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together with the blood taken in, with the result that the trypanosomes fail to establish themselves and to render the invertebrate animal infective. (c) Finally, it must be pointed out, as I have done already in my Report, that in many cases tame white rats are refractory to the infection," possibly on account of their having been previously infected, possibly by virtue of constitutional powers of resistance possessed by them.

3. For the various reasons stated in the foregoing paragraph, negative results are always to be expected in a large proportion of transmission experiments on trypanosomes, and this conclusion, so far as the transmission of T. lewisi by rate lice is concerned, receives further support from a consideration of the results recorded by other experimenters.

Rabinowitsch and Kempner (1899 and 1903) obtained positive results in their experiments on the transmission of T. lewisi by rat-fleas, but negative results with rat-lice; Prowazek (1905), who first described develop- mental stages of T. lewisi in rat-lice, failed nevertheless to obtain experimental evidence of transmission by lice; Rodenwaldt (1909) does not record any successful experiments with rat-lice; but Nuttall (1908), Baldrey (1909), and apparently also Manteufel (1909), have been successful in transmitting T. lewisi by the agency of rat-lice. (Full biographical references will be given if desired.)

4. In conclusion, I desire to state that the experiments recorded by me were merely tentative, and, as they did not appear encouraging, were not proceeded with further. On the other hand, Dr. Thomson and I have obtained very full positive results in our experiments on the transmission of T. lewisi by rat-fleas. These results. have been communicated to the Royal Society, and will, we hope, be published shortly. An account of them will, of course, be included in my next annual report, but I shall be happy to furnish a copy of the paper containing them to the Colonial Office as soon as it is published, if this is desired.

I am, &c.,

The Academic Registrar,

3323

University of London.

No. 6.

E. A. MINCHIN.

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was carried from person to person by some insect. The disease occurred usually at the base of hills in country districts in the tropics, never in towns, and agriculturists were the people mainly subject to its attacks. Dr. Sambon had come to the conclu- sion, from an examination of the distribution of the disease, that it was carried by certain sand fly. If this view were correct, it would, no doubt, be possible to do much towards eradicating the disease, and Dr. Sambon was anxious to proceed to Italy to carry out a series of investigations which would probably either establish the origin of the disease or, at any rate, throw much light upon it.

Sir Patrick Manson admitted that Dr. Sambon was not a reliable person, but he considered that he was a man of real ability, and that if his heart were in a piece of work he would carry it, if afforded the opportunity, to a satisfactory con- clusion. He was, therefore, in favour of some grant being made from the Tropical Diseases Research Fund which would, no doubt, be followed by grants from other sources once it was known that the Advisory Committee approved of the research being undertaken.

Professor Ross concurred in the importance of the investigation, though he was not himself satisfied that the disease was a protozoal one. At the request of Sir Charles Lucas he communicated to the Committee an estimate which had been drawn up by Dr. Sambon of the cost of the proposed expedition. Dr. Sambon pro- posed that he should be in Italy for four months, and at home for two months writing the report. The cost would be:-

Outfit

Travelling

Expenses at £1 a day for four months Honorarium (£50 a month) .

Total for himself...

£ 50

40

120

300

£510

He also wished to be accompanied by a relative of his as an assistant. The expenses

in this connexion would be:-

Travelling

Expenses at 10s. a day for four months Honorarium (£5 a month)

Total

£

40

60

30

£130

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTTT C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

MINUTES OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE TROPICAL DISEASES RESEARCH FUND HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE ON THE 21ST OF JANUARY, 1910, AT 5.30 P.M.

PRESENT:

Sir THOMAS HOLDERNESS (in the Chair).

Sir C. LUCAS.

Sir P. MANSON.

Dr. ROSE Bradford.

Surgeon-General A. M. BRAnfoot.

Mr. READ.

Professor Ross.

Mr. KEITH (Secretary).

Sir Patrick Manson explained the object for which the meeting had been called, namely, to consider the question of a grant from the Tropical Diseases Research Fund to a fund which is to be formed under the auspices of Sir Clifford Allbutt, Professor Ross, Professor Osler, and himself, to enable Dr. Sambon to proceed to Italy to carry out investigations with regard to Pellagra.

He said that the disease was widely spread in the United States, in the West Indies, particularly at Barbados, probably in Egypt, the Soudan, India, and else- where. The exact nature of the disease was a puzzle. It had long been thought to be due to the consumption of damaged or diseased maize, but Dr. Sambon had lately investigated the matter, and had adduced reasons to show that the disease was not so caused, or was only indirectly connected with the consumption of such maize. Dr. Sambon thought that it was a' protozoal disease like malaria, which

making in all a total of £640.

Professor Ross intimated that in his opinion some of the items, such as Expenses and Honorarium, were rather high, and would require consideration.

Sir Charles Lucas expressed the opinion that the details must be left to the committee formed to deal with the matter, and that the Advisory Committee should content themselves with deciding whether the research was a sufficiently important one to justify the grant of any sum from the Tropical Diseases Research Fund, and whether it could safely be entrusted to Dr. Sambon.

Sir Thomas Holderness was somewhat doubtful as to whether the disease was really a tropical one, and as it was not certain that it occurred in India, whether it was a suitable subject for a grant from the Fund. General Branfoot was also doubtful whether the investigation should be supported by the Fund, and whether Dr. Sambon was a competent person to be trusted with carrying it out. He also asked whether the results attained by Dr. Sambon could be relied upon, but Dr. Rose Bradford was satisfied that there would be no difficulty as to this, on the ground that Dr. Sambon was trustworthy in the work he actually did, though he could not be relied upon to carry out work. Sir Patrick Manson also raised the question whether Dr. Sambon should be required to carry out investigations at Barbados on the ground that this would make the matter more definitely Colonial, but Sir Charles Lucas thought that this was not necessary, and that the investigation should be carried out in the most convenient place for the purpose. Mr. Read suggested that it might de desirable for Dr. Sambon to have a colleague associated with him in the researches, but it was thought that this would be too expensive.

After further discussion Dr. Rose Bradford, who was satisfied of the import- ance of the subject and considered that a grant was justifiable, moved that a grant

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