186 



and injected into a susceptible animal, produced tlie symptoms in 

 practically every instance. Bots collected from the stomach of a 

 horse not affected with pernicious anaemia did not produce the disease 

 when injected into healthy animals. The bots cannot therefore 

 themselves produce the disease and the question remains whether 

 pernicious anaemia could be transmitted through the medium of the 

 adult flies, i.e., from larvae taken from horses affected with the disease 

 and thence by their eggs being deposited on a susceptible horse. 



An investigation by Mr. Mitchell has been carried out in Zululand 

 with the object of determining the extent of infection with 

 trypanosomiasis and with particular reference to the spread of the 

 disease and the best means of prevention and eradication. The 

 conclusions reached were that wandering game is responsible for 

 primary outbreaks of the disease ; that Glossina does not travel from 

 the original fly belt unless cover is continuous or it is in company \\ith 

 game. In the absence of tsetse it is considered unlikely that outbreaks 

 of nagana could originate from recovered or partly recovered cattle 

 or from game localised to the cattle-grazing area. 



Certain recommendations have been made as a result of the 

 investigations, with a view to localising game as far as possible and for 

 their efficient protection in the reserves. These include the issue of 

 permits to Europeans and natives living in nagana areas authorising 

 them to destroy wandering game ; these permits to be valid during 

 the summer months as well as during the open season. The destruction 

 of game in infected areas should be encouraged by the issue of licences 

 at reduced fees to non-residents. In the low veld areas where there 

 are few, if any, cattle, and in areas surrounding game reserves, shooting 

 game under licence should be allowed. A European ranger should be 

 appointed to supervise the game reserves in each district, the existing 

 open area on both sides of the roads should be maintained for some 

 time and the bush adjoining roads passing through tsetse-fly areas 

 should be repeatedly burned. The assistance of owners is necessary to 

 control nagana, as such matters as insufficient herding, transport 

 riding in summer in areas where the disease is endemic, and lack of 

 isolation measures are better dealt with by o\ATiers than by the State. 



Ornithodoros megnini (spinose ear tick), which was first observed in 

 South Africa in 1912, has been prevalent in various parts of the Union. 

 Recommendations for the treatment of affected animals have been 

 issued. 



Mosquitos and Flies in the Epidemiology of Acute Poliomyelitis.— .Brii. 

 Med. Jl, London, no. 2961, 29th September 1917, pp. 429-430. 



Experiments recently carried out do not support the view that 

 acute poliomyelitis is spread by mosquitos or non-biting flies, but only 

 by direct contact from one individual to another. Mechanical 

 transmission has been effected by allo^snng many thousands of stable 

 flies [Stomoxys] to feed on an infected monkey, and immediately 

 afterwards on a normal monkey ; the fly, however, does not act as an 

 intermediate host, but only as a carrier. Experiments to determine 

 if the mosqaito, Cidex pipiens, the common house-fly, and the blue- 

 bottle can take up the virus and maintai^i ^^ in their bodies have given 

 negative results. 



