Vol. XVIII. No. -{3s>. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Tiie fact that paper yarn can be renrlered both water- 

 proof Hiid fireproof at an infinitesimal cost 15 a distinct recom- 

 "iiiendalion in its favour. Its seleotioa for raachine-eun belt- 

 ing has effected considerible financial ecocomy, while this 

 application also serves to empha.size its superiority to fibre 

 textiles very convincingly. The objection against belting 

 made from the last-named is its liability to .shrint; when wet, 

 and to stretch when dry. The paper substitute remains 

 totally unati'ected by any tiuctuations of weather conditions. 

 In point of cost there is a remarkable divergence, the fibre 

 belt costing from three to four times as much as the paper 

 substitute. 



The material is so perfect in all essential characteristics 

 that it may be washed, boiled, and ironed without apprehen- 

 sion. This renders it an excellent substitute for linen and 

 cotton for many domestic purposes. So far as dress materials 

 are concerned, it pos.sesses distinct shortcomings, which fertility 

 of thought has not yet succeeded in eliminating. 



So far as Great Britain is concerned, the manufacturers 

 assert that the future for the paper textiles is assured. The 

 industry has become (irmly and soliilly established. 



It is asserted that the paper textile industry has nothing 

 to fear from the competition of wool, cotton, jute, and hemp 

 when normal conditions return. Paper textiles must inevi- 

 tably hold their own within the field they have secured, from 

 the mete fact that they show an advantage in regard to 

 price, coupled with the reco^nitinn of the undoubted cir- 

 cumstance, that in many instances the resultant articles are 

 superior to those wrought from fibre textiles. (Jonsequently 

 the industry is certain to undergo rapid and extensive 

 expansion. 



At the moment Great Britain is suffering from restricted 

 .imports of paper, but the Government attach such importance 

 to the new and young industry that they conceded a special 

 license for the manufacturers to import further ijuantities 

 of paper to meet their requirements and increasing activities. 

 The otKcial and civilian recognition of the paper yarn indus- 

 try must represent a potential contribution to British 

 industrial and commercial strength, although it is likely 

 to add to the complexities of the paper situation as a 

 whole, more particularly as further applications for the yarn 

 are being discovered and proved with each passing week. 

 But the mo.st gratifying feature is the knowledge that the full 

 exploitation of this industry is not being left entirely to the 

 enemy, who is thus destined to encounter severe competition 

 in the neutral markets where he will essay to develop this 

 .new line of textile articles to the utmost. 



A CURIOUS LOCAL EPIDEMIC. 



A certain epidemic broke out in the earlier months of 

 1917 among the labourers on some sugar estates in Jamaica. 

 This epedimic was invested by Dr. H. H. Scott, Government 

 Bacteriologist of that island. He Las recorded the results of 

 his investigation in a paper in the Aiiiiah i/f Trapical Medicine 

 <ihd farasito/ogy, October 31, 1918. 



It seems that while the epidemic was in progress the 

 disease was spoken of as the 'Spanish Town epidemic' because 

 the majority of cases occurred in the neighbourhood of Spani-sh 

 Town, the ancient capital of .Luuaica. I )r. Scott thinks, 

 however, that the condition is also met with in other parts 

 of the island, and that the Sqanish Town epidemic represents 

 the acute stage of a disease which has for a long time been 

 dcsisinated wrongly in .lamaica as peripheral neuritis'. 



The onset of the disease in each case was sudden, tha 

 patients nearly all of them adults, being attacked while at 

 work and apparently in good health. 



All of those attacked during the epidemic were of the 

 peasant class, that is, natives who worked as labourers on the 

 sugar estates, or who in rare instances had small holdings of 

 their own. Males and females were e'pially affected. The 

 epidemic started during the catting and carrying of the cane 

 crop, and the reporting of fresh cases ceased almost abruptly 

 as soon as the crop was finished. 



In practically every instance the first symptom com- 

 plained of was a sensation of itching in the eyes, followed in a 

 few days by serious intiammation of the conjunctiva. Withia 

 four days to a vreek after the onset of the eye symptoms, a 

 burning sensation in the mouth was complained of, followed 

 by intiammation of the mucous membrane of the lips and 

 ■;heeks. About fourteen days after the first onset farther 

 symptoms declared themselves, and the cases may be pla;ei 

 in one of two categories: (I) those with diarrho-a and 

 intestinal symptoms, of whom some died in a few days appar- 

 ently from exhaustion, while others slowly recovered; 

 (2) those with nervous symptoms. In these cases a sensa- 

 tion of numbness and tingling, starting in the toes and 

 soles of the feet, was complained of. This numbness spreads 

 up the legs, and in the course of three or four days walking 

 was impossible. In the worst cases there was some difficulty 

 of speech, due. as the patients described it to 'numbness of 

 the tongue.' In those cases which terminated fatally after a 

 considerable period, there was a marked general emacialioa. 

 The last stage of the fatal nervous cases was always tha 

 same, .\bout forty-eight to seventy-two hours before death 

 combined inanition, emaciation, and diarrh<ea brought abojt; 

 the fatal issue. 



Dr Scott does not consider that the disease is eitlsr 

 pellagra or beri-beri or any 'deficiency disease'. Althoigh 

 he has not found any definite toxin which, introduced in a put a 

 state, will produce the symptoms of this disease, he leans to 

 the conclusion that it is so caused. The curious point is that 

 the epidemic had some apparent relation to the fact that those 

 who were attacked were working in cane fields, and that 

 during this period of cutting and carrying canes the 

 labourers live almost exclusively on the raw canes. 



The Doctor concludes his interesting paper by saying 

 that, in the present state of knowledge, all that he is justified, 

 in concluding is that the history, course, and tost-moricnt 

 findings in the Spanish Town epidemic, and in the so-called 

 peripheml neuritis cases indicate that the conditljn is that 

 of a 'central neuritis' due to some toxin, possibly microbial, 

 more probably not, affecting mainly workers on sugar estates, 

 and possibly due to the growth of, some fungus or parasite 

 upon the suckers, tops, or leaves of the cane. 



Attention is drawn to the fact that the cane tops, whici. 

 are cut or broken off, are covered with small hairs which are 

 very irritating, and which may have set up the original 

 infiammation of eyes and month. 



In the November issue of the Proceediifgs of the Agri- 

 cultural Socitfiy i)/ Irinidad and Tobago, there is printed 

 some correspondence between His Excellency the Governor 

 of Trinidad, the Secretary-of State for the Colonies, vni the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture for the ''"est Indies 

 on the subject of the reorganization of the Agricultural 

 Department, and the Board of Agriculture, Trinidad, together 

 with a draft (.)rdinari.;e to be submit: ed to the Legislaiuia 

 r;»lating to the .-\gricuhural .-'ociecy. 



