INTRODUCTION 1 1 



disinfected aud so all danger of fouling the soil, and tlu'oiigh it tlie ^vaters 

 of the Blue Nile obviated. 



The laboi'atories' museum is mueli indebted to those wlio have been good Museum of the 

 enough to send it specimens. The chief contributors have been Dr. Christopherson 

 of the Civil Hosjiital, Omdui'man, Lt.-Colonel Griffith, P.V.O., Major Bray, I'rincipai 

 the late Captain McArdle, who took much intei'est in the work, and -^vhose 

 untimely death i^i greatly to be deplored, Captains Rivers, Cummins, and Ensor 

 of the Egyptian Medical Corps, aud Sadek Effendi and Nagib Shedid Effendi, of 

 the same service. Mr. and Mrs. Broun, members of the Musemn Board, have 

 also from time to time presented specimens of drugs and poisonous plants. 



It is a great pleasure to be able to report that in several instances the 

 medical officers in Khartoum have availed themselves of the facilities presented 

 by the laboratories, and have worked in them to some extent. Captain Ensor, 

 especially, has devoted much of his spare time to blood examinations and other 

 research. One is only too pleased to welcome such visitors, and place the 

 laboratory resources at their disposal ; and they have responded by permitting 

 one access to clinical material under their charge, aud fui-nishing notes and 

 general information of great value. 



Ha\ing been appointed a member of the Museum Board, it devolved on me 

 to get the General and Economic Museum room ready for occupation, and the 

 first specimens collected and mounted. To this work Mv. Newlove devoted 

 himself with his accustomed energy. In this museum, but associated ■with the Economic 

 laboratories' work, are various specimens of diseased dura, a collection of mos- ^i"^^^"'" 

 quitoes including microscopical preparations of the three genera most coimnon in 

 Khartoum, examples of injurious insects such as those which destroy the melon 

 plant, and the aphides, so destructive to the dura crop. In conti'ast to these 

 latter are the beneficial lady-birds (CoccineUidaj), found along with tlie Aphides. 

 Specimens of two sj^ecies t)f tse-tse fly, one of which occurs in the Sudan, are 

 also exhil:)ited, as arc a few snakes, scorpions, locusts, and samples of ore. 



The year's work, of which a record is here given, has conclusively proved 

 that it would be a great advantage to increase the small staff by the appoint- 

 ment of a chemist. At present the staff consists only of the Director, a laboratory 

 assistant, and two Sudanese, one a small boy. Considering the Avork which has ^"''' 

 to be done, and might be done, and the size of the country which these 

 laboratories serve, it is essential that such an addition should be made. His 

 Excellency the Governor-General, Avho has taken a deep interest in the 

 laboratories and all that pei'tains to them, has been approached upon this subject, 

 and, thanks to his prompt recognition of the need for such an official, permission increSl\>f°' 

 has now been obtained and a chemist well versed in agricultural, economic and ^'^f 

 toxicological work will shortly be appointed. Another post which might well 

 be filled is that of collector, a trained observer Avhose duty it would be to 

 traverse the country and collect blood fihns, biting and injurious insects, parasites, 

 photographs of pathological conditions amongst the natives, drugs, poisons, and 



