IXTRODUCTION 



\ LONGER time thau usual lius, on this occasion, elapsed between the appearance of 

 Reports. This is due in part to the fact that there have been additions to the Staff, 

 and it was felt desirable that the work of new members should be included, and in part to 

 the increasing difficulty of finding leisure to compile and issue records of this magnitude. 

 Indeed, on the present occasion, it was found necessary to split the Report into two volumes. 

 For a time also we were sorely hampered by the effects of the disastrous fire to which 

 allusion was made in our Third Report, and had to start building up once more, without 

 thoughts of output or future publications. Our difficulties were, however, greatly 

 minimised by Mr. Wellcome's speedy and ample aid, and by the help afforded us by 

 the Director of Education and his Staff. 



Sad to say, no sooner was some progress again being made than we lost by death 

 our very capable and energetic laboratory assistant, Mr. E. 0. Inglis. He had only been 

 six months in Khartoum, but had already proved himself a man of the right stamp, and 

 his loss was greatly deplored. His place was difficult to fill, but eventually we were 

 fortunate enough to secure Mr. George Buchanan, who, having been trained imder 

 Mr. Richard Muir in the pathological laboratory of Edinburgh University, had gained 

 much insight into laboratory methods, and, being an artist of no little skill and a Xew .Assistants 

 good photographer, has been able to render admirable service. Shortly afterwards a 

 second assistant, in the shape of Mr. A. Marshall, was appointed, as it was impossible 

 for one man to cope with the ever-increasing routine work, museum work, oversight of 

 experimental animals ami equipment, and all the manifold duties which fall to the lot 

 of a laboratory assistant, and which are much more onerous in the Tropics than in a 

 temperate climate. 



It was, however, evident that additions to the Scientific Staff were absolutely 

 essential, and as a result of an earnest appeal, strongly backed by the Director of 

 Education, two new appointments were made. 



Dr. James Thompson, late research student at the Lister Institute, arrived early in 

 1910, to take up the duties of senior assistant chemist. In addition to routine work it 

 was specially desired that Dr. Thompson should conduct pharmacological research work 

 on the obscure drugs and poisons employed by the natives and on such allied subjects 

 as seemed worthy of special consideration. 



At a later period, through the kind offices of Sir William Leishmau, F.R.S., the 

 services of Captain W. B. Fry, R.A.M.C., were enlisted as Assistant Bacteriologist and 

 Protozoologist. Unfortunately, Captain Fry had not been long with us, before, as a 

 result of laboratory infection, he contracted Malta Fever and had eventually to return 

 to England on sick leave. This has upset his research work on animal trypanosomiasis, 

 which consequently does not figure so largely in this Report as would otherwise have 

 been the case. Captain Fry's knowledge of some of the newer methods and up-to-date 

 procedures has, however, been of great service. 



The routine work continues to increase both in variety and magnitude. Since the increase in the 

 date of the last Report nearly 1,800 examinations have been conducted in the bacterio- 

 logical laboratory alone, comprising Wassermann te.sts, the preparation of bacterial 

 vaccines, reporting on veterinary material, and on all the usual class of specimens 

 which are sent in from hospitals and by practitioners. Certainly more use i.s now 



work of the 

 Laboratories 



