452 SCIENCE IN AFRICA 



diseases may have been contributory in reducing resistance. In 

 Nigeria the veterinary department has no entomological side, 

 while the Gold Coast department has paid special attention to 

 flies and fly control, as mentioned in Chapter X. 



In the French territories the two most important catde diseases 

 are rinderpest and contagious pleuro-pneumonia. Serum and 

 vaccine against rinderpest are prepared at several centres, especi- 

 ally at the central veterinary laboratory at Bamako in the French 

 Sudan, where researches contributed materially to working out 

 the original formula for rinderpest vaccine, now used all over 

 the world. Regarding tuberculosis it is important that, whereas 

 five years ago the bovine disease was practically unknown in the 

 French Sudan, now between 3 and 5 per cent of cattle slaughtered 

 at Bamako show its symptoms. Many contributions to knowledge 

 of African diseases have been made by this and other laboratories, 

 especially by M. G. Curasson, now Inspector-general for veteri- 

 nary services in French West Africa. The research laboratories 

 of the animal husbandry service of Morocco, at Casablanca, have 

 likewise assisted materially in the study of diseases which affect 

 large parts of Africa, especially the external and internal parasites 

 of sheep; the chemical therapy of piroplasmosis and trypanoso- 

 miasis has also been advanced there. 



In the Belgian Congo the two Government veterinary labora- 

 tories at Kisenyi in the north of Ruanda and at Gabu in Kabali 

 Ituri have, like others in Africa, been engaged in preparing anti- 

 rinderpest and other sera and vaccines. In research the Kisenyi 

 laboratory has been concerned especially with attempts to dis- 

 cover a vaccination for trypanosomiasis. As in other parts of Africa, 

 success cannot yet be recorded, but the Kisenyi laboratory is still 

 optimistic (Congo Beige 1934 onwards). Helminthiasis in sheep is 

 another subject which has been specially studied on the Nioka 

 farm and at the Kisenyi laboratory, and is the subject of a special 

 report. 



In concluding this discussion, it may be stated that certain dis- 

 eases have yet to be eliminated or much reduced before permanent 

 improvement in animal husbandry can be brought about, but the 

 influence of nutrition in resistance to disease is also important. 

 Many diseases of stock, as of man, are known to be due to deficien- 



