CO885-9 — Page 307

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

بلس سياسيا

885

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9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

Kiswata

Mkondo

Salizi

Kibamezi

Buseswa

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All dead.

All ran away, afraid of sleeping sickness or lions, probably sleeping sickness.

50 out of 60 died.

5 25

20 40

"J

One of the above places is put as being on two rivers; it is between the two, and quite close to each of them.

7. It will be seen from the above list that there have been a considerable amount of deaths on the Waiga and Zolia Rivers. A good deal of trouble was taken in compiling the above list, different headmen being questioned and their answers being compared to what others had said. Mr. Speke interviewed them again and again, and I think that the above list is as accurate as it is possible to get from natives. I may mention here that we experienced considerable difficulty in getting reliable information from the chiefs, village headmen, and it was only after repeated interviews and questionings that we were able to arrive at any definite conclusions. They all appeared afraid of us at first, and tried to conceal as much as possible. "Sleeping sickness was always in the next village, but never in their own." But, by spending a good deal of time on them, I think we were able to overcome this prejudice or timidness to a very great extent.

Kinyambezu.Eight deaths out of sixty, according to Mwanga. The head- man denied it. Many flies. I saw seven undoubted cases of sleeping sickness.

Kakora. Population about one hundred; five deaths during the last three months, two of them due to sleeping sickness, one undoubted case there which I

saw.

The headman does not think that the cases were infected at home, but con- siders that the disease in each case was "brought from Bugungu." Very few flies. Kipesi. Population 18. Last three months four deaths. No sleeping sick- ness here. Zolia River about a mile away. The headman said he knew sleeping sickness very well, but that there never had been any in his village. No flies.

Muchunda. Population 20. One death last three months, probably not sleep- ing sickness. Headman knew sleeping sickness; no cases of illness there; close to River Nsavia, which runs into Zolía.

Fajao (Okello's). Population about 30. Okello states that there never has been any sleeping sickness in his village. He was most emphatic; knows the flies, but states they are only found near the Nile; I could find no sleeping sickness and no flies.

Fajao (Ferry).Kiza, the chief, stated that there was no sleeping sickness there and never had been, whereas Okello told me on more than one occasion that there were cases of sleeping sickness there. We found many flies, and the mosquitoes were very troublesome. Found no cases of sleeping sickness there, though we searched the huts. Twenty men allowed me to examine the blood- result negative. I am convinced that there had been cases of sleeping sickness there, but we could find no signs of it, and Kiza most emphatically denied it.

8. We crossed over the river and found fly, but there were no natives there. We then proceeded down stream for two or three miles, and crossed the river; there was a small village about half a mile inland; no sleeping sickness. A few flies on river bank. Headman said he had never heard of sleeping sickness on that side of the river.

9. The inhabitants consisted of fishermen only, so it seems probable that if there had been cases, the infected men would have gone back to their own villages some miles away.

10. On leaving Fajao we went back to Okello's (Fajao), and did our best to get at the root of the matter, but could find no trace of the disease, in spite of several chiefs having repeatedly told us that there were cases there. After leaving Okello's we went to Buyayi, following up the course of the Victoria Nile, but some few miles inland; we were unable to keep along the river bank, owing to the nature of the ground, and the rapids prevented one using canoes. Two rivers were crossed, on the banks of each of which fly was found. The people of Buyayi fetch their water from the Nile as well, and flies were found there, and on the opposite bank no sleeping sickness.

11. At Tanyatiki, our next camp, flies were found; several sick men were examined, but there was no evidence of sleeping sickness.

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12. At Gobo we heard the old story of white men killing and eating the natives, the latter or many of them evidently believing if a man died in the hospital he was killed and eaten by the Medical Officer in charge. They also in some way connect vaccination with the same idea. The Collector at Hoima informed me that it was difficult to procure labour on that account. considerably about this matter, and eventually they brought up a very old man We questioned them who admitted that he himself had been teaching this doctrine among his own and neighbouring villages. About a year ago a Medical Officer had been through the old man's village and had found his wife very sick. The Medical Officer had the woman carried back to the hospital, and in due course sent her back to her husband in good health; on the natives asking why the woman had not died at the hospital and been eaten, the reply was, that she was too fat or too thin. I think there is no doubt that the majority of the natives in that district (Chiopi country) "honestly" believe these stories, even proof like the above failing to shake their belief. From this it will be seen that it is not easy to get at the root re sleeping sickness. A few flies, no sleeping sickness and no deaths recently at Gobo. At this place again, we heard that there were cases of sleeping sickness at Okello's (Fajao) and at the Ferry. Mr. Speke at once doubled back, and by making forced marches at night reached Okello's early in the morning, obviously taking the people by surprise. The huts were searched systematically, but no sleeping sickness cases were found. They had evidently removed them some way inland or across the river, and had not yet brought them back. At Tyaki flies were found. The natives denied having had sleeping sickness there. Six sick men were examined by me; one of them might have been an early case of sleeping sickness; glands in part of neck slightly enlarged; very emaciated; no other signs. No deaths during the last year.

Todi.-A few flies; no sleeping sickness; no deaths. Tanatwaba. No flies; people all run away.

Fowera. No flies at first; on third day caught eight

Koki. No flies; no case of sleeping sickness at this place.

13. I was laid up with fever, and we decided to abandon the rest of tour and make our way back to Masindi. Nearly whole of this journey was through low swampy ground; no flies were caught, and no history of sleeping sickness obtained. I had a slight attack of hemoglobinuric fever when about 35 miles from Masindi,

and so did not reach there until October 28th, being carried in by Mr. Jervoise, Assistant Collector.

14- Regarding object of tour:—

(1.) What places were infected with fly?

(1.) See above.

(2.) In what places there had been sleeping sickness, and whether fly was

found there as well?

(2.) Places and localities enumerated above for both sleeping sickness and fly; Kakora being the only place where there was sleeping sickness and in which we were unable to find the fly. This may have been owing to the weather, the day being rather wet and overcast, unless it is more difficult to capture the flies, or it may be due, as the head- man said, to the fact that the patients were infected elsewhere.

(3.) The nature of the locality in which the fly was found.

(3.) Always near water, within 250 yards, usually within 50 to 60 yards. A dry river bank with clumps of bushes, trees, and grass about; not as a rule if the grass was very dense, and no scrub. Where there were many trees and it was fairly dry, as in the forest below Fajao, they were plentiful. Where there was papyrus no flies were found near it; also they do not appear to like swampy ground. On the River Waiga there are plenty of flies, also on the Zolia, which runs into the above, but the latter river is swampy in part of its course; (tall sword grass and reeds) no flies were found here. On infested rivers, if they became at all swampy, no flies were found near any of the by. The natives informed me that at this time of the year there are never very many flies to be found; many of them also told me that at times there are very many flies found in the swamps and around. Mr. Dawe, of Entebbe, also told me that he had seen them in numbers close by swamps, and that he had been "bitten" by them while cross-

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