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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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(b) That violations of it detected shall either be prevented, or, if they are of long standing and no harm has resulted, that they shall be legalized by specific amendment to the Regulations as the Ordinance provides. (c) That the Regulations shall also be specifically amended to permit, imme- diately, the reoccupation of districts or islands where conditions are or can be, made as safe as, or safer than, in districts where long-standing contraventions of the Regulations are legalized under (b). (d) That provision shall be made immediately for technical investigations into the precise conditions under which Trypanosoma gambiense can exist, multiply, and spread as a human parasite to cause sleeping sick- ness in endemic and epidemic form.

(e) That when definite conclusions are reached on these points a compre hensive plan for the sanitation of the lake region shall be drawn up submitted for approval.

and

An alternative would be to delay (a), (b), and (c) until after (d) and (e) were completed. To any such are many practical objections. Such delay would be for many months at least, and perhaps for a year or two, and the situation is continually changing. Dread of the disease, sympathy with, and confidence in, the Govern- ment policy are all waning, and impatience at delay and at interminable technical investigation is at the same time growing. The situation is much more difficult to handle now than in 1916 on these accounts, and will become worse instead of better unless speedily stabilized by visibly progressive and reconstructive action.

W. F. FISKE.

April, 1919.

20123

No. 42.

IN

OUTLINE FOR PRACTICAL AND TECHNICAL WORK ON TSETSE

DISEASES AND TRYPANOSOME FLIES, TRYPANOSOMES, UGANDA AND THE REGION OF VICTORIA NYANZA.

(1) Objects.

(a) THE reclamation, repopulation, and economic development of agricultural and grazing lands, fishing grounds, and traffic routes now abandoned or proscribed on account of tsetse fly and sleeping sickness in the riparian zone and islands of Victoria Nyanza in Uganda Protectorate in such manner as to preclude the recur. rence of sleeping sickness in the form of epidemic.

(b) The better sanitation (with respect to sleeping sickness) of the riparian zone and islands of Victoria Nyanza beyond the limits of Uganda Protectorate.

(c) Immediate establishment, on an island in Victoria Nyanza, of an experi- mental farm for the breeding and quarantining of cattle.

(a) Additional scientific research into the bionomics of tsetse flies and the pathology and epidemiology of trypanosome diseases.

(2) Necessity.

The work proposed is desirable from every point of view; it is necessary if the economic resources of Uganda Protectorate are to be developed to the best advantage.

Firstly, it is necessary, in order to preclude the recurrence of the great and demoralizing epidemic of sleeping sickness which ravaged the lake region from 1900 to 1906. This end will be absolutely attained through (a).

Secondly, it is desirable to reduce mortality through sleeping sickness to the minimum possible. In order to do this in Uganda it is probably necessary to eliminate endemic centres of the disease in other and adjacent portions of the lake (Because of failure to region. This will ultimately be attained through (b).

make such provision in the past the policy of dealing with sleeping sickness ex- The disease has actually terminatively in Uganda has failed, and was bound to fail.

been exterminated in the Protectorate, but persists just beyond its borders, ready to spread back across them the moment vigilance is relaxed and favourable condi tions recur.)

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Thirdly, it is eminently desirable, and altogether necessary, full advantage is to be taken of the uniquely favourable opportunities for agriculture and stock breeding afforded by the insular region, that an experimental and quarantine station shall be established, as provided for by (c). This region is probably superior to Zanzibar-possibly to both Zanzibar and Pemba-in its potentialities for agriculture, and especially for stock-breeding. It is at present free of many of the cattle diseases prevalent on the mainland, of the ticks, etc., which transmit certain of these diseases, and of beasts of prey. It affords evergreen pasturage capable of sustaining limited, but yet large herds of high grade stock of breeds which cannot be successfully reared elsewhere in Tropical Africa. It is absolutely in order to take advantage of the remarkable opportunities offered, to necessary, establish a quarantine station through which all animals destined to any of the islands shall pass, in order to prevent introduction of disease organisms, and especially of the ticks which transmit certain diseases. The Chief Veterinary Officer of Uganda has frequently spoken of the desirability of establishing an experimental station on one of the tick-free islands, and this project marches naturally with that of quarantining all stock destined to any island.

Finally, it is necessary to conduct a certain amount of experiment and research in connexion with the above undertakings. That immediately requisite falls under two heads as follows:-

(a) Laboratory work, to demonstrate fully the true affinities of the trypano- some now existing in the antelope and fly in the riparian zone and on certain islands, with special reference to the relation of this organism to the trypanosome responsible for the great epidemic of sleeping sick- ness which recently ravaged the region.

(If this organism is identical with T. gambiense, and if it is capable of passing from antelope to man, causing sleeping sickness, certain precautions will be necessary which can otherwise be dispensed with. If these precautions can be dispensed with the work of reclama- tion will be greatly simplified.)

(b) Field work, to ascertain the present status of sleeping sickness in the riparian zone in British East Africa and German East Africa; to secure additional data upon the epidemiology of the disease and to locate, preliminary to their elimination, dangerous endemic centres of the disease.

(This work must precede any practical efforts towards the attain- ment of object (b) above noted.)

(3) Estimate of Requirements.

In order to carry out this undertaking there will be required, either immediately or presently, the following:

(a) Administration-Reclamation of the riparian zone and islands in Uganda will double the populated territory under the jurisdiction of the District Commissioner at Entebbe, and will eventually more than double his responsibilities. An additional Assistant District Commissioner will be necessary, to be stationed at Entebbe, and provided with facilities for transportation by water to the islands.

(b) Medical.-It will be necessary, in order to conduct field work in the epidemiology and endemiology of sleeping sickness as above proposed, that a Medical Officer be assigned to it. One who has had experience with sleeping sickness in, Uganda would be best fitted to the work, and if detached from routine duties provision must be made for one to replace him. Transportation facilities must be provided him.

(c) Inspection. An inspector, or officer in general charge of sleeping sick- ne preventive measures, is absolutely required. His duties will be to detect violations of the Sleeping Sickness Ordinance; to ensure its enforcement; to survey the lake shore for tsetse, with especial relation to the requirements of any parties-whether native or European-who are interested in the reclamation of land or water right, and to formu- late the conditions under which reclamation can proceed. Some en- tomological training is necessary. Facilities for transportation on the lake are absolutely requisite.

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