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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

ساسياتلسا

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,

Zomba.

June 28, 1906.

SIR,

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.

This in

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. 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 médical 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.

63

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,

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

No. 73.

UGANDA.

THE EARL OF ELGIN to COMMISSIONER H. HESKETH BELL.

(No. 243.)

[Answered by Nos. 80 and 86.]

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.

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

SIR,

• No. 66.

No. 70

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64