13 



INTUOnrcTION 



Increase in 

 funds 



Appoinlnn-nt 

 of chemical 

 assistant 



\'aluc of an 



txonomic 



Entomologist 



\'alue of .1 



Floating 



I^lioratory 



I Mill very jj;lail to siiy 

 Tile hilionttories contiiigint was inereasetl ainl 



iivailuil t lit'iiisi'lvfs of siuli ailvantiigi's as the lalioratorics oflor, ami have iloiiu a loiisidfralilc 

 aiiiuiint of work in tlu'iii. 



JIajor Erskiiif, ("ajitain Jaini'soii an<l (Japtaiii Evans have all been fretjuent visitors, 

 while the otHeers of the Egyptian Medieal Service, anil especially JIujor Dansey drowning, 

 have often attemled for purposes of work ami study. 



As regards the future, two things stood out clearly. 'I'lic laboratories required more 

 money and ti certain increase in the Staff". I accordingly applied for an increase in the 

 contingent, which had become ijuite ina(lei|uate. The laboratories are growing and recpiire 

 to be fed, otherwise their constitution will suffer. Similarly the work is growing and 

 requires to be tende<l, otherwise there is a danger of its being neglected and much valuable 

 nuiterial may be lost. 



Dr. Beam required an assistant in the Chemical Department. Miuh of liis time was 

 taken up in preparing standard solutions ami in the trivial but important details which 

 should fall to the lot of a trained assistant. Mr. Frie<lrichs is kept constantly employed 

 in bacteriological and iiiuscinn work, iiinl native helpei"s have so far jjroved to be broken 

 reeds. They cannot be trusted beyond the iiottle-washing stage, 

 that both my applications were granted. 

 Jlr. J. A. Goodson arrived at the beginning of this year as assistant in the Chemical 

 Laboratory. 



An Economic Entomologist to take entire control of the insect pest work, to study the 

 conditions both in the field and in the laboratory, and to carry out experimental research, 

 would not only fill a vacant place in the Staff" but would be of great benefit to the country. 

 Every year taxes, amounting to large sums. Iiuvc to be rciniltcd nwiiig to the ravages of the 

 Aji/ii.s sonj/ii and other pests. There is a great deal of work to be performed, but it is 

 special work and would take up the whole of a man's time. As much as possible luu! been 

 done in the laboratories and some progress has been nnule, but the possiliilities are great if 

 funds can be found for such an otliiia! wIid iiiiglit also luiidiut valuable researches as 

 regards the breeding habits oi (t'/ox-siun and otlicr biting ])iptcra. He lias been applied for, 

 anil I hope may be appointed.* I saw something of what was being carried out in Egypt in 

 this direction and it was very hojieful. The Sudan offers a large and even more interesting 

 field of study, while it is a poorer country ami raimot so well afford to be robbed by these 

 enemies of the husbandman. \Vc have again had the benefit of Mr. Theobald's 

 knowledge, both as regards mosiiiiitocs and insect pests, and Mr. Austen has rendered much 

 Valuable aid with reference to biting fiies. Well-nigh three years' experience has convinced 

 me that if a floating laboratory were attailuil to the Department a great step in advance would 

 have been taken. The Southern Sudan is a country seamed liy water-ways, on the banks of 

 which are clustered native villages wherein all manner of rare and interesting pathological 

 conditions are to be found. Flies and mosiiuitoes abound, the birds, reiitilcs ami fish harbour 

 strange parasites, ineu die from curious diseases, there is a vast field for the .study of Tropical 

 Medicine. Material occasionally reaches us in Khartoum from these distant regions, but it is 

 too often in a damageil state. IJlood slides are dirty and spoiled, insects broken, notes 

 incomplete. If the i-onditioiis could be studied locally in a proper manner, I am certain that 

 much of value could be garnered. I have tried doing blood work and microscopic work in a 

 native hut, and it is most disheartening. Dr. Neave had similar experiences. A laboratory, 



• Pcrniiwioii was olitainvd for the immediate iip])oiDtmciit of sncli an oflicinl, ami Mr. Harold King, of the 

 South Eai«torn At^icultiinil Collcfrc, \Vyo, Eii^'laiid, ha.t lx.'eii elected to the jxist. 



