70 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Febeuary 27, 1904. 



PREVENTION OF MALARIA. 



The Barbados Official Gazette of February 11 

 contains a circular rlespatch from the Secretary of 

 State for the Colonies giving information in connexion 

 with the investigation of malaria and the training of 

 medical officers in the treatment and prevention of 

 tropical diseases. In this despatch an outline is 

 given of what has been attempted in the direction of 

 improving health and sanitation in tropical colonies 

 and protectorates, and of the work of the Malaria 

 Commission appointed by the Royal Society on the 

 suggestion of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 

 As enclosures to the despatch are published a statement 

 by the Secretary of the Royal Societ}-, briefly reviewing 

 what has been accomplished by the Connnission, and 

 a memorandum by l3rs. Stephens and Christophers 

 setting forth their views as to the results of their 

 researches on native malaria and the prevention of 

 malaria. From the latter enclosure we extract the 

 following notes on ' personal precautions ' : — 



We cannot emphasize finally too .strongly the need at 

 present for these. We ourselves, by luireniitting care, 

 completely escaped contracting malaria dining over three 

 years' residence in Africa anil India : in places, too, wliere, 

 more fretiuently than not, the deadly conditions we have 

 described existed. Among these precautions we place the 

 proper use of a moscjuito net as far and away the greatest 

 means of individual protection. 



1. Jfofijiiifo net : The net should lie sijuare (not a bell 

 net), should not have a single, even minute, hole, should 

 hang in.side the poles if tliese are used, shoitld be tucked in 

 under the mattress, and .should 7iot trail on the ground. 

 A piece of clo.sely woven material, fastened on all round at 

 the level of the body is a necessary addition, in order to 

 protect the limbs during sleep from l)ites t/u-ow/h the net. 

 When not in use the entl.s of the net should be twisted up 

 somewhat, and then thrown over the top. Vi'e always 

 arranged our nets ourselve.s, never trusting to servants, and 

 further to be doulily certain, we always carefully searched 

 the interior with a candle before going to sleeii. To these 

 minute precautions, solely, we attribute our absolute freedom 

 from malaria. Employed without care and attention, 

 a mosquito net is little protection in such malarious places 

 as most up-countrj' African stations. 



2. Subsidiary measures: In many of the more malarious 

 places we visited we considered that other subsidiary precau- 

 tions, such as will suggest themselves to any intelligent 

 jierson, were also necessary. To protect our legs and ankles, 

 for instance, we considered it necessary to wear thick 

 trousers, with puttees, or the very convenient, so-called 

 mosquito boots. The face and hands are not in waking 

 hours verj- likely to be bitten by Aiwjihe/es, though they are 

 very likely to be bitten liy varirais species ot Ctde.c. It 

 must be understood, however, that for precautions to be 

 effective in badly malarious places consideral)le care and 

 thoughtfulness is entailed, and few followed our example. 



3. Qtiinine : During the whole of our three years' 

 life in the tropics we found it quite unnecessary to use 

 quinine. If, however, the l)ites of Anopheles cannot be 

 guarded against, quinine should be taken as a prophylactic. 

 We con.sider Profes.sor Koch's method of taking 1.5 grains on 

 two successive days in each week as the best. Rejieated 

 saiiall doses are of doubtful eflicacj'. 



In view of the above recommendations interest 



attaches to the following letter, from the Booth 

 Steamship Co. to the Honorary Secretary of the 

 Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, published in 

 the Journal of Commerce of January 22 : — 



The following extract from the log of the caiitain of our 

 steiimer '.lavary,' while lying at Iquito.s, Peru, about two 

 months ago, will no doubt be of interest to all connected 

 with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine : — ' There 

 appears to be ijuite an epidemic in b^uitos this voyage, 

 and several deaths have taken place from " Black Vomit." 

 Fortunately, the ship's company keep healthy. The mosquito 

 nets supplied by the company are a great boon to the men, 

 for the mosipiitos just now are almost unbearable.' We may 

 mention that, following the recommendations of the Liveriiool 

 School, our steamers trading to Iquitos have been for several 

 j-ears regularly provided with mosquito nets for the use of 

 the crew, with the most satisfactory results. Cases of 

 malaria were frequent, sometimes resulting fatally, but since 

 the introduction of the mosquito nets and their general 

 adoption by all members of the crews, we are pleased to say 

 that these steamers have enjoyed a wonderful inununity from 

 sickne.ss. In view of this we have latterly provided mosquito 

 nets for the crews of all our steamers in the Para and 

 JIanaos trade, and although it is rather soon to make any 

 definite statement as to the result, we have reason to supprise 

 that it will be equally .satisfactory, as it is some months 

 since we heard of the last case of yellow fever, and so far as 

 we know, not one has occurred in any steamer after the 

 introduction of the mosipiito nets. We jilace these facts 

 before you as they will no doulit be of interest to other 

 shiiiowners trading with the tropics. 



ARBOR DAY AT MONTSERRAT. 



The following letter from Mr. Charles M. Martin, 

 Inspector of Schools for the Leeward Islands, to the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture, dated Mont- 

 .serrat, February .S, 1904, gives an account of the Arbor 

 Day celebrations in that island : — 



You will be glad to hear that our Arliur IJay celebrations 

 in Mont.serrat were a great success. 



On Monda)', .January 2.5, fifteen trees were planted at 

 Harris' Cemetery to form an avenue along the main walk. 

 On Tuesday, the two schools met before the Court Hou.se 

 (the children wearing the distinctive colours of their .school 

 gardens) and, after a short adtlress by me, marched to Cocoa- 

 nut Hill, where nearly forty mahogany trees were planted on 

 both sides of the road. Mrs. Watkins was present and 

 planted the first tree. On Wednesday, the children of 

 Olveston .school planted six trees as the first beginning of 

 what shoulil be a fine avenue along the approaches to the 

 school. On Friday, Bethel school planted eight trees along 

 the boundaries of the school premises. In all, some seventy 

 trees were planted and over 1,100 children took jiart in the 

 proceedings. The amount of interest evinced by both 

 teachers and children in the celebrations was gratifying. 



In future. Arbor Day will be held on the King's 

 Birthday. Special songs and recitations have been learnt 

 and were rendered on the occasions referred to above, and it 

 is evident that the daj' will be one of lasting good to all 

 concerned. 1 nuist acknowledge with thanks the services of 

 !Mr. .Jordan, which heliied greatly to the success of the 

 proceedings. !Mr. Watkins, who took great interest in the 

 arrangements, was unfortunately prevented by illness from 

 being present on any of the days, and we much regretted his 

 absence. 



