CO885-9 — Page 330

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

885/

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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me to report whether I think that any special preventive measures should be taken against this disease.

2. In May last reports were circulated by the local press that sleeping sickness was rampant on the western shores of Lakes Tanganyika and Mweru. I tele- graphed for information to the Administrator of North-Eastern Rhodesia, the Magis- trate resident at the south end of Tanganyika, and the Governor-General of German East Africa, and was informed in reply that: (a) Sleeping sickness had not appeared in British territory on Lake Mweru and no authenticated case was known to have occurred on its western shores; (b) That the disease was unknown at the south end of Tanganyika; (c) That on Tanganyika the only authenticated cases were at the north end of the lake.

Since receiving this information, I have heard on reliable authority that two cases were authenticated at Luanza, west of Lake Mweru, but that the disease had disappeared; from which it would seem that these cases failed to act as a focus of infection, owing probably to the absence of any infecting medium. I have also heard rumours of (unauthenticated) cases occurring at Roman Catholic Mission stations west of Lake Tanganyika.

3. I enclose some notes, prepared for me by Dr. Hearsey, Principal Medical Officer for this Protectorate.

4. I need hardly state that I very fully realize the undoubted danger of the spread of sleeping sickness in a southerly direction along the trade route which exists from Tanganyika to the mouth of Zambesi, and the necessity for taking whatever preventive steps may be practicable with the object of checking such spread.

5. Before entering upon the question as to what may be the best steps to take, I will endeavour to give some idea as to the position in which we stand as regards the tsetse fly and the localities where sleeping sickness might be expected to obtain a stopping place. The enclosed sketch map shows the distribution of tsetse fly in British Central Africa, the districts where it exists being shaded brown. 6. Up to the present, the only descriptions of glossina which have been found in the Protectorate are G. morsitans, G. fusca, and G. pallidipes. Glossina palpalis has not yet been discovered, although it is quite possible that it exists.

7. At the south end of Tanganyika, on the immediate shores of that lake, tsetse fly is found (morsitans). Within a few miles south of the lake the road to Nyasa rises rapidly and fly is quickly left behind. From a point 12 or 15 miles south of Lake Tanganyika no more tsetse fly is met with along the whole route to Karonga, at the north end of Lake Nyasa. Some 15 miles west of Karonga the road descends from the high country to the lake plains, but there is no tsetse fly, and the whole of these plains are occupied by cattle belonging to the Wankonde natives. (It is interesting to note that buffalo were formerly found in vast numbers on these plains before rinderpest killed them off.) The road connecting the south end of Tanganyika with the north end of Nyasa (Karonga), generally known as the Stevenson Road," is well frequented and much used. Goods transported on it are carried by natives living on the Tanganyika-Nyasa Plateau or in the Awemba The whole of the Awemba country is, as far country to the south of the road. as I can gather, free from tsetse fly. Carriers coming from Tanganyika to Nyasa, after finishing their transport work, return to their villages. The only natives who, having come across from Tanganyika, proceed south, down Lake Nyasa, are such few personal servants or followers of occasional travellers as may be proceeding to the coast by this route. There is practically no communication by land from the north end of Lake Nyasa in a southerly direction. Local natives of course travel from village to village, but there is no main road used, all passengers and cargo coming down the lake by steamer.

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8. On the upper half of Lake Nyasa tsetse fly of any description is unknown so far as I can ascertain (at any rate in British territory). Probably the reason for this is that the high plateau country which lies west of the lake descends, in its upper half, abruptly to the lake shore, and there is no low-lying country between the lake and the mountains. It is only when the districts about Bandawe are reached that tsetse is seen. It is very scarce there, but I am told it is occasionally met with. From Bandawe down the west shore of the lake there is a strip of low

• Not reproduced.

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country or foot-hills between the shore and the mountains to the west, and here tsetse is found in places. This belt, parallel to the lake shore, stretches down to the south end of Nyasa, and, with a few breaks, down the Shiré River to the southernmost limits of the Protectorate. East of the Shiré River tsetse exists on the eastern shores of Malombe Lake and thence down almost to Chikwawa; also on the west side of the river. Fly is found in patches in the foot-hills to the east of the Elephant Marsh (but not in the marsh) and for a short distance up the Ruo River. In higher country, such as Mlanji, the Shiré Highlands, and practically almost the entire block of that portion of British Central Africa which lies west of Lake Nyasa (over 2,500 feet above sea level), tsetse of any description is not found.

9. It will be seen, therefore, that the conditions are, fortunately, generally unfavourable to the spread of sleeping sickness in this Protectorate, even should imported cases pass through, as no foothold could be obtained by the disease unless it was introduced into one of the fly districts (and even then it is not certain that we have G. palpalis which, so far as is yet known, appears to be the only means of infection).

10. In view of the statements made in paragraph 8 of the memorandum of the Liverpool Tropical School, however, I consider that we should not wait for any nearer approach of sleeping sickness, but should at once take in hand the steps outlined in that memorandum; and I would propose to carry these out as follows:-

(1) Copies of the memorandum to be forwarded at once to the District Resi- dent at Karonga, and eventually to all other District Residents in this Protectorate, with instructions to carry out the measures sug- gested, so far as may be possible.

(2) A Government Medical Officer, to be stationed either at Karonga or Fort Hill, to carry out rigidly the measures outlined in the memorandum, and to take such other steps as may suggest themselves to him.

(3) Although the Principal Medical Officer expresses the opinion that it would probably not be necessary to send a medical officer of this Pro- tectorate to study sleeping sickness in Uganda, I am inclined to think that such a course might be of advantage.

11. In order to carry out these measures your Lordship will readily understand that it will be necessary to increase the medical staff of the Protectorate. Should my suggestions be approved, therefore, I have the honour to ask that two additional medical officers may be appointed and sent out as soon as possible. I am already so short of doctors that, pending such additional appointments, I have no one to send to Karonga or Fort Hill.

12. It may be well to point out: (1) that the Stevenson Road from Tanganyika to Fort Hill runs through the territory of the British South Africa Chartered Com- pany; and (2) that there is another road connecting Nyasa with Tanganyika, which runs parallel with the Stevenson Road, in German territory. I am communicating with the Administrator of North Eastern Rhodesia, sending him a copy of the memorandum, and requesting him to co-operate with me in taking such steps as may be within his power. So far as the German route between the two lakes is concerned, possibly your Lordship may think it advisable to take the necessary steps to bring the matter before the Berlin Government.

13. I am telegraphing to-day* asking for the appointment of two more medical officers.

14. I am forwarding a copy of the memorandum to the Manager of the African Lakes Corporation, the sole transport and trading company which now carries on operations between Lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika, with a request that he will instruct his agents to endeavour to carry out the suggestions made.

I have, &c.,

ALFRED SHARPE,

Commissioner.

• No. 57.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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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Enclosure 1 in No. 71.

H. HEARSEY, Principal Medical Officer, Zomba, to His MAJESTY'S COMMISSIONER,

SIR,

Zomba.

June 28, 1906. WITH reference to the position of this.Protectorate as regards sleeping sick- ness, I have the honour to state that, should sleeping sickness extend in a southerly direction from the localities at present affected, the disease will, in the first instance, have to pass through a very considerable area of German territory on the one hand, and of the territories of the Congo Free State and North-Eastern Rhodesia on the other, before it reaches our borders.

The Government of German East Africa and the Administration of North- Eastern Rhodesia are, no doubt, fully conscious of the gravity of the situation should their territories be invaded by sleeping sickness, and timely intimation from either will enable us to adopt necessary precautionary measures for the prevention of its entry with this Protectorate.

The history of the progress of the disease in the areas already affected has shown that it has spread comparatively slowly, and then only by infecting G. pal- palis fly belts, formerly "clean," with the trypanosome gambiense. The different species of "glossina" at present known round the shores of Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa do not include G. palpalis, the carrier of the parasite referred to. This in itself would tend to support the view that the disease is not likely to spread in a southerly direction towards the Protectorate, except by the extension of already existing G. palpalis fly belts. It is, however, fully recognized that our knowledge regarding the distribution of the different species of tsetse in the neighbourhood of Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa is not complete; and, further, that there is a possibility of other species of tsetse fly besides G. palpalis acting as carriers of the parasite which produces trypanosomiasis in man.

Should the disease at any time extend towards Lake Tanganyika, precautionary measures for the purpose of protecting this country would have to be immediately adopted; and these, shortly stated, would consist in establishing inspection posts on the Stevenson Road at two points: one at the southern end of Lake Tanganyika, and one at or near Fort Hill; at each of which a medical officer would be stationed. Infected natives would be sent back to their homes or, at any rate, prohibited from entering the Protectorate.

I have lastly to add that there is not, in my opinion any necessity for sending a medical officer to Uganda to study the question of sleeping sickness, as the litera- ture published on the subject has been circulated among the medical officers, who are fully acquainted with the outstanding features of the disease, and are, moreover, able, in the case of an allied condition, namely, animal trypanosomiasis, to demon- strate the parasite without difficulty. I should, however, further add that, in the event of it being necessary at any time to undertake precautionary measures against the entry of sleeping sickness into the Protectorate, it will be necessary to supple- ment the present staff with at least two medical officers.

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No. 72.

I have, &c.,

H. HEARSEY,

Principal Medical Officer.

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recommended by them with a view to preventing the spread of sleeping sickness into the British Central Africa Protectorate.

2. Although in my confidential despatch of the 10th of August* I gave reasons for considering that the measures in question could not be effectively applied, it appears to me from your present despatch that the case of the British Central Africa Protectorate is different from that of the East African Protectorates, and that the scheme could be brought into force there with a better prospect of success. The Liverpool School have also furnished me with further information in support of their recommendations and, in any case, I am unwilling to leave untried any scheme which is likely to preserve the Protectorate from an epidemic which is attended with such fatal results.

3.

The Liverpool School now propose that two experts should be sent by them to the British Central Africa Protectorate for the purpose of studying the local conditions and suggesting and, if necessary, helping to initiate-such quarantine measures as would, in their opinion, prevent or, at any rate, check the introduction of sleeping sickness into the Protectorate. As the measures contemplated are administrative in character, it is to be understood that the two experts would work directly under the Commissioner and that they would co-operate loyally and cordially with the local staff. Their salaries would be paid by the. School, while the Government would be required to provide them with free passages to and from the Protectorate, with free transport in the Protectorate itself, and with subsistence and lodging or allowances in lieu thereof.

4. If you concur with me in thinking it desirable to accept this generous offer

of the Liverpool School, I request that you will inform me by telegram, in order that the two gentlemen selected may leave this country in order to arrive in the Protectorate at the end of the rains. I assume that, at any rate for the present, they would take the place of the two additional medical officers for whom you have asked in the 11th paragraph of your despatch under acknowledgment.

30005

SIR,

No. 73.

UGANDA.

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

THE EARL OF ELGIN to COMMISSIONER H. HESKETH BELL. [Answered by Nos. 80 and 86.]

(No. 243.)

Downing Street, August 25, 1906. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you, for your consideration, the accom- panying copy of correspondencet with Dr. R. U. Moffat and Mr. G. Wilson on the subject of the suitability of Entebbe as the capital of Uganda in view of the fact that it is within the area of infection from sleeping sickness,

2. I shall be glad if you will furnish me with your observations on the subject at an early date.

3. Until this question is settled it will be necessary to postpone any expendi- ture on a new Government House and, as far as possible, on other public buildings at Entebbe.

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

SIR,

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

THE EARL OF ELGIN to COMMISSIONER SIR, A. SHARPE. [Answered by Nos. 76 and 87.]

(Confidential.)

Downing Street, August 23, 1906.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 178. of the 30th of June, and to inform you that the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have again urged upon me the necessity of taking action on the lines

• No. 71.

No. 74.

COLONIAL OFFICE to LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE. [Answered by No. 77.]

WITH reference to your letter of the 20th of August,‡ I am directed by the

Downing Street, August 28, 1906.

No. 70

SIR,

• No. 66.

† 26196 (not printed) : and Nos, 64 and 65.

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