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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
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19 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Government Bacteriologist, answering Lord Elgin's circular despatch of 23rd December last. I enclose a printed copy of your despatch and of the Minute in question, together with the circular. I was asked to write to you on the subject, as the members of the Committee thought that the circular had been somewhat misunderstood.
The circular had, I had hoped-for I had a good deal to do with the wording— been so carefully worded as not to produce the impression which, from Mr. Wise's Memorandum, it seems to have produced.
We were anxious-
(1) Not to appear in any way to dictate to or interfere with the Colonial Governments and their officers, but only-in the words of the circular -to act as "a central advisory body in England offering guidance.” (2) Not in any way to fetter research by prescribing cast-iron rules. Mr. Wise says that the suggestions made in the circular “would, no doubt, increase the regularity of research work, but would no less certainly destroy its originality." If you will look at the circular you will see that the suggestions are precluded by the words " It is recognised that any rules or instructions to those engaged in research must not be of a character so stringent as seriously to interfere with the worker's individuality or predilections, or to hamper him in pursuing any special line of research, &c."
Our Committee, as you know, includes members of the highest medical and scientific standing, whose advice on these subjects cannot but be of value. It also includes two late Colonial Governors, and representatives of the India Office and Indian Government service, in addition to the Colonial Office representatives, so that the secular and administrative side of the problems is not likely to be over-
looked.
We are well aware that the doctors and scientific men in the Colonies must, first and foremost, attend to the everyday requirements of the Government and the Government work; that the staff is often overworked and under-manned; that it is for the Colonial Governments alone to control them; and that, when there is time for research, the worker must not be tied down by rigid instructions.
But all this is compatible with suggestion, encouragement, advice, and even friendly criticism, given through the Colonial Government and the Secretary of State, by a central body which is receiving and comparing reports from all parts of the world.
Every Colony stands to gain by help of this kind, and it is a pity that what is ontemplated should be misunderstood as seems to have been the case in the present instance, though not, as far as I am aware, in other cases.
You will, I know, appreciate these comments which have purposely been made in a semi-official letter instead of a public despatch, and we, in turn, appreciate the cordial promise of co-operation given at the end of your despatch.
44006
(No. 552.)
MY LORD,
No. 62.
LEEWARD ISLANDS.
Yours sincerely,
C. P. LUCAS.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1 December, 1908.)
Government House, Antigua, 11 November, 1908. Ix continuation of my despatch, No. 489, of the 7th ultimo,* forwarding a despatch from the Administrator of St. Kitts-Nevis, with reference to your Lord- ship's circular despatch of the 13th July last, in which observations were invited on reports from the Tropical Schools of London and Liverpool, and from the Colonial Laboratory at Hong Kong, I have the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's infor- mation, copies of despatches from the Administrator of Dominica and the Commis-
• No. 50.
41
sioners of Montserrat and the Virgin Islands, and of a minute by the Acting Chief Government Medical Officer, Antigua.
2. My own views respecting the value of the work done by the Tropical Schools at London and Liverpool, and the importance of Colonial Medical Officers being afforded an opportunity periodically of going through courses of instruction in one or other of those Schools are set out clearly in the despatches* noted in the margin, No. 241. which I had the honour of forwarding to the Secretary of State in reply to Lord 3 Juls, Elgin's circular despatch of the 23rd April, 1906.†
SIR,
(No. 432/1848.)
1906.
No. 306,
I have, &c.,
9 Aug., 1906.
BICKHAM SWEET-ESCOTT,
Governor.
Enclosure 1 in No. 62.
Government House; Dominica, 5th November, 1903. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's despatches, No. 325, of the 13th August, and No. 431, of the 23rd October, on the subject of the reports from the Schools of Tropical Medicine at London and Liverpool, and from the Colonial Laboratory at Hong Kong.
2. Before the receipt of Your Excellency's despatch of the 13th August last, I had transmitted a copy of the Secretary of State's despatch, circular, of the 13th July, 1908, to the Senior Medical Officer of this Presidency, and invited his observa- tions on the reports. I now beg to transmit herewith a copy of a letter I have received from Dr. H. A. Alford Nicholls, C.M.G., in reply.
3. I do not see that I can offer any useful observations on the reports.
I have, &c.,
His Excellency
SIR,
Governor Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott, K.C.M.G.,
&c.,
&c.,
&c.
DOUGLAS YOUNG,
Administrator.
The SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER to the ADMINISTRATOR.
Dominica, 4 November, 1903. Soon after the receipt of your letter, No. 1351, of the 7th August last, for- warding to me a circular despatch of the Earl of Crewe, of the 13th of July, in regard to the reports from the Schools of Tropical Medicine at London and Liver- pool and from the Colonial Laboratory at Hong Kong, I informed Your Honour that these reports were mainly records of work accomplished at the several insti- tutions, and that they did not call for any particular observations from me.
2. It would appear, however, from the despatch, No. 431, of the 23rd ultimo, of His Excellency the Governor to yourself, transmitted to me by Your Honour's minute, No. 1843, of the 2nd instant, that some observations on the London, Liver- pool, and Hong Kong Reports are desired from me, and, therefore, I beg to submit the following:-
3. The report from the London School of Tropical Medicine deals with routine work of the School, and embodies interesting papers by Dr. Leiper on helmintho- logy and by Dr. Wenyon on protozoology.
4. None of the parasites referred to by Dr. Leiper have been found to be prevalent in Dominica, and there are no present indications that they exist in the island, although I may state that some years ago I had under my care a patient who harboured the bilharzia worm, but he had recently terminated a long residence in South Africa, where he became infected with the parasite.
5. Filaria perstans and Filaria bancrofti do not appear to occur in Dominica, but Filaria nocturna is not uncommon amongst the labouring population, and I have found embryos of Filaria demarquaii in the blood of a few negroes residing on the leeward or western side of the island,
•
Appendix III. (7) and Appendix III. (9) in [Cd. 3306], January, 1907. † Page 7 of [Ca. 3306].
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