162
98
for whom the proposed school is specially intended, for I am shortly leaving for Central Africa, there to act as medical officer of the Universities' Mission on Lake Nyasa.
After finishing my appointment as house surgeon at my hospital, I was confronted by the fact that, though possessed of a certain knowledge of general medicine and surgery, I was totally ignorant, as far as practical and scientific experience went, of malarial fever. And yet this was the disease above all others from which the Euro- peans who were to be my first care would suffer. It is true that I had a book knowledge of the subject, but I had never seen a case of malaria, nor a specimen of the malarial parasite, for the opportunity never presented itself during the four years that I spent in the wards at Guy's Hospital.
+
What I wanted was not lectures, or text books, but an opportunity of practical work that is to say, of making frequent examinations of the blood of malarial and other patients. I had to learn to recognize the various phases and varieties of the malarial parasites, and, still more, to become acquainted with the many fallacies that surround the microscopic investigation of the blood so as to avoid seeing imaginary parasites in every specimen. This opportunity I found at the Albert Dock Hospital, and I will add that every facity for the work was afforded me by Dr. Manson and the resident staff.
I think that I may safely say that the experience thus gained during the last three months will be invaluable to me in the future. Further, my visits to the hospital afforded me the opportunity of meeting several members of the Indian and Colonial Medical Services, from whom I was able to obtain hints on outfit and scientific apparatus suitable to the tropics.
Lastly, I may mention that the one regret which I have heard freely expressed by those who have returned from medical work in Africa has been that they had not similar opportunities before leaving England.
December 20.
I am, &c.,
ROBERT HOWARD. M.A., B.M., B.Ch. Oxon.
29021.
SIR,
99
No. 146.
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE. [Answered by No. 154.]
Downing Street, December 29, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd of December, 1898,* enclosing a copy of a letter from Sir R. Moor, from which he has learnt with satisfaction that a contribution of £1,000 can be made from the Niger Coast Protectorate funds towards the initial cost of the School of Tropi- cal Medicine, which it is proposed to establish at the Albert Docks Branch of the Seamen's Hospital.
2. Mr. Chamberlain will be glad if the Marquess of Salisbury will be good enough, in view of what Sir R. Moor states in his letter, to instruct the Crown Agents for the Colonies to transfer the sum of £1,000 from the Protectorate funds at their disposal to the fund which they have been directed to establish for the purpose of paying the expenses connected with the School of Tropical Medicine and the Malaria Investigation Commission.
3. I am to add that it is only proposed that the Protectorate should contribute a lump sum of £1,000 towards the initial cost of the School, and not an annual contribu- tion of that amount, as stated in the 2nd paragraph of your letter.
29383.
I am, &c.,
R. L. ANTROBUS.
28604.
SIR,
No. 144.
COLONIAL OFFICE to ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL.
Downing Street, December 27, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Cnamberlain to acknowledge the receipt of letter of the 19th instant,* enclosing a copy of a letter from Dr. Anderson, C.I.E., on your the subject of the School of Tropical Medicine which it is proposed to establish at the Albert Docks Branch of the Seamen's Hospital.
No. 147.
CEYLON.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY. (Sent 5 p.m., December 31, 1898.)
!
TELEGRAM.
Received your telegram of 29th December † I desire to convey cordial thanks
to your Government and yourself for generous contribution and assistance promised.
49.
29383.
No. 145.
CEYLON.
I am, &c.,
R. L. ANTROBUS.
GOVERNOR SIR J. WEST RIDGEWAY to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Received 3.30 p.m., December 29, 1898.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 147 and 149.]
In reply to your despatch of 25th November, No. 349,† contribution amounting
to £1,000 will be made, and will render every assistance towards attaining the object in view.
• No. 135.
† No. 1B3.
(No. 297.)
SIR,
No. 148.
SIERRA LEONE.
GOVERNOR SIR F. CARDEW to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Received January 2, 1899.) [Answered by No. 155.]
Government House, Freetown, Sierra Leone, December 17, 1808.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 244, of the 25th ultimo, informing me of the proposed measures for reducing the abnormal rate of mortality and sickness among Europeans resident in tropical climates and the rate of contribution fixed for this Colony towards expenses involved in carrying out the two schemes mentioned in the above despatch.
2. I beg to propose that the contribution of this Colony may be allowed to be spread equally over two years, and I intend, in'anticipation of your approval, to take a vote for the first instalment of £150 in January next.
I have, &c.,
F. CARDEW,
Governor.
No. 142.
+ No. 145.
(No. 111.
1918
N 2
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
7
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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