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84
SOUDAN GOVERNMENT SLEEPING SICKNESS EXPEDITION, 1905-1906. INTRODUCTORY REPORT by Major G. Dansey-Browning, R.A.M.C.
In July, 1905, the Soudan Government Sleeping Sickness Commission obtained authority from His Excellency the Governor-General for the despatch of a scientific investigation expedition to the Bahr-el-Ghazal province.
Major G. Dansey-Browning, R.A.M.C., an officer of the Egyptian Army Medical Corps, was detailed for this purpose, the necessary funds being placed at his disposal by the Financial Secretary, Soudan Government.
The objects of the expedition were:-
First To obtain information as to the existence or otherwise of "Sleeping expedition. Sickness" in the Bahr-el-Ghazal. Secondly: To ascertain and identify the
varieties of tsetse fly found in those regions.
This was obtained on loan through the courtesy of Doctor Balfour, the Director equipment. of the Wellcome Research Laboratories, Khartoum. It was necessarily rather meagre in character, owing to difficulties of transport and the extent and nature of the country to be explored, but it was found to be quite adequate for the
purpose it was intended. It consisted of a small travelling microscope, bacteriological outfit, and the accessories necessary for the collection and preservation of entomo- logical and pathological specimens.
Cost
of the expedition
The Army pay of Major Browning was borne by military funds, his travelling allowance and expenditure incurred in connection with purchase and maintenance of pack animals, salaries of syces, hire of carriers, pack saddle equipment, &c., were met by a special grant of £ E. 300 made for this purpose by the Soudan Government. Itinerary. The expedition left Khartoum on the 1st November, 1905. It travelled viâ Wau to the Chak Chak and Kossinger Districts of the Bahr-el-Ghazal. It then proceeded along the Bahr-el-Ghazal French Congo frontier and returned to Wau to replenish its stores. This journey constituted the first part of the expedition. The second part of the expedition consisted in a journey viâ Rumbek and Mvolo to the Anglo-Belgian Congo frontier as far west as the Anglo-Egyptian post of Zungumbia, then returned viâ Meridi and Shambe' to Khartoum, which was reached on the 13th April, 1906. Method of On arrival at a village of importance along the line of march, a halt of varying procedure. duration was made to allow of the inhabitants being collected for medical examina- tion. The local sick were first visited and treatment prescribed, and then inspection of the general population was made. The incidence of lymphatic glandular enlarge- ment amongst these were noted, and the method of gland puncture, recommended by the Uganda Commission, employed in all doubtful cases.
Result.
Opportunity was also taken of making blood smears and collections of entomo- logical or general interest. The elders of the villages were interrogated as to their knowledge of the existence of sleeping sickness in the neighbourhood or of any similar diseases affecting man or beast.
The results of the information collected are given in the final report. They consist briefly in establishing the fact that sleeping sickness is at present unknown in the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province, but that the " Glossina Palpalis," the known carrier of this disease, exist in considerable numbers along the whole region of the Bahr-el- Ghazal, south of 6° latitude north.
The work done by the expedition was necessarily not of an experimental nature, so no new facts regarding the methods, spread, and transmission of sleeping sickness were brought to light; the time allotted for it and the appliances provided made anything of that kind impossible.
It consisted entirely in the collection of facts from observers on the spot from which deductions for scientific purposes may perhaps hereafter be drawn. -
The work of the expedition was much facilitated by the ready assistance given by the Governor and staff of the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province, Doctor Balfour, who kindly examined all specimens sent down, and the other members of the Sleeping Sickness Commission.
I attach hereto progress reports of the journeys made along the Bahr-el-Ghazal French Congo frontier and the southern part of the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province, as well as a final report showing the results of information collected and deductions drawn during these journeys.
G. DANSEY-BROWNING,
Major, R.A.M.C.
Khartoum,
September 25, 1906.
85
APPENDIX TO MAJOR BROWNING'S REPORT.
TABLE showing the Number of Cases of Cervical Glandular Enlargement found amongst the General Population of the Bahr-el-Ghazal Districts, together with the Varieties of Tsetse Fly found in each Region.
Districts.
Variety of Tsetse Fly.
Number of cases examined.
"3
19
Number with Cervical Glandular
Enlargement.
Number in which Trypanosomata were found, on examination of Glandular Juices or Peripheral Blood.
North-Western Districts-
Kiangos
Bishara's
"G" Morsitans
63
1
Nil
10
1
Khor Dum
"
12
3
Nil
Chak Chak
Kossinger
})
42
"
2
་་
}}
51
2
Dem Zubier
30
31
"1
I
21
River Pongo
10
1
11
Central Districts-
Tonj
Gell
Rumbek
Southern Districts-
Darrago
Mvolo
Meridi
Mangis
ཤྩ རྫ འཨཱུ ཀྟྭཱ ༅ ཋ
28
22
1
37
25
19
2
Nil
30
2
+
ནམཚ
15
*
Nil
"G" Palpalis
45
3
136
11
8
Yambio ...
Zungumbia
"G" Palpalis and Morisitana. Nil
90
3
*1
24
1
11
"G" Palpalis
34
3
*
Eastern Districts-
Naim River Post
Fort Alwel
14
1
Nil
4
Nil
"
Shambe'...
26
2
11
44
SOUDAN GOVERNMENT SLEEPING SICKNESS EXPEDITION, 1905-1906.” FINAL REPORT by Major G. Dansey-Browning, R.A.M.C.
To the SECRETARY,
Sleeping Sickness Commission,
Khartoum.
My previous reports dealt with the work done during my journey through the Bahr-el-Ghazal and gave in detail the information collected and the technique employed. The present report is a summary of conclusions drawn from this information:-
1. Sleeping sickness is at present non-existent in the Bahr-el-Ghazal.
2. The known carrier of sleeping sickness, the "Glossina Palpalis" variety of tsetse fly, found in this region, is at present apparently uninfected by the organism of human trypanosomiasis.
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