CO885-9 — Page 334

65

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

།།།།།། Fundamina, 885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

Earl of Elgin to transmit, for your information, a copy of a despatch* which has been addressed to His Majesty's Commissioner for the British Central Africa Protectorate to acquaint him with the arrangements for the prevention of the spread of sleeping sickness into the Protectorate, which were settled in consultation with the members of the staff of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who called at this office on the 22nd instant. A copy of a despatcht just received from the Commissioner

is also enclosed.

2. Lord Elgin desires me to state that these despatches should not be published.

33459

No. 75.

I am, &c.,

FRED. GRAHAM.

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA PROTECTORATE. COMMISSIONER SI A. SHARPE to THE EARL OF ELGIN.

(Received September 10, 1906.)

[Copy to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, September 18, 1906. L.F.] (No. 200.) MY LORD, Government Offices, Zomba, British Central Africa, July 16, 1906.

REFERRING to my despatch, No. 178, of the 30th of June, 1906, I have the honour to transmit a copy of a telegram, received by me from the Acting Adminis- trator of North Eastern Rhodesia, informing me of the steps taken in that territory to keep a check upon the spread of sleeping sickness should it approach British territory south of Lake Tanganyika,

I have, &c.,

ALFRED SHARPE,

Commissioner.

Enclosure in No. 75.

ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, Fort Jameson, to COMMISSIONER, Zomba.

(Dated July 14, 1906.)

TELEGRAM.

Your letter 30th. Principal Medical Officer has given Doctor Abercorn all necessary instructions; he will proceed to lake and examine all gangs and order any suspicious cases to return; all natives from north and north-west will be examined outside town, and Europeans are forbidden to send natives to Protec- torate unless first examined; in addition we have one medico specially detailed for research and travelling for some time so engaged.

35974

No. 76.

BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA PROTECTORATE. ACTING COMMISSIONER PEARCE to THE EARL OF ELGIN. (Received 1.30 p.m., September 29, 1906.) TELEGRAM.

No. 35. September 29. Referring to your despatch 23rd August,* I consider that offer should be accepted.

36529

No. 77.

LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received October 4, 1906.)

SIR,

[Copy to Commissioner, British Central Africa Protectorate, October 24, 1906. No. 247. L.F.]

[Answered by No. 78.]

B 10, Exchange Buildings, Liverpool, October 2, 1906. Prevention of the Spread of Sleeping Sickness in Africa.-

I AM directed by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to inform you that your letter of August 28th,* and the enclosures therewith, have been carefully considered by the School.

I am to say that the School view with much satisfaction the steps that His Majesty's Government are taking, as outlined in the despatch addressed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Majesty's Commissioner for the British Central Africa Protectorate, dated August 23rd.†

The School have carefully perused the despatch from Sir Alfred Sharpe, dated 30th June, 1906, forwarded in your letter, and also the letter from his Principal Medical Officer, Dr. Hearsey, dated 28th June, and wish to call attention to the following two points, viz :-

(1) The rapid spread of sleeping sickness in Africa in recent years has been due, not to the gradual extension of infected areas, but to the importation from a distance of persons suffering from the disease into localities where it did not pre- viously exist. This fact is amply proved by observations in Uganda and the Congo Free State.

(2) The School possess information which enables them to assert that sleeping sickness is rapidly increasing, and is at present actually endemic in missions or among the native population on the west shore of Lake Tanganyika, between 4o north and 6° 45' south. Imported cases have already occurred at Moliro, at the southern extremity of the lake.

(See Maps III. and IV. of Memoir XVIII. of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, forwarded on the 20th July, although these charts no longer represent the full extent of the spread of the disease.)

(3) It is unsafe to assert that Glossina palpalis is absent from a given spot until an exhaustive search has been made for it. Numerous cases of sleeping sick- ness have been observed in the Congo Free State in districts where Glossina palpalis occurred in very small numbers. There is certain knowledge of the existence of Glossina palpalis on Lake Moero and along the Lufira River to a point in the Free State at, approximately, 10° 30' south. It is very probable that they will be found to occur in the British possessions.

Sir Alfred Sharpe in his despatch‡ suggested that one medical officer might be sent from British Central Africa to Uganda to study the condition existing there, and that another be placed at, possibly, Karonga on the Stevenson Road. The professional advisers of the School agree with his Principal Medical Officer that it is not necessary that a medical officer should be sent to Uganda for the purpose of studying sleeping sickness; and they believe that the duties proposed for the medical officer to be stationed at Karonga can be efficiently performed by a properly equipped physician.

In conclusion I am to say that information on the following points is urgently required:-

A. The distribution of tsetse flies in the northern part of British Central

Africa.

B. The distribution of trypanosomes in the northern part of British Central

• No. 72.

† No Zi.

• No. 74.

20876

† No. 72.

‡ No. 71.

I

مراة