INDIA 



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WORK IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. 



Active and well-organized anti-malarial work is being carried on in many 

 places in the tropics. An effort has been made to establish an anti-malarial 

 league in Greece which has the support of wealthy people and of the nobility of 

 several countries, but, aside from Italy, in practically none of the well-settled 

 countries in temperate regions has any work of importance been done, even in 

 regions whose development is distinctly held in check by this disease. 



IN INDIA. 



The government of India has never been able to carry out broad concerted 

 measures, although most important investigations have been carried on in that 

 country. It was decided to convene a conference to examine the whole question 

 and to draw up a plan of campaign for the consideration of the general govern- 

 ment and of the local governments. This conference assembled at Simla on 

 October 11, 1909. In the resolution which brought about the call it is pointed 

 out that the actual death-rate in India from malaria is five per thousand ; that 

 this represents about 1,130,000 deaths, and, as mortality in malarial fever is ordi- 

 narily low, a death-rate of even five per thousand indicates an amount of sick- 

 ness, much of it preventable, which clearly calls for the best efforts that govern- 

 ment can make to diminish it. An editorial in the Journal of Tropical Medicine 

 and Hygiene for September 15, 1909, in speaking of this resolution and the pro- 

 posed conference, anticipates that nothing will come out of the movement. It 

 says, " To those, however, who have read many similar resolutions, and have, 

 perhaps, acted on committees of the sort, the solemn rigmarole, with its char- 

 acteristic touch on the ' prohibitive costs of attempts to extirpate the mosquito,' 

 implies no more than an expedient to stave off the dreaded day when public 

 opinion will force the Government of India to act instead of talk on this really 

 and literally vital question." 



The report of the conference as given in ISTature, November 5, 1909, indicates 

 that many important addresses were made, including one by Colonel Leslie, the 

 Sanitary Commissioner of the government of India, and others by such well- 

 known workers as Major James and Captain Christophers of the Indian Medical 

 Service. Colonel Leslie advocated quinine prophylaxis. Major James intro- 

 duced a discussion upon the distribution of malaria in India and advocated a 

 general investigation in every province, similar to that which Captain Christo- 

 phers made in the Punjab. Quite in the line of prophecies of the editorial in 

 the Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Major White, of the Indian 

 Medical Service, stated that he considered the recommendations of past malaria 

 conferences are costly, and almost prohibitively so if undertaken annually, and 

 contended that more should be done with the propagation of fish which prey 

 upon mosquito larvae. At the termination of the conference various conclusions 

 and recommendations were drawn up under the following main headings : 



(1) Scientific investigation; (2) The agency by which investigation should 

 be made; (3) Practical measures, including (a) extirpation of mosquitoes, (b) 

 quinine treatment and prophylaxis, (c) education, and (d) finance. 



