout the district operated on by the expedition.
A somewhat similar movement in America is in contemplation, and the Liverpool School are, therefore, anxious not to delay the carrying out of their scheme. Major Ross has been authorised to proceed to West Africa without delay, and the expedition will start before the end of the current month, if possible.
As the success of the experiment must, to a great extent, be dependent on the co-operation of the local authorities, Major Ross has been asked to call at the Colonial Office on Thursday next, the 9th instant, to solicit the advice of your department in the matter.
The School hopes that instructions may be given for such assistance to be rendered to him as may be possible.
In conclusion, the School wishes me to inform you that the expedition has been rendered possible by the munificence of Mr. James Coats, Junior, of Paisley, who has kindly consented to defray the major cost of the expedition, and by the action of Major Ross, who is prepared to give his services thereon without remuneration.
16019
SIR
No. 16.
I am, &c.,
ALAN MILNE,
Honorary Secretary.
COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 19.]
Downing Street, May 18, 1901. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to request that you will call the attention of Mr. Secretary Brodrick to the enclosed copy of a letter* from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, stating that Major Ronald Ross is proceeding to West Africa in order to try the experiment of attempting to effect the extermination of the anopheles mosquito in a selected town.
2. Mr. Chamberlain is much interested in this experiment, and he is instructing the Governors of Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast to give Major Ross all the assistance in their power. He understands that, if possible, the experiment will be made in Freetown, and I am to request that Mr. Brodrick will, if he sees no objection, give instructions that the military authorities, and especially the Officers of the Royal Army Medical Staff, in Sierra Leone, should afford. Major Ross any facilities and help that they may be able to give.
I am,
&c.,
R. L. ANTROBUS.
16019
SIR,
No. 17.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE.
Downing Street, May 18, 1901. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to inform you that he has learnt, with much pleasure, from your letter of the 7th instant, that, by the generosity of Mr. James Coats, Junior, of Paisley, and by the action of Major Ross, who is prepared to give his services without remuneration, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have been able to arrange that Major Ross should proceed to West Africa for the purpose of endeavouring to effect the extermination of the anopheles mosquito in a selected town.
2. It is understood that Major Ross proposes to select a town for the experiment, either in Sierra Leone or on the Gold Coast, and the Governors of those Colonies have been requested to afford him all the assistance in their power. Mr. Chamberlain has also suggested to the Secretary of State for War that the officers of the Royal Army Medical Staff in Sierra Leone would probably be able to give material help if the experiment should be made in Freetown.
I am, &c.,
16019
No. 18.
SIERRA LEONE. GOLD COAST.
R. L. ANTROBUS.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR C. A. KING-HARMAN and GOVERNOR
SIR,
(Sierra Leone. No. 151.) (Gold Coast. No. 277.)
MAJOR NATHAN.
Downing Street, May 22, 1901. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you a copy of a letter from the Honorary Secretary of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, from which you will learn that Major Ronald Ross is proceeding to West Africa in order to attempt the extermina- tion of the anopheles mosquito in a selected town.
2. Major Ross has not yet decided in which Colony it would be best to make this experiment, but he proposes to select a town either in Sierra Leone or on the Gold Coast.
3. I have to request that you will afford Major Ross all the assistance in your power, and, if necessary, it would, in my opinion, be worth while to incur some expendi- ture from public funds in rendering such assistance. Major Ross, however, informs me that he anticipates that the only expense in connection with the experiment which he would ask the Colonial Government to bear would be for sanitary work of general utility.
4. I should add that Major Ross will probably be accompanied by one European assistant.
18481
SIR,
No. 19.
I have, &c.,
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received May 29, 1901.)
War Office, London, S.W., May 28, 1901.
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for War to acknowledge the receipt of your letter. No. 16019/1901, of 18th instant, and to acquaint you in reply, for the
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• No. 15.
9705
"No. 15.
* No. 16.
B