1 8 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



Despite the close connection of the medical and sanitary services 

 with those discussed, it would hardly be practicable to place them 

 under this unified control; but here again the detachment of the 

 long-term research worker from preoccupation with administra- 

 tive detail would have a beneficial effect. It is interesting, there- 

 fore, to note that the appointment of a Director of Medical 

 Research for the block of British East African territories has been 

 suggested. This might have the double effect of enabling some 

 kinds of research to proceed uninterrupted, and of promoting 

 closer co-operation between the several territories concerned. 



The relations between Entomology and the other studies men- 

 tioned are rather complex. Although insects are of the utmost 

 importance as disseminators both of animal and human disease, 

 the same insect is rarely responsible for disease both in men and 

 animals. Accordingly there seems no great advantage to be gained 

 by centralizing entomological research as a whole. In the case of 

 the tsetse fly the position is very different, and the question may 

 be raised whether all studies on trypanosomiasis of humans and 

 animals should not be centralized instead of dispersed between 

 a number of departments as at present. 



The development in recent years of periodic conferences for the 

 discussion of research on a wide basis has produced a great im- 

 provement in the interchange of information and co-ordination 

 of results. Conferences of officers in the difTerent services, surveys, 

 geology, forestry, agriculture, and medicine, are held from time to 

 time, and in British East Africa the meetings arranged by the Con- 

 ference of East African Governors have become a regular feature 

 of scientific life. The time may perhaps come when similar gather- 

 ings will be held in West Africa. International pan-African health 

 conferences have already been held, and it is to be hoped that 

 similar conferences, dealing with other sciences, such as are 

 organized for the Pacific and America, will follow in due course. 



FINANCE AND AGENCIES FOR RESEARCH 



Any discussion of the centralization of research at once raises 

 the question of finance. At present it is practically all financed 

 from current revenue and therefore the annual votes are bound to 



