CO885-(21-23) — Page 515

15

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TELCO 885

יייי

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

14

can live and where imported Fuhlani cattle all die. I have not yet obtained any blood-filins from these animals. It is interesting to note that the Munshis are great hunters and that they have practically destroyed all the wild game in their district, and yet, in spite of this, the trypanosomiasis of cattle and horses is rampant."

**

Fox, as a result of his work in the same Colony, concluded:—

"That a certain breed of cattle found in pagan districts possess a high degree of natural immunity in that they may harbour the trypanosome in the blood and yet keep in good condition and show no signs of the disease, nor do they die from the infection so long as their environments are favourable. These environments are a free life, with ample food, especially plenty of green grass. Confinement, poor feeding, and hard exercise tend to make the disease manifest itself clinically.

"That such domesticated cattle may act as a reservoir of infection, since the blood may prove infective at such times when clinical symptoms manifest themselves, although the trypanosome may not be found on making a micro- scopical examination."†

This breed was black and thick-set, probably the same as that mentioned by POLLARD.

Pigs. The members of the Portuguese Sleeping Sickness Commission that visited the Island of Principe in 1907-1908 found that the tsetse flies fed chiefly on pigs. In the blood of most of these trypanosomes were found. The pigs were fat and their health was unimpaired.‡

Similar observations, of older date, could be collected from the writings of R. KOCH.

It is worth recalling in this connection that domestic cattle are generally recog- nised in India and Indo-China as forming reservoirs of Surra.

There is, at present, no evidence that domestic animals serve as reservoirs for T. rhodesiense in Rhodesia and Nyasaland; no domestic animal naturally or arti- ficially infected with this trypanosome has survived long.

March 19th, 1913.

7869

SIR,

No. 15.

NYASALAND.

ARTHUR G. BAGSHAWE.

COLONIAL OFFICE to BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA COMPANY. [Copy to Governor, 28 March, 1913. No. 115. L.F.]

[Answered by No. 19.]

Downing Street, 27 March, 1913.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to state, for the information of the Directors of the British South Africa Company, that he has been given to under stand that they are contemplating an experiment in Rhodesia on a large scale for the enclosure of a tract of tsetse-infested country, and the destruction of the wild game therein, with the object of ascertaining the value of game destruction as a means of eliminating the flies which have been shown to be the carriers of the infection of trypanosome diseases.

2. The matter is one in which Mr. Harcourt is particularly interested in connection with the danger of the spread of trypanosome diseases in Nyasaland, and he would be much obliged if he could be informed what steps, if any, are being taken by the Directors to carry out an experiment of this kind.

• Bulletin of Entomological Research, Vol. 3, p. 219.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

↑ Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1911. p. 307.

Archivos de Hygiene e Pathologica Exoticas, 1909, Vol. 2, p. 336.

7869

GENTLEMEN,

No. 16.

NYASALAND.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

[Copy to Governor, 28 March, 1913. No. 115. L.F.]

Downing Street, 27 March, 1913. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th of March,* relating to the further conduct of the investigation now progress in Nyasaland under the direction of the Tropical Diseases Committee of the Royal Society.

in

2. Mr. Harcourt concurs in the proposal of the Committee to consult Sir David Bruce as to the renewal of the entomological side of the enquiry, and in order to save any unnecessary delay he would be glad if this could be done by telegraph.

3. A further communication will be sent to you with regard to the experiment proposed in the first part of your letter.

7934

SIR,

I am,

&c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

No. 17.

NYASALAND.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE LIVINGSTONIA MISSION. [Copy to Governor, 28 March, 1913. No. 115. L.F.]

Downing Street, 27 March, 1913. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 7th of February,† transmitting a copy of certain notes by the Rev. Dr. G. Prentice on the subject of game, tsetse fly, and sleeping sickness, and to inform you that he has received a report from the Director of the Tropical Diseases Bureau (Dr. A. G. Bagshawe) in which Dr. Prentice's criticisms have been very fully dealt with.

2. Mr. Harcourt does not, however, consider that any useful purpose will be served by continuing the discussion, as it seems to be impossible to reconcile the views of his expert advisers with those of Dr. Prentice; but he is considering, in consulta- tion with the Royal Society and Surgeon-General Sir David Bruce, what further steps can be taken to obtain conclusive evidence on one side or the other.

3. I am to add that the Royal Society is in constant touch with Sir D. Bruce and with the Colonial Office in this matter, and that advantage was taken of the recent visit of the Governor of Nyasaland to this country. to discuss fully with him the whole question.

I am, &c.,

10531

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

No. 18. NYASALAND.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 29 March, 1913.)

(No. 68.)

SIR,

Government House, Zomba, Nyasaland Protectorate,

22 February, 1913. WITH reference to your despatch, No. 255, of the 18th of September, 1912, I have the honour to transmit an Ordinance intituled "The Game Amendment Ordinance, 1913," duly authenticated under the public seal of the Protectorate and by my signature.

• No. 10.

† No. 6.

† 27483: not printed.