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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
44
Enclosure in No. 54.
A School of Tropical Medicine is about to be established at the Albert Docks Branch Hospital of the Seamen's Hospital Society, at which the Medical Officers of the Colonies may be given special instruction in the treatment of tropical diseases.
Mr. Chamberlain has taken an active part in promoting this scheme, and is anxious, in the interests of the Colonies, that the movement should succeed.
Such a School, to be efficient, requires a Museum and a Library.
Mr. Chamberlain feels that Colonial Medical Officers have it in their power to make valuable contributions, without serious cost or inconvenience to themselves.
He therefore requests that, as opportunity occurs, they will be good enough to orward, through the Colonial Government and at its expense, pathological specimens, photographs, parasites, and any material likely to be of value for teaching purposes.
The specimens should be sent to the School at the Seamen's Hospital, Albert Docks, London.
Specimens of organs from fatal cases of Malarial Fever are particularly desired. The organs should be cut up into cubes of 1 c.m. and placed in alcohol 30 per cent. for 2 days, alcohol 60 per cent. for 1 day, and finally in 80 per cent. alcohol.
Any material, no matter how much or how little, bearing on Tropical Pathology will be acceptable.
19304.
45
THE following resolution was proposed by Dr. Prentice and supported by Dr. Symes Thompson in the Tropical Diseases Section of the British Medical Association, and, after discussion, carried by acclamation, on 27th July, 1898. It was adopted by the whole Association at its 3rd general meeting, on 28th July, on the motion of Pro- fessor Saundby, President of the Council, seconded by Professor Chiene, of Edinburgh:
"In view of the continued increase of mortality and invaliding from malarial fever in tropical Africa, and especially of the alarming development of 'black- water fever, this section resolves to urge Her Majesty's Secretaryof State for Foreign Affairs to appoint an adequate number of experts to proceed to Blan- tyre, in the Protectorate of British Central Africa, and elsewhere, and there to investigate the cause, and report on the subject generally, with the view of devising practical measures of prevention."
19030.
No. 55.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received August 27, 1898.)
[Answered by No. 59.]
Foreign Office, August 25, 1898. SIR,
I AM directed by Mr. Balfour to transmit to you a copy of a letter from the Reverend J. McMurtrie respecting the appointment of a Commission to enquire into tropical and especially blackwater fever, and to add that I have informed Dr. Mc- Murtrie that I shall be happy to receive him at any time convenient to himself after the 2nd of September.
DFAR SIR,
Enclosure in No. 55.
I am, &c.,
FRANCIS BERTIE.
[22, Queen Street, Edinburgh], August 11, 1898.
I HAVE the honour to send you, on next page, a copy of the resolution, in regard to the investigation of "blackwater fever" in British Central Africa, which was twice unanimously passed at the recent meeting in Edinburgh of the British Medical Asso- ciation.
It was also powerfully supported by articles in the "Scotsman" and the "Glasgow Herald." There is thus a strong and growing public opinion in favour of the inves- tigation.
It will give Dr. George Smith or myself much pleasure to wait upon you again, to give fuller information, and to be of any service in our power in promoting the investi- gation. I shall be abroad till the end of this month; but, if August is the most suit- able time for you, Dr Smith writes that he will go up to London to wait upon you. Dr. Smith's official address is, After September 2nd, either or both of us could go. Dr. George Smith, C.I.E., Free Church of Scotland Offices, Edinburgh. His private address during August Powis House, Aberdeen, where I hope he is having a rest. Both of us, as well as the others who waited upon you in July, are ready to do thing or go anywhere to bring this matter to a happy conclusion.
any-
I write in Hamburg, Germany, but my address remains 22, Queen Street, Edinburgh.
I have, &c.,
JOHN MCMURTRIE, D.D.,
Convener of the Church of Scotland's Foreign Mission Committee.
The Honourable Francis Bertie,
&c., &c.,
&c.
SIR,
No. 56.
COLONIAL OFFICE to ROYAL SOCIETY. [Answered by No. 57.]
Downing Street, August 30, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to acknowledge the receipt of your letter the 16th instant,* respecting the proposed investigation of malaria, and to inform you that, subject to the following observations, he concurs in the suggestions which that letter contains.
2. Mr. Chamberlain agrees, on behalf of the Colonies interested, to pay all the expenses of one observer--whom he will himself nominate-and also to contribute a sum not exceeding £2,400 towards the total expenses of two other observers to be nominated by the Royal Society, which has agreed to contribute the balance of the sum required for their remuneration and expenses, viz., £600.
3. The observer nominated by Mr. Chamberlain will proceed to India at once and study for a time under Surgeon-Major Ross in that country, before joining the other two observers in Africa. It will consequently not be necessary to carry out the sug- gestion that a report on Surgeon-Major Ross's investigations should be obtained from an independent observer in India.
4. Mr. Chamberlain is of opinion that this Department should be represented on the Committee from which the observers are to take instructions and to which they are to report by Dr. Patrick Manson and myself, and if the Royal Society accept the pro- posals now formulated, I am authorised by him to settle personally with you any small points of detail which may further arise.
20045
SIR,
No. 57.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
ROYAL SOCIETY to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received September 5, 1898.)
[Answered by No, 60].
The Royal Society, Burlington House, W., September 3, 1898.
In reply to Mr. Lucas's letter of August 30† (No. 19030), I am directed to ex- press the very great gratification with which the Royal Society learns that Mr. Cham- berlain concurs in the suggestions made in my former letter.
The Royal Society very cordially accepts the proposal of Mr. Chamberlain that Dr. P. Manson and Mr. C. P. Lucas should join the Committee whose duty it will be to superintend the proposed investigation.
Since that Committee cannot, owing to the recess, very well meet before October, and probably not before the latter part of that month, the Royal Society proposes that the two observers nominated by them should proceed at once to Italy, to carry on
* No. 52.
† No. 56.
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