CO885-9 — Page 207

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O. 885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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a most important method for the diagnosis of sleeping sickness, and the sleeping sickness investigations in Liverpool are, at the present moment, doing much towards establishing a practical cure for this malady.

The Colonial Office Committee are probably not aware that the School, in con- junction with the Comparative Anatomy Department of the University of Liverpool, first organised systematic training in the tropical diseases of animals, and that in the Autumn of 1903 an order was issued by the War Office directing a certain number of Army Veterinary Officers to attend regularly the courses so established. This was the first attempt at systematic training for our Veterinary Colonial Officers in the most recent methods of diagnosis and the prevention of tropical diseases-in horses and oxen, diseases which, as recently in Mauritius, have brought about great commercial loss to our Colonies; up to date eight Veterinary' Officers have been trained in our classes.

The total sum of money spent upon tropical medicine in Liverpool has now reached some £40,000, but the demands upon the resources of the School are increas- ing, and I, therefore, appeal to the Committee to increase the grant to £750 in order to permit of the engagement and necessary maintenance of another teacher on our staff, or the taking of such other steps as are necessary for increasing the efficiency of a movement the good results of which are being abundantly proved on all sides.

I am, &c.,

No. 13A.

ALFRED L. JONES.

MINUTES OF SECOND MEETING OF THE ADVISORY BOARD, 15TH NOVEMBER, 1904.

AGENDA PAPER.

I. To consider attached correspondence with the Royal Society* :-

(1) Colonial Office to Royal Society, November 5th. (2) Royal Society to Colonial Office, November 11th.

:-

II. To consider attached correspondence with the Liverpool School of Tropical

Medicinet:-

(1) Colonial Office to Liverpool School, November 4th. (2) Liverpool School to Mr. Lucas, November 11th. (3) Liverpool School to Colonial Office, November 14th.

III. To consider attached correspondence with the London School of Tropical

Medicinet:

--

(1) Colonial Office to London School, November 4th.

(2) London School to the Board, November 12th.

Mr. Lucas will move "that £500 be allotted in the coming year to the London School of Tropical Medicine for payment of a teacher in protozoology, on condition that the teacher is provisionally recognised by the University of London, and that the Seamen's Hospital Society take all possible steps to secure that the London School of Tropical Medicine becomes a School of the University of London."

MINUTES OF MEETING. PRESENT:

Sir J. WEST RIDGEWAY (Chairman).

Sir M. FOSTER.

Sir T. BARLOW.

Sir P. MANSON.

Sir R. MOOR.

Mr. C. P. Lucas.

Mr. T. W. HOLDERNESS.

Mr. H. J. READ.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and passed.

It was decided that no further action on the part of the Board was at present required as regards the general arrangements with the Royal Society.

Nos. 8 and 11.

† Nos. 7 and 13 and one not printed.

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The Board considered the request of the Liverpool School that their grant II. might be increased from £500 to £750 a year. It was held that with the funds Liverpool at present available it was not possible to accede to this request; but, bearing in School. mind the grant of £250 to the London School for the equipment of a laboratory, it was decided to recommend to the Secretary of State that an equal lump sum of £250, for next year only, should be given to the Liverpool School for a similar purpose.

This was the

The chairman and Mr. Read explained the present position between the London III. School and the University of London. The regulations of the University provide London for several ways in which a school may be affiliated to the University. Under the School. "second" method the University merely satisfies itself by inspection from time to time that the status of the school and the qualifications of its professors are such as to render it worthy of affiliation, but does not exercise any control over the school nor take any part in the appointment of the professors and teachers. kind of affiliation which had hitherto been sought by the London Tropical School, and on general grounds the Board were inclined to think it a satisfactory method. On the 8th of February last, the School had applied for admission as a School of the University, and on the 2nd of March the University replied that the Academic Council "would be prepared to receive a formal application for inspection of the School by the Committee of the Academic Council, prior to the further consideration of the request made on behalf of the School." On the 9th of March the School replied inviting such inspection, but this letter had, apparently, never reached the University. Steps were now, however, being taken to carry out the inspection.

Sir M. Foster returned to his proposal that a University Professor should be appointed for protozoology, working at the School. He pointed out that the further study of this subject was of the most vital and urgent importance for the prosecution of research into tropical diseases, and stated as an instance that the recent Uganda expedition had been crippled in their work for the want of a sufficient knowledge of protozoology. With regard to the question whether a suitable professor could be obtained at once, he mentioned the name of a professor who had already written a standard work on protozoology as at present known, and who might be willing to take up the post if attached to the University. If £500 a year was not sufficient, he suggested that the Royal Society might be asked, and was disposed to think that they would agree, to surrender a portion (about £250) of the sum, not exceeding £1,000, of which they had been asked to direct the expenditure. He added that there ought to be no difficulty, if a University professor were appointed, in making arrangements to meet the reasonable teaching requirements of the School; but that it should be clearly understood that the main object of his employment was research and not teaching

During the further discussion of the matter, Sir P. Manson explained more precisely the requirements of the School, on the lines of the Secretary's letter of the 12th of November; he pointed out that the School was primarily a teaching insti- tution, but that teaching was of direct and great advantage to research; and that it was as necessary that the protozoologist should be able to teach well as that he should be a good investigator.

As regards the statement in the Secretary's letter that it was considered essential that the protozoologist should be a medical man, the Board held that this was desirable, but should not be regarded as a sine qua non.

It was finally resolved that a letter should be written to the Royal Society, asking them whether they would be willing to surrender £250, as proposed by Sir M. Foster; that Mr. Read should be delegated to enquire as to possible candi- dates for the appointment, the salaries they might expect, and the willingness of the University of London to appoint a professor in connexion with the School; and that further consideration of the matter should be deferred till the next meeting, which should take place in about three weeks' time.

Mr. Lucas asked whether, if the Secretary of State desired to consult the Board on matters not directly connected with the fund, but germane to the subject of tropical disease research, such as the publication of medical reports from the Colonies, the Board would be willing to advise him on such matters; and it was resolved that they would be ready to do so.

Nos. 6 and 12.

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