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4. With regard to G. longipalpis, there is no reason to suppose that this species transmits sleeping sickness in the Gold Coast or in any part of Africa. It is true that in a laboratory experiment any species of tsetse can be made to transmit any trypanosome that is naturally transmitted by a tsetse, but all investigation has tended to show that in nature only one species of Glossina is concerned in each area. The bare possibility that G. longipalpis, or any other species of Glossina, may transmit sleeping sickness should not be used as an argument against dealing with G. palpalis, which in other parts of Africa is definitely known to transmit the disease.

I have, &c.,

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4. 1 have the honour also to acknowledge the receipt of Sir Hugh Clifford's despatch, No. 232, of the 6th of April,* with which he transmitted a copy of a minute by the Acting Principal Medical Officer, showing the expenditure which would be entailed by the appointment of an itinerating Medical Officer to the Western Province of Ashanti. I regret that, as you will observe from the accom- panying correspondence, I consider that the addition of a Medical Officer to the Gold Coast establishment for the purpose suggested is at present impracticable.

I have, &c.,

L. HARCOURT.

ARTHUR G. BAGSHAWE,

16589

Director.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

14461

No. 11.

SİERRA LEONE.

COLONIAL OFFICE to TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU.

[Copy to Governor, No. 253, 29th May, 1914. L.F.]

[Answered by No. 13.]

Downing Street, 28th April, 1914. SIR,

WITH reference to your letter of the 16th of February,* on the subject of sleeping sickness in Sierra Leone, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you copies of two despatches, with enclosures, from the Governor of Sierra Leone, relating to the proposal to establish a sleeping sickness camp in that Colony.

2. Mr. Harcourt would be glad to receive your observations on the matter.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ, for the Under-Secretary of State.

14843

No. 12. GOLD COAST.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR. [Copy to Imperial Bureau of Entomology, and to Tropical Diseases Bureau, 18th November, 1914. L.F.F.] [Answered by Nos. 15 and 17.]

(No. 281.) SIR,

Downing Street, 5th May, 1914. WITH reference to Sir Hugh Clifford's despatch, No. 769, of the 16th of October, and to my despatch, No. 798, of the 20th November,§ I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a copy of a letter from the Director of the Tropical Diseases Bureau, containing his observations on the reports by Dr. W. M. Wade and Dr. C. V. Le Fanu on sleeping sickness in Togoland and the Western Province of Ashanti. I have to request that you will give your careful consideration to the observations submitted by Dr. Bagshawe, especially as regards the practical measures which he suggests for the prevention and suppression of the disease.

2. I would take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the manner in which Dr. Wade has discharged the duties which were entrusted to him.

3. On receipt of Sir Hugh Clifford's despatch, Separate, of the 9th March, dealing further with the subject of sleeping sickness in the Western Province of Ashanti, I caused a further letter to be addressed to the Director of the Tropical Diseases Bureau, enclosing a copy of that despatch, with the request that I might A copy of this correspon- be furnished with his views on the questions involved. dence** is enclosed herewith.

SIR,

No. 13.

SIERRA LEONE.

TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 6th May, 1914.)

Tropical Diseases Bureau, Imperial Institute,

London, S.W., 5th May, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 28th April (14461/1914),† and of copies of two despatches from the Governor on the subject of sleeping sickness in Sierra Leone.

2. The Principal Medical Officer, it appears, believes that sleeping sickness has existed in Sierra Leone for a very long period, and doubts whether the disease In order to obtain details of is more prevalent now than for the past hundred years. its incidence, he recommends that a member of the West African Medical Service be seconded for special duty. If the disease is found to be widespread, he will advise compulsory notification for infected natives and their segregation in a camp in a fly-free area, measures which he has consistently recommended on the Gold Coast, and which an Order in Council now permits in Sierra Leone. He evidently thinks that there will be little difficulty in inducing the natives to go into the camp if it is formed.

3. Granted that infected natives will submit, whether they feel ill or not, to compulsory detention in a camp, and that an area can be rendered fly-free for this purpose, think that special investigation as to the incidence of the disease, and the question of its menace to the well-being of Sierra Leone, should precede any decision whether action should be taken under the Order in Council. It is probable that the disease is neither more nor less prevalent than it has been over a long period, and decision as to the manner of dealing with it can safely be postponed.

4. In this connexion it must be pointed out that, pace the Governor, there are reasons why a person suffering from sleeping sickness should be less liable to be compulsorily segregated than one suffering from plague, yellow fever, or smallpox. These diseases are acute, leading quickly either to recovery or death, so that the period of segregation is not long, and they may and do spread with great rapidity, causing, both by their ravages and the fear occasioned, dislocation of business, and consequent loss of money and trade. Sleeping sickness, on the other hand, is a disease which may last for years in the individual; there is no evidence that in Sierra Leone it shows any tendency to spread, and it is not stated that it causes interference with trade. If it were really on a par with plague and yellow fever in respect to the public health, there would be no question that infected persons should be compulsorily segregated. It can, however, be combated by less drastic

methods.

5. I am, of course, not prepared to say whether it is feasible to render and keep fly-free the peninsula examined by Dr. Young. I would point out, however, that it is known that mangroves afford shelter to G. palpalis, and that it might be found necessary to eradicate these as well as the bush, which would add much, I imagine,' to the difficulty and cost of clearing, and might make it altogether impracticable. 6. The Principal Medical Officer, referring to the hospital at Anum, men tioned in my letter of 16th February, says that this hospital is about 100 miles distant from the sleeping sickness area in Ashanti, "therefore it is not surprising that the natives refused to enter it--if they were ever asked to."

* 15107: not printed.

No. 11.

No. 4.

* No. 4.

t Nos. 8 and 9. | No. 5.

No. 4 in Miscellaneous No. 275.

** Nos. 7 and 10. * No. 6.

§ 87977: not printed.