CO885-(7-8) — Page 424

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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the Sekondi-Kumasi Railway. A report has been called for from the District Com- missioner of Axim to form a basis for future action in connection with the improve- ment of that place. These are the principal towns in this Colony with a considerable European population, and it is not necessary in my opinion to deal at present with any others.

4. With regard to suggestion (B) of the Committee that wherever possible a space in every Government quarter used as a dwelling-house by Europeans be pro- tected against mosquitoes by wire gauze, thus affording opportunity to every official to diminish the risk of contagion, I am doubtful whether this arrangement, which would be costly and would to a certain extent exclude the breeze from the room so treated, should not, at any rate in many instances, be set aside in favour of a space in a bedroom and sitting room in each quarter being enclosed by muslin mosquito netting where it will be possible to sleep and sit when mosquitoes are troublesome. With a view to systematically adopting in the principal Gold Coast towns one or other system, I have proposed to the Governor of Lagos that I should send a Foreman of Works from here to study and report on measures that have been and are to be carried out there in order that I may have the advantage of the experience gained under the favourable conditions of his scientific supervision. I annex a copy of my letter to Sir William MacGregor, to which I have not yet received a reply.

5. Before giving any opinion or making any recommendation with regard to the several of the Committee's suggestion (c) I should like to know what are the special means they propose should be provided for the destruction of mosquitoes. If, as I presume, they are to consist of a small net for catching the insects, I see no reason why this minor suggestion should not be adopted.

6. The best way of ensuring that all European officials have mosquito nets of approved material, pattern and mesh for use in their quarters and while travelling, as recommended by the Committee in their suggestion (D), would be for such nets to be provided by Government, and it appears to me that every Government quarter should, unless there is a mosquito proof space provided in the bedroom, have as part of its furniture a net for use on the bed. I think also that small nets for camp beds such as are made by "The Tortoise Tent and Military Equipment Company "might be kept as Government stores in the hospitals at all stations, and issued to 'officers about to travel in the bush, to be returned by them on rejoining their stations.

7. I entirely disagree with suggestion (E) that in every bedroom, mess room, and office in Government buildings a notice such as that which formed the enclosure to your despatch of the 20th April, 1901, should be posted. I have observed that whenever in a town there are one or two serious fever cases among the Europeans there is a tendency to general depression among the rest of the community, and to a constantly increasing sick list. I cannot but think that any arrangements which would help to keep men's attention fixed on the causes and nature of a disease to which they are liable must affect their spirits and general health, and hence increase their liability to suffer from the disease.

8. I concur in recommendation (F) that one or more officers, medical if possible, be appointed to inspect, instruct in and superintend the carrying out of such measures as may be adopted for the prevention of malaria by mosquito bite. The present difficulty in applying it to this Colony is that of getting Medical Officers to come to it, and the consequent want of time on the part of those already on the establishment- to undertake other duties than the care of the sick.

9. I do not concur in suggestion (G) that Governors should note and give pub- licity of any practical demonstration and proof of the theory that residence in mosquito proof dwellings diminishes the risk of malarial infection. I anticipate that if a certain number of officers who have constantly kept themselves within mosquito proof spaces when in their quarters are seen to be free from fever, others will follow their example, but this is not a matter in which precept will have much weight, and for the reason already given it appears inadvisable to constantly keep malarial fever in the minds of Government Officials.

10. The suggestion (H) that the Crown Agents for the Colonies be requested to arrange that a supply of suitable wire gauze and mosquito netting is available, patterns of which should be easily accessible, and also the suggestion (1) that all officials on first going out to malarial Colonies be advised to procure mosquito nets will no longer have application if mosquito-proof spaces in rooms and mosquito nets are supplied by Government as I have proposed.

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On the general question of malaria being carried by mosquitoes there is, in the face of the evidence accumulated, no room for doubt. I have, however, been informed by various Medical Officers that fever in West Africa is by no means entirely, and may not be mainly, malarial and parasitic, and therefore to be avoided by such measures as living in mosquito-proof rooms or constantly taking quinine. If this is the case it would appear that the cleansing and ventilation of the West African towns and the provision for Europeans of reasonably good quarters away from unwholesome huts, of means of exercise and recreation, and of sufficient supplies of good food, are as important as, though they do not of course supersede, any measures that may be taken to prevent malarial parasites being conveyed by mosquitoes.

I have, &c.,

M. NATHAN,

HON. COLONIAL SECRETARY,

Enclosure 1 in No. 54.

Governor.

I Do not consider it necessary to get any more copies of the "Practitioner," the copy sent I shall have circulated.

2. As regards the recommendations of the Committee, I am of opinion that everything possible should be done to carry out paragraph (A).

Paragraph (B) I do not think would be of much benefit; but the experiment might be tried.

proposed.

Paragraph (c) would certainly be useful, but I should like to know the means Paragraph (D) should most certainly be complied with; and I think it is in this Colony,

Paragraph (E). This I do not approve of; the notice would be of little use to the, layman, and by keeping the dangers of malarial infection always before his eyes would be likely to do more harm than good.

Paragraph (F) would also be useful. Paragraph (1) should certainly be carried out.

July 2, 1901.

Enclosure 2 in No. 54.

(Lagos. No. 44.)

W. R. H.

SIR,

Government House, Accra, August 20, 1901. MAJOR Ronald Ross, F.R.S., who recently made a short stay on the Gold Coast, handed to me for perusal some notes made by Your Excellency at his suggestion with regard to the measures that had been taken and were proposed to be adopted in Lagos to combat malarial fever.

2. I am desirous of systematically adopting similar measures so far as use of mosquito netting, destruction of mosquito breeding places, &c., are concerned in some of the principal coast towns of this Colony, and in order to take advantage of the experience gained under the favourable conditions of Your Excellency's scientific supervision I propose, if there is no objection on the part of the Lagos Government, to send at once an experienced Foreman of Works to Lagos to study and report on the measures that have been and are to be carried out there.

3. I annex a draft of the instructions to be issued to this foreman, and shall be obliged if I may be informed that the necessary assistance will be given to enable him to carry them out.

I have, &c.,

His Excellency

The Governor, Lagos.

M. NATHAN,

Governor.

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